Microbes and Metabolism
So fundamental are the concepts of cell growth and metabolic
capability to the whole of environmental biotechnology and especially to
remediation. Metabolic pathways (Michal 1992) are interlinked to produce what
can develop into an extraordinarily complicated net-work, involving several
levels of control. However, they are fundamentally about the interaction of
natural cycles and represent the biological element of the nat-ural
geobiological cycles. These impinge on all aspects of the environment, both
living and nonliving. Using the carbon cycle as an example, carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere is returned by dissolution in rainwater, and also by the process
of photosynthesis to produce sugars, which are eventually metabolised to liberate
the carbon once more. In addition to constant recycling through metabolic
pathways, carbon is also sequestered in living and nonliving components such as
in trees in the relatively short term, and deep ocean systems or ancient
deposits, such as carbonaceous rocks, in the long term. Cycles which involve
similar principles of incorporation into biological molecules and subsequent
re-release into the envi-ronment operate for nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur.
All of these overlap in some way, to produce the metabolic pathways responsible
for the synthesis and degradation of biomolecules. Superimposed, is an energy
cycle, ultimately driven by the sun, and involving constant consumption and
release of metabolic energy.
To appreciate the
biochemical basis and underlying genetics of environmental biotechnology, at
least an elementary grasp of molecular biology is required. For the benefit of
readers unfamiliar with these disciplines, background information is
incorporated in appropriate figures.
Related Topics
Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, DMCA Policy and Compliant
Copyright © 2018-2023 BrainKart.com; All Rights Reserved. Developed by Therithal info, Chennai.