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F5 Metabolism of Microbes Terminology Review Nutrition: The means by which organisms obtain the energy they require, and a source of carbon for the organic compounds they need. Metabolism: the sum total of all chemical reactions in the body. *Prokaryotes can be divided into four major categories (depending on their mode of nutrition).* F.5.1 Define the terms photoautotroph, photoheterotroph, chemoautotroph, and chemoheterotroph. F.5.2 State one example of a each. Photoautotroph Photoautotrophs are organisms that use light energy to generate ATP and produce organic compounds (from inorganic substances). Organisms carry out photosynthesis to acquire energy. They provide nutrition for all other forms of live (apart from other photo/chemoautotrophs). Include plants, algae, some protists, and some bacteria (cyanobacteria). Photoautotrophs contain the pigment molecule, chlorophyll (and can therefore use light to make glucose). Cyanobacteria have been present on the Earth for about 3.4 billion years and are though to be the source of most of the oxygen gas in the atmosphere. Anabaena sperica Anabaena is found in fresh-water habitats and is an example of a freeliving, nitrogen-fixing bacterium. Photoheterotroph Photoheterotrophs are organisms that use light energy to generate ATP. They obtain organic compounds from other organisms. When growing photosynthetically, they use light energy to make glucose (anabolism). These organisms can also convert to heterotrophic metabolism in order to break down glucose for energy/ATP (catabolism). Rhodobacter is a purple, non-sulfur bacterium found in mud, lake water and sewage (click below). Chemoautotroph Chemoautotrophs are organisms that use energy from chemical reactions to generate ATP. These organisms produce organic compounds from inorganic substances. Archaea are often chemoautotrophs, although some Eubacteria will fall into this category as well. Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter release energy from the oxidation of nitrites to nitrates, playing a role in the nitrogen cycle. Chemoheterotroph Chemoheterotrophs are organisms that use energy from chemical reactions to generate ATP. Organic compounds are obtained from other organisms. Most microbes are in this category. Many of these organisms decompose organic matter, enabling the recycling of nutrients. E. coli is one of a huge number of chemoheterotrophs. E. coli can be found in the human gut (fermenting sugars). F.5.4 Compare photoautotrophs with photo heterotrophs in terms of energy sources and carbon sources. (see Figure 18.5) Photoautotrophs, such as the cyanobacterium, Anabaena, and photoheterotrophs such as the purple, non-sulfur bacterium, Rhodospirillum are: Both prokaryotic and, therefore, do not contain chloroplasts. Contain photopigment molecules like chlorophyll a (cyanobacteria) and bacteriochlorophyll (Rhodospirillum) that harness light energy from the sun. These photopigments are found in the mesosomes of the bacteria (infoldings of the cell membrane). Energy Source Photoautotroph (cyanobacterium Anabaena) Photoheterotrophs (purple, non-sulfur bacteria Rhodospirillum) • Light energy is used to obtain electrons from water. • Light energy is also used to generate ATP from ADP. • Respiration is aerobic. • • • Carbon Sources • Carbon dioxide is reduced to carbohydrate. Water + Carbon Dioxide + Light → Carbohydrate + Oxygen gas • Light energy to remove electrons from organic molecules. Light energy is also used to generate ATP from ADP. Respiration is anaerobic. A variety of sources (organic or amino acids) are reduced to carbohydrate. F.4.5 Compare chemoautotrophs with chemoheterotrophs in terms of energy sources and carbon sources. Chemoautotrophs (chemosynthetic bacteria), like all autotrophs, use an external energy source to synthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide. Use carbon dioxide as a raw material for making organic compounds but maintain their energy by oxidizing inorganic chemicals such as ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Found growing in the absence of light. Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter are examples of economically important chemoautotrophs. Chemoheterotrophs: ‘Chemical other feeders.’ Obtain their carbon atoms and energy from organic compounds. Heterotrophic bacteria may be: (1) predators, eating other microorganisms; (2) decomposers; (3) parasites; and (4) mutualistic organisms. Chemoautotrophs (Nitrosomonas) • Energy Source • • Carbon Source Chemoheterotrophs (Azotobacter-aerobic and Clostridiumanaerobic) Inorganic chemical reactions catalyzed as the source of energy for the synthesis of carbohydrate. Respiration is the source of ATP for metabolism. • Carbon dioxide is reduced to carbohydrate. • Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy (inorganic chemicals) → Carbohydrate + Oxygen Gas. • Complex organic molecules taken into the cell. Respiration is the source of ATP for metabolism. Complex organic molecules taken into the cell. F.5.5 Draw and label a diagram of a filamentious cyanobacterium (Anabaena) Make sure you can label the photosynthetic cell and the heterocyst of Anabaena. What is the function of the photosynthetic cell and heterocyst? F.5.6 Explain the use of bacteria in the bioremediation of soil and water. Examples should include selenium, solvents and pesticides in soil, and oil spills in water. Bacterial Bioremediation of the environment is the process of exploiting microorganisms in the removal of pollutants from the environment. Bioremediation is a process that uses microorganisms, fungi, green plants and their enzymes to return the natural environment altered by contaminants to its original state. The enzymes in the bacteria are used to break down the contaminants so they can be filtered out. An example of bioremediation is selenium pollution. Microbes are used to absorb selenium ions and oxidize them into metallic selenium which is less toxic. Another example is solvent pollution in which microbes de-chlorinate solvents in anaerobic conditions producing less toxic wastes. The bacteria Dehalococcoides ethenogenes breaks down chlorinated solvents in soil.