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Bacterial metabolism is diverse and fascinating, with bacteria using various processes to access energy and survive in harsh environments. They can use gases other than oxygen for respiration, ferment organic materials, photosynthesize, and survive on inorganic materials. Bacteria also use energy for movement and internal functions. Bacterial metabolism has applications in fermented foods and animal metabolism.
Bacterial metabolism is the process that bacteria use to stay alive. The metabolic processes in bacteria are quite diverse and extremely fascinating, at least for people interested in this sort of thing. Bacteria have evolved a surprising number of ways to access the energy available in the natural environment so they can use it to stay alive and perform a variety of functions. Bacterial metabolism is also harnessed by other organisms; humans, for example, rely on the bacteria in their gut to break down food into components that their bodies can access.
One aspect of bacterial metabolism involves energy harvesting. One of the processes available to bacteria is familiar to humans – respiration. However, unlike humans, bacteria can use gases other than oxygen in their respiratory processes, and some bacteria are even able to survive in anaerobic environments and environments that contain air. This is a pretty remarkable adaptation that allows bacteria to survive in harsh environments as circumstances change.
Many bacteria are heterotrophs, using organic materials for energy just like humans do. Organisms can access molecules within materials in a variety of ways. One technique they use is fermentation, where materials are broken down into usable components. Some bacteria can also photosynthesize, using the sun for energy as long as they have access to nutrients, and others are able to survive on inorganic materials. Known as lithotrophs or autotrophs, these bacteria can survive in extremely harsh environments.
Energy usage within a bacterium can also vary by species. Bacteria use energy for movement, if they are mobile, and for a variety of other tasks. Some bacteria have developed interesting ways to use the energy they can access to maintain internal functions.
Bacterial metabolism allows bacteria to stay alive so they can reproduce, ensuring that the species survives for at least another generation. The diversity of processes bacteria use to metabolise illustrates the wide range of environments in which they can survive. Bacteria are capable of using almost anything for energy, as long as they’re the right species in the right environment. Some, known as extremophiles, enjoy environments so hostile that people originally thought no living organism could survive in them, such as hot springs and the operation of nuclear power plants.
Besides being of intrinsic interest, bacterial metabolism has numerous applications. Some fermented foods are made with bacteria, so it’s important to know which bacteria are involved and how they work. Bacterial metabolism is also important to animal metabolism, with bacteria playing a role in the metabolic processes of the larger organism by breaking down ingested food into components that the body can metabolize.
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