A family of colorless or non-pigmented bacteria, often including sulfur bacteria that lack the typical purple or green pigments found in photosynthetic bacteria.
From 'achromat-' (colorless) + '-aceae' (taxonomic suffix for families). Named in microbiology to classify bacteria distinguished by their lack of pigmentation, even when similar to pigmented cousins.
These bacteria can't use photosynthesis like their colorful cousins, but they found weird alternative ways to get energy—some eat hydrogen sulfide from hot springs, making them truly alien-like on Earth!
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