Bacterial Metabolism and

Biogeochemical Cycles
 Redox Reactions
All chemical reactions consist of transferring
electrons from a donor to an acceptor.
Chemicals that donate electrons become
oxidized.
Chemicals that accept electrons become
reduced.

Oxidation / Reduction Reactions

Chapter 5
 Redox Reactions
Energy is released during these electron
transfers.
In order to capture that energy, bacteria need
to intercept the electrons during redox
reactions

Electron Carriers
Chapter 5
 Metabolism
The goal of metabolism is to conserve the
energy released during redox reactions by
making high energy compounds such as ATP.
There are different strategies for conserving
this energy.

High Energy Compounds

Chapter 5
 Metabolism
Fermentation
Transfer of electrons to organic substrate

Respiration
Transfer of electrons to inorganic acceptor
 Glycolysis
The initial stage of glucose metabolism is the
same in both fermentation and respiration.

Glucose is partially oxidized to pyruvate and

energy is conserved through substrate-level
phosphorylation.

Glycolysis
Chapter 5
 Fermentation
In the absence of an external electron
acceptor, bacteria need to regenerate NAD+
from NADH.

They do this by transferring the extra

electrons back onto the pyruvate.

Fermentation
Chapter 5
 Respiration
If an external electron acceptor is present,
bacteria can extract much more energy by
completely oxidizing the pyruvate.

The series of chemical reactions that

accomplish complete oxidation is called the
Krebs Cycle.

Krebs Cycle
Chapter 5
 Electron Transport Chain
The Krebs cycle produces many more reduced
electron carriers than glycolysis.
These carriers are regenerated by passing the
electrons and protons into the electron transport
chain (ETC).
The ETC passes the electrons to a terminal electron
acceptor and pushes the protons outside of the cell.
The amount of energy generated depends on the
terminal electron acceptor used.
Electron Transport
 Proton Motive Force
The accumulation of protons on the outside of
the cell membrane produces an electrical
charge gradient that can be used to do work.
One of the most important uses of this proton
motive force (PMF) is to drive the synthesis of
ATP.

ATP Synthase
 Biogeochemical Cycles
Different nutrients undergo redox reactions as
electron donors and acceptors during
bacterial metabolism.
These reactions help to cycle the nutrients
through different chemical forms.
Three of the most important cycles are:
Carbon
Nitrogen
Sulfur
Carbon Cycle
Anaerobic Aerobic

Carbon Fixation Carbon Fixation

CO2
Respiration Organic Matter CO2
And CH2O
Fermentation Respiration

Methanogenesis
H2
Methane Oxidation
CH4
 Methanogenesis
Autotrophic

H2 H2 H2 H2

CO2 -CHO CH2OH CoM-CH3 CH4

CoEnzyme M

Acetoclastic

CoEnzyme M CoM-CH3 CH4

H2O
CH3COOH CH3CO 2H

CO CO2
Nitrogen Cycle
Assimilitory NO3-
Nitrate Nitrification
Reduction
Denitrification

N2 + N2O NO2-
Organic N NH3
Nitrogen Fixation

Ammonification Nitrification

NH4+
Denitrification

+5 +3 +2 +1 0
2e- 1e- 1e- 1e-

NO3- NO2- NO N 2O N2
Nitrate Nitrite Nitrous oxide
reductase reductase reductase
Sulfur Cycle
SO4-2
Sulfate Reduction
(Assimilitory) Sulfur Oxidation

Sulfate Reduction
Organic Sulfur Elemental Sulfur
(Dissimilitory)

Sulfur Reduction

Sulfur Oxidation
Mineralization

H2S
Sulfate Reduction SO4-2
ATP

APS

SO3-2

S3O6

S2O3-2

2 ADP
2 ATP
Sulfur Reduction

S0 + H2 HS- + H+

Thiosulfate Disproportionation

S2O3-2 + H2O SO4-2 + HS- + H+

 Winogradsky Column
Animation
REDOX Potentials CO2 / CO

(electron tower)
2H+ / H2

SO3-2 / S-2

CH3OH / CH4

NO-3 / NO-2

Fe+3 / Fe+2
1/2 O2 / H2O
Metal Reduction
1 e-
Fe+3 Fe+2
2 e-
MnO2 Mn+2
2 e-
As+5 As+3
2 e- 4 e- 2 e-
SeO4-2 SeO3-2 Se0 HSe-
3 e-
CrO4-2 Cr+3