3. Methane Oxidizing and Producing Bacteria
• Methane is a chemical compound that consists of a
carbon atom to which are bound four hydrogen
atoms.
• These bacteria are known as methane oxidizing
bacteria.
• The gas is a major constituent of oxygen-free mud
and water, marshes, the rumen of cattle and other
animals, and the intestinal tract of mammals.
• Methane is described as being a greenhouse gas,
which means it can warm the surface atmosphere.
4. Methanogenes
• In oxygen-free (anaerobic) environments,
methane can be produced by a type of
bacteria known as methanogenic bacteria.
• Methane can also be used as an energy
source by other bacteria that grow in the
presence of oxygen (aerobic bacteria), which
break down the compound into carbon
dioxide and water.
5. Methanogenes
• These bacteria are known as methane oxidizing bacteria.
• Bacteria from a number of genera are able to oxidize methane.
These include Methylosinus, Methylocystis, Methanomonas,
Methylomonas, Methanobacter, and Methylococcus.
• A characteristic feature of methane-oxidizing bacteria is the
presence of an extensive system of membranes inside the bacterial
cell.
• The membranes house the enzymes and other biochemical
machinery needed to deal with the se of methane as an energy
source.
6. Oxidation of methane
• The oxidation of methane by bacteria requires
oxygen. The end result is the production of
carbon dioxide and water. Methane oxidation
is restricted to prokaryotes. Eukaryotic
microorganisms such as algae and fungi do
not oxidize methane.
7. Production of methane
• Methanogenic bacteria (anaerobic) are widespread in
nature, and are found in mud, sewage, and sludge and in
the rumen of sheep and cattle. Some methanogenic
bacteria have adapted to live in extreme
• environments.(i.e. hot springs and thermal vents in the
ocean)
8.
9. • the methane-producing bacteria occupy a central
role in regulating the anaerobic breakdown
(fermentation) of food.
• The bacteria remove hydrogen gas through the se of
the gas in the reduction of carbon dioxide to form
methane. By producing methane, the concentration
of hydrogen is kept at a low level that allows other
bacterial species to grow. This microbial diversity
makes fermentation more efficient.
10.
11.
12. Economic importance
• The bacterial production of methane is
of economic importance. "Biogas"
obtained from digesters can be a
commercial and domestic energy
source, although more economic
sources of energy currently limit this
use.
