this text is referred to several times in the New Testament. The lowly bacteria are
truly the cornerstone of the world. Indeed, one cannot see them, but they are
ubiquitous, and they even quantitatively dominate life on Earth. With estimated
numbers of 4-6Â10
30 cells, the total amount of prokaryotic carbon is 60%–100% of
the estimated total carbon in plants. The Earth’s prokaryotes contain about tenfold
more nitrogen and phosphorus than do plants, and they represent the largest pool of
these nutrients in living organisms (Whitman et al. 1998).
But the true “cornerstone” or “foundation stone” function of the prokaryotic
world is based on its tremendous metabolic diversity. Nearly every process that is
thermodynamically feasible is realized by at least some types of bacteria or archaea.
As shown by the quotations at the opening of this chapter, this was fully realized by
Albert Jan Kluyver in his famous essay on “Eenheid en verscheidenheid in de
stofwisseling der microben” (Kluyver 1924), in which he referred to famous predecessors such as Sergei Winogradsky and Martinus Beijerinck, to whom we thank
much of our basic understanding of the possibilities and limitations of microbial
metabolism.
The examples presented in this chapter demonstrate that the true metabolic
diversity exhibited by the prokaryotes is much beyond what was dreamt by Kluyver.
Nature functions within the framework of his concepts of unity in biochemistry and
metabolism of microorganisms (Kluyver 1924; Kluyver and Donker 1926). Many
new processes were discovered in the past decades, some of these so important that
textbook chapters on the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and other elements had to be rewritten. Old dogmas were upended, as
exemplified by the discovery of anaerobic oxidation of ammonium ions (the
“anammox” process) and of multiple ways to oxidize methane in anaerobic environments. These, and other recently obtained insights, make a renewed study of the
functioning of the prokaryotic world truly fascinating.
In the same lecture presentation quoted in the opening sentences of this chapter,
Albert Jan Kluyver commented:
. . . een rechtgeaard microbioog mag nimmer de gelegenheid laten voorbijgaan om mede te
werken aan het eerherstel der kleinste levende wezens.
[. . . a genuine microbiologist should never miss an opportunity to contribute to the rehabilitation of the smallest living beings.]—(Kluyver 1924)
Today those smallest living beings no longer need a “rehabilitation.”
Acknowledgments I thank Ronald S. Oremland (US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA, USA)
and Rich Boden (University of Plymouth, UK) for their helpful comments.
10 The Grand Microbial Variety Show
179
truly the cornerstone of the world. Indeed, one cannot see them, but they are
ubiquitous, and they even quantitatively dominate life on Earth. With estimated
numbers of 4-6Â10
30 cells, the total amount of prokaryotic carbon is 60%–100% of
the estimated total carbon in plants. The Earth’s prokaryotes contain about tenfold
more nitrogen and phosphorus than do plants, and they represent the largest pool of
these nutrients in living organisms (Whitman et al. 1998).
But the true “cornerstone” or “foundation stone” function of the prokaryotic
world is based on its tremendous metabolic diversity. Nearly every process that is
thermodynamically feasible is realized by at least some types of bacteria or archaea.
As shown by the quotations at the opening of this chapter, this was fully realized by
Albert Jan Kluyver in his famous essay on “Eenheid en verscheidenheid in de
stofwisseling der microben” (Kluyver 1924), in which he referred to famous predecessors such as Sergei Winogradsky and Martinus Beijerinck, to whom we thank
much of our basic understanding of the possibilities and limitations of microbial
metabolism.
The examples presented in this chapter demonstrate that the true metabolic
diversity exhibited by the prokaryotes is much beyond what was dreamt by Kluyver.
Nature functions within the framework of his concepts of unity in biochemistry and
metabolism of microorganisms (Kluyver 1924; Kluyver and Donker 1926). Many
new processes were discovered in the past decades, some of these so important that
textbook chapters on the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and other elements had to be rewritten. Old dogmas were upended, as
exemplified by the discovery of anaerobic oxidation of ammonium ions (the
“anammox” process) and of multiple ways to oxidize methane in anaerobic environments. These, and other recently obtained insights, make a renewed study of the
functioning of the prokaryotic world truly fascinating.
In the same lecture presentation quoted in the opening sentences of this chapter,
Albert Jan Kluyver commented:
. . . een rechtgeaard microbioog mag nimmer de gelegenheid laten voorbijgaan om mede te
werken aan het eerherstel der kleinste levende wezens.
[. . . a genuine microbiologist should never miss an opportunity to contribute to the rehabilitation of the smallest living beings.]—(Kluyver 1924)
Today those smallest living beings no longer need a “rehabilitation.”
Acknowledgments I thank Ronald S. Oremland (US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA, USA)
and Rich Boden (University of Plymouth, UK) for their helpful comments.
10 The Grand Microbial Variety Show
179