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Trends in the Biology of Fermentations for Fuels and Chemicals pp 357–374Cite as

The Methanogenic Bacteria, Their Ecology and Physiology

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Part of the book series: Basic Life Sciences ((BLSC))

Abstract

A study of the methane fermentation is unavoidably concerned with a study of microbial ecology because of the obligatory interactions between two major physiological participants, the chemoheterotrophic non-methanogenic bacteria and the methanogenic bacteria. In natural anaerobic habitats containing complex organic compounds and where light, sulfate, and nitrate are limited, these two groups of bacteria are linked in the degradation of organic substrates. The ultimate formation of methane and CO2 marks the last step in a series of dissimilatory reactions by which organic compounds are completely degraded. CH4 is the most reduced form of carbon and CO2 the most oxidized form of carbon.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Environmental and Nutritional Sciences School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, California, 90024, USA

    Robert A. Mah

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  1. Robert A. Mah
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Associated Universities, Inc., Washington, D.C., USA

    Alexander Hollaender

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© 1981 Plenum Press, New York

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Mah, R.A. (1981). The Methanogenic Bacteria, Their Ecology and Physiology. In: Hollaender, A., Rabson, R., Rogers, P., Pietro, A.S., Valentine, R., Wolfe, R. (eds) Trends in the Biology of Fermentations for Fuels and Chemicals. Basic Life Sciences. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3980-9_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3980-9_21

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-3982-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-3980-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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