Photoabsorption study of Bacillus megaterium, DNA and related biological materials in the phosphorus K-shell edge region.

We measured the X-ray transmission spectra of several biologically related samples in the phosphorus K-shell edge absorption region. These include red phosphorus, hydrated sodium phosphate (Na(3)PO(4).12 H(2)O), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), diolylphosphatidyl choline (DOPC), and Bacillus megaterium spores.