FIGURE 2.3 Metabolic pathways affecting the degradation of organic
carbon. In nature, pathways for organic matter degradation are
interlinked, with the final step depending on available oxidants.
Oxygen is the most efficient reagent for respiration, but it can quickly be
depleted in wet environments. In the absence of oxygen, bacteria
will employ nitrate, metal oxides, sulfate, or sulfur to convert
organic
compounds into CO 2
. Additional pathways include the conversion of complex compounds
into simple substrates, fermentation, and the
cycling of carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, and acetate
by Archea. SOURCE: K. Pedersen, Göteborg
University,
http:// pc61.gmm.gu.se/gmm/groups/pedersen/basic_research_at_the_dbl.htm .
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