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Sulfur Isotopes

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

Sulfur is a relatively common element in the solar system and on Earth. It has four relatively abundant, naturally occurring, stable isotopes with masses of approximately 32, 33, 34, and 36 atomic mass unit (amu). It has a rich chemistry, and reactions involving sulfur compounds occur in the solid, liquid, and gaseous envelopes of Earth and other planets. It occurs in a variety of valence states ranging from +6 to −2, and as a result, sulfur is used in a variety of biological capacities.

Overview

Sulfur compounds are used as an energy source for metabolic activity (catabolism) by a variety of bacteria and archaea that draw upon redox transformations, using oxidized species as electron donors and reduced species as electron acceptors. Sulfur compounds are used as important electron acceptors for anoxygenic photosynthesisby green and purple sulfur bacteria. Sulfur is a constituent of both essential (methionine) and nonessential (cysteine) amino acids. Sulfur compounds are...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    James Farquhar

Authors
  1. James Farquhar
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to James Farquhar .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Farquhar, J. (2014). Sulfur Isotopes. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1540-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1540-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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