[Ultrastructure of Bac. anthracis and Bac. cereus]

A study was made of the ultrastructure of Bac. anthracis and Bac. cereus (strains 1835 and 205). There were established definite morphological differences between the bacilli under study. The cell wall was much thicker in the causative agent of anthrax, it was permeated by tubules; the surface of the wall was covered by a thick layer of osmiophilic material. The spore membrane of Bac. anthracis was multistratal in character; osmiophilic filaments were seen on the surface of exosporium. Fungoid processes from the cell wall were present in Bac. cereus (strain No. 205); intraplasmic membrane structures were considerably developed; a crystal located on the contralateral end of the cell was formed with the spore, both processes coinciding in time.