Article
Article
Methanogenesis
Article By:
Wolfe, Ralph S. Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.421400
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- Methanogenesis (bacteria), published June 2014:Download PDF
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The microbial formation of methane. Methanogenesis is an anaerobic process that generates methane as a metabolic by-product. The process is limited to certain methanogenic microbes, termed methanogens (see illustration), which all belong to the Archaea (a domain of microscopic prokaryotes, whose members are unrelated to bacteria). Methanogenesis is confined to anaerobic habitats in which there is production of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, formic acid, methanol, methylamines, or acetate—the major substrates used by methanogens. See also: Archaea; Metabolism; Methane; Microbial ecology; Microbiology
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