Anaerobic Respiration and Fermentation

Abstract

For decades, ecologists have considered bacteria to be responsible, directly or indirectly, for much of the recycling of inorganic nutrients in nature and have regarded them as an important source of food for small animals. Apart from such important roles, these unseen but ubiquitous organisms perform many other activities. They can alter the chemistry of water and sediments, influence the distribution of plants and animals, and provide conditions for massive mineral deposition.