Electric bacteria
Electric bacteria are forms of bacteria that directly consume and excrete electrons at different energy potentials without requiring the metabolization of any sugars or other nutrients.[1] This form of life appears to be especially adapted to low-oxygen environments. Most life forms require an oxygen environment in which to release the excess of electrons which are produced in metabolizing sugars. In a low oxygen environment, this pathway for releasing electrons is not available. Instead, electric bacteria "breathe" metals instead of oxygen, which effectively results in both an intake of and excretion of electrical charges.[2]
Some electric bacteria:
- Shewanella, which makes protein nanowires[3]
- Geobacter, which makes protein nanowires out of pilin[4]
- Methanobacterium palustre[5]
- Methanococcus maripaludis[6]
- Mycobacterium smegmatis[7][8]
- Modified Escherichia coli (with Geobacter nanowire genes)[9][10]
- A broad collection of 30 bacteria varieties from marine sediments[11][12]
See also
References
- ^ Brahic, Catherine. "Meet the electric life forms that live on pure energy". New Scientist. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
- ^ Fox-Skelly, Jasmin. "There are microbes that eat and poo nothing but electricity". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
- PMID 16849424.
- PMID 32807967.
- PMID 19544913.
- PMID 25900658.
- PMID 36890228.
- ^ Kropp, Ashleigh; Greening, Chris; Grinter, Rhys. "Electricity from thin air: an enzyme from bacteria can extract energy from hydrogen in the atmosphere". The Conversation. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
- S2CID 212406633.
- ^ "Electric bacteria create currents out of thin—and thick—air". www.science.org. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
- PMID 25642220.
- ^ Singer, Emily (June 2016). "New Life Found That Lives Off Electricity". Quanta Magazine.
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