‭Metabolism‬

‭Further information:‬‭Microbial metabolism‬

‭[100]‬
‭ acteria exhibit an extremely wide variety of‬‭metabolic‬‭types.‬
B ‭The distribution of metabolic‬
‭traits within a group of bacteria has traditionally been used to define their‬‭taxonomy‬‭, but these‬
‭[101]‬
t‭raits often do not correspond with modern genetic classifications.‬ ‭Bacterial metabolism is‬
‭classified into‬‭nutritional groups‬‭on the basis of‬‭three major criteria: the source of‬‭energy‬‭, the‬
‭[102]‬
‭electron donors‬‭used, and the source of‬‭carbon‬‭used‬‭for growth.‬
‭Phototrophic‬‭bacteria derive energy from light using‬‭photosynthesis‬‭, while‬‭chemotrophic‬‭bacteria‬
‭[103]‬
‭ reaking down chemical compounds through‬‭oxidation‬‭,‬
b ‭driving metabolism by transferring‬
‭electrons from a given‬‭electron donor‬‭to a‬‭terminal‬‭electron acceptor‬‭in a‬‭redox reaction‬‭.‬
‭Chemotrophs are further divided by the types of compounds they use to transfer electrons.‬
‭Bacteria that derive electrons from inorganic compounds such as hydrogen,‬‭carbon monoxide‬‭, or‬
‭ammonia‬‭are called‬‭lithotrophs‬‭, while those that use‬‭organic compounds are called‬
‭[103]‬
‭ rganotrophs‬‭.‬
o ‭Still, more specifically,‬‭aerobic‬‭organisms‬‭use‬‭oxygen‬‭as the terminal electron‬
‭acceptor, while‬‭anaerobic organisms‬‭use other compounds‬‭such as‬‭nitrate‬‭,‬‭sulfate‬‭, or carbon‬
‭[103]‬
‭dioxide.‬
‭ any bacteria, called‬‭heterotrophs‬‭, derive their carbon‬‭from other‬‭organic carbon‬‭. Others, such‬
M
‭as‬‭cyanobacteria‬‭and some‬‭purple bacteria‬‭, are‬‭autotrophic‬‭,‬‭meaning they obtain cellular carbon‬
‭[104]‬
‭by‬‭fixing‬‭carbon dioxide‬‭.‬ ‭In unusual circumstances,‬‭the gas‬‭methane‬‭can be used by‬
‭[105]‬
‭methanotrophic‬‭bacteria as both a source of‬‭electrons‬‭and a substrate for carbon‬‭anabolism‬‭.‬

‭Nutritional‬ ‭Source of‬ ‭Source of carbon‬ ‭Examples‬

‭type‬ ‭energy‬

‭Phototrophs‬ ‭Sunlight‬ ‭ rganic‬

O ‭ yanobacteria‬‭,‬‭Green sulfur bacteria‬‭,‬
C
‭compounds‬ ‭Chloroflexota‬‭, or‬‭Purple bacteria‬
‭(photoheterotrophs)‬
‭or carbon fixation‬
‭(photoautotrophs)‬

‭Lithotrophs‬ I‭norganic‬ ‭Organic‬ ‭Thermodesulfobacteriota‬‭,‬

‭compound‬ ‭compounds‬ ‭ ydrogenophilaceae‬‭, or‬‭Nitrospirota‬
H
‭s‬ (‭ lithoheterotrophs)‬
‭or carbon fixation‬
‭(lithoautotrophs)‬

‭ rganic‬
O ‭Organic‬ ‭Bacillus‬‭,‬‭Clostridium‬‭, or‬‭Enterobacteriaceae‬
‭ rganotroph‬
O ‭compound‬ ‭compounds‬
‭s‬ ‭s‬ ‭(chemoheterotroph‬
 ‭ ) or carbon fixation‬
s
‭(chemoautotrophs)‬

I‭n many ways, bacterial metabolism provides traits that are useful for‬‭ecological stability‬‭and for‬
‭human society. For example,‬‭diazotrophs‬‭have the ability‬‭to‬‭fix nitrogen‬‭gas using the enzyme‬
‭[106]‬
‭nitrogenase‬‭.‬ ‭This trait, which can be found in‬‭bacteria of most metabolic types listed‬
‭[107]‬
‭above,‬ ‭leads to the ecologically important processes‬‭of‬‭denitrification‬‭,‬‭sulfate reduction‬‭, and‬
‭[108]‬
‭ cetogenesis‬‭, respectively.‬
a ‭Bacterial metabolic‬‭processes are important drivers in biological‬
‭responses to‬‭pollution‬‭; for example,‬‭sulfate-reducing‬‭bacteria‬‭are largely responsible for the‬
‭production of the highly toxic forms of‬‭mercury‬‭(‬‭methyl-‬‭and‬‭dimethylmercury‬‭) in the‬
‭[109]‬
‭ nvironment.‬
e ‭Nonrespiratory anaerobes use‬‭fermentation‬‭to generate energy and reducing‬
‭power, secreting metabolic by-products (such as‬‭ethanol‬‭in brewing) as waste.‬‭Facultative‬
‭anaerobes‬‭can switch between fermentation and different‬‭terminal electron acceptors‬‭depending‬
‭[110]‬
‭on the environmental conditions in which they find themselves.‬