Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Twelfth Edition
Chapter 1
Nutrient Cycles, Bioremediation, and Symbioses
Lectures by Buchan & LeCleir
Copyright 2009 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings
biomass
Reservoir size and turnover time are important parameters in understanding the cycling of elements
Figure 24.1
environments
Phototrophic microbes dominate aquatic environments
Aerobic Respiration
(CH2O) + O2 CO2 + H2O
Figure 24.2
On a global basis, biotic processes release more CH4 than abiotic processes
24.3 The Nitrogen Cycle 24.4 The Sulfur Cycle 24.5 The Iron Cycle
Nitrogen
A key constituent of cells, particularly proteins Exists in a number of oxidation states
NH3 > NO2- > NO3 Ammonia > nitrite > nitrate
Figure 24.5
Anammox is the anaerobic oxidation of ammonia to N2 gas Denitrification and anammox result in losses of nitrogen
Figure 24.6
oxidation states
Ferrous (Fe2+) Ferric (Fe3+)
Figure 24.7
Fe3+ can be used by some microbes as electron acceptors in anaerobic respiration In aerobic acidic pH environments, acidophilic
Figure 24.8b
Pyrite (FeS2)
One of the most common forms of iron in nature Its oxidation by bacteria can result in acidic conditions in
coal-mining operations
Figure 24.10a
Figure 24.10b
Figure 24.11
24.6 Microbial Leaching of Ores 24.7 Mercury and Heavy Metal Transformations 24.8 Petroleum Biodegradation
Bioremediation
Refers to the cleanup of oil, toxic chemicals, or other pollutants from the environment by microorganisms
Microbial Leaching
The removal of valuable metals, such as copper, gold, uranium & mercury from sulfide ores by microbial
activities
Particularly useful for copper ores
In microbial leaching, low-grade ore is dumped in a large pile (the leach dump) and sulfuric acid is added to maintain a low pH
Figure 24.14c
Figure 24.15
Prokaryotes have been used in bioremediation of several major crude oil spills
Contaminated Beach in Alaska containing oil from the Exxon Valdez spill of 1989
Figure 24.19a
Center rectangular plot (arrow) was treated with inorganic nutrients to stimulate bioremediation
Figure 24.19b
Diverse bacteria, fungi, and some cyanobacteria and green algae can oxidize petroleum products aerobically Oil-oxidizing activity is best if temperature and inorganic
Figure 24.20
24.10 The Rumen and Ruminant Animals 24.11 Hydrothermal Vent Microbial Ecosystems
Microbes that inhabit these compartments digest cellulose and hemicellulose to compounds that can be used as nutrients
Cellulose and hemicellulose are major components of plants
Figure 24.27a
Figure 24.28
Rumen microbes also synthesize amino acids and vitamins for their animal host Rumen microbes themselves can serve as a source of
Hydrothermal Vents
Figure 24.29
Deep-sea hot springs (hydrothermal vents) support thriving animal communities that are fueled by chemolithotrophic microbes
Figure 24.30a
Figure 24.30c
Figure 24.32
Thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microbes live in gradients that form as hot water mixes with cold seawater
V. PlantMicrobial Symbioses
Lichens
Figure 24.35
Lichens
Mycorrhizae
Mutalistic associations of plant roots and fungi Two classes
Ectomycorrhizae fungi colonize outside of root Endomycorrhizae fungi grow into root tissue
Ectomycorrhizae
Fungal cells form an extensive sheath around the outside of the root with only a little penetration into the root tissue
Mycorrhizae
Figure 24.37b
Endomycorrhizae
Fungal mycelium becomes deeply embedded within the root tissue
Figure 24.38
Soybeans
Lentils
Infection of legume roots by nitrogen-fixing bacteria leads to the formation of root nodules where nitrogen fixation occurs
Leads to significant increases in combined nitrogen in soil
Nodulated legumes grow well in areas where other plants would not
Figure 24.42
Figure 24.43
Rhizobium sp. need O2 to generate energy for N2 fixation, but nitrogenases are inactivated by O2 In the nodule, O2 levels are controlled by the O2-binding protein leghemoglobin
Figure 24.45
The legumebacterial symbiosis is characterized by several metabolic reactions and nutrient exchange
N2 fixation in legumes
Appropriate bacterial species colonize root cells Substances from root cells cause bacteria to produce nod factors
Induce root hairs to curl
Bacterioids fix nitrogen and release ammonia that diffuses into root cells
Ammonia is assimilated into amino acids for use by plant
Figure 24.49