Bacterial Metabolism


Book Description

This concise yet comprehensive text surveys the field of bacterial metabolism in terms useful to students and researchers. Emphasis is on those metabolic reactions occurring only in bacteria. Thus, the book describes in detail the energy metabolism of the various groups of bacteria. In addition, it examines pathways used by bacteria for the degradation of organic compounds, the synthesis of cellular constituents, the regulation of bacterial metabolism and the fixation of molecular nitrogen.




Bacterial Metabolism


Book Description

Bacterial Metabolism focuses on metabolic events that occur in microorganisms, as well as photosynthesis, oxidation, polysaccharide formation, and homofermentation. The book first discusses the thermodynamics of biological reactions, photosynthesis and photometabolism, and chemosynthesis. Free energy, photosynthesis, enzymes, and terminology in bacterial metabolism are elaborated. The manuscript then examines acetic acid bacteria and lactic acid bacteria. Discussions focus on lactate, ethanol, glucose, and glycerol metabolism, glycol oxidation, homofermentation, polysaccharide formation, and electron transport systems. The publication takes a look at pseudomonadaceae and nitrogen metabolism as an energy source for anaerobic microorganisms. Topics include metabolism of pairs of amino acids, single amino acid metabolism, oxidation of glycolate and malonate, and oxygenases. The book is a dependable source of information for readers interested in bacterial metabolism.




Bacterial Physiology and Metabolism


Book Description

Recent determination of genome sequences for a wide range of bacteria has made in-depth knowledge of prokaryotic metabolic function essential in order to give biochemical, physiological, and ecological meaning to the genomic information. Clearly describing the important metabolic processes that occur in prokaryotes under different conditions and in different environments, this advanced text provides an overview of the key cellular processes that determine bacterial roles in the environment, biotechnology, and human health. Prokaryotic structure is described as well as the means by which nutrients are transported into cells across membranes. Glucose metabolism through glycolysis and the TCA cycle are discussed, as well as other trophic variations found in prokaryotes, including the use of organic compounds, anaerobic fermentation, anaerobic respiratory processes, and photosynthesis. The regulation of metabolism through control of gene expression and control of the activity of enzymes is also covered, as well as survival mechanisms used under starvation conditions.




Fundamentals of Bacterial Physiology and Metabolism


Book Description

This book provides useful information on microbial physiology and metabolism. The key aspects covered are prokaryotic diversity, growth physiology, basic metabolic pathways and their regulation, metabolic diversity with details of various unique pathways. Another focus area is stress physiology with details on varying environmental stresses, signal transduction, adaptation and survival. For instructional purposes, the book provides case studies, interesting facts, techniques etc. which help in showcasing the inter-disciplinary nature and bridge the gap between various aspects of applied microbiology.




Bacterial Physiology and Metabolism


Book Description

Bacterial Physiology and Metabolism focuses on research on bacteria, as well as metabolism of carbohydrates, fermentation, and oxidation of acids. The book first offers information on nutrition and growth of bacterial cultures, including requirements for growth, nutritional classification of bacteria, measurement of bacterial growth, and synchronous growth of bacterial cultures. The manuscript then considers the chemical composition of bacteria, oligosaccharide catabolism, and transport of sugars. The publication takes a look at the fermentation of sugars and aerobic metabolism of carbohydrates. Discussions focus on Embden-Meyerhof fermentations, miscellaneous pathways, and hexose, pentose, polyol, and hexuronic acid oxidation. The text also elaborates on oxidation of organic acids, electron transport, oxidation of hydrocarbons, and protein and amino acid catabolism. The text is a dependable reference for readers interested in bacterial physiology and metabolism.




Prokaryotic Metabolism and Physiology


Book Description

Extensive and up-to-date review of key metabolic processes in bacteria and archaea and how metabolism is regulated under various conditions.




Bacterial Energetics


Book Description

Bacterial Energetics deals with bacterial energetics and the molecular basis of how ions move between and within energy-transducing molecules. Topics covered range from respiration-driven proton pumps and primary sodium pumps to light-driven primary ionic pumps, bacterial transport ATPases, and bacterial photosynthesis. Sodium-coupled cotransport and ion-exchange systems in prokaryotes are also considered. This volume is comprised of 17 chapters and begins with an analysis of the pumps and processes that establish electrochemical ion gradients across bacterial membranes, followed by a discussion on the major types of bioenergetic work that utilize these gradients. The energetics of periplasmic transport systems, chemolithotrophs, methanogens, and protein insertion and translocation into or across membranes are also examined, along with bioenergetics in extreme environments such as high-pressure and high-temperature environments; energetic problems of bacterial fermentations; energetics of bacterial motility; and energetics of the bacterial phosphotransferase system in sugar transport and the regulation of carbon metabolism. This book should be of interest to molecular biologists and biochemists.




Size Limits of Very Small Microorganisms


Book Description

How small can a free-living organism be? On the surface, this question is straightforward-in principle, the smallest cells can be identified and measured. But understanding what factors determine this lower limit, and addressing the host of other questions that follow on from this knowledge, require a fundamental understanding of the chemistry and ecology of cellular life. The recent report of evidence for life in a martian meteorite and the prospect of searching for biological signatures in intelligently chosen samples from Mars and elsewhere bring a new immediacy to such questions. How do we recognize the morphological or chemical remnants of life in rocks deposited 4 billion years ago on another planet? Are the empirical limits on cell size identified by observation on Earth applicable to life wherever it may occur, or is minimum size a function of the particular chemistry of an individual planetary surface? These questions formed the focus of a workshop on the size limits of very small organisms, organized by the Steering .Group for the Workshop on Size Limits of Very Small Microorganisms and held on October 22 and 23, 1998. Eighteen invited panelists, representing fields ranging from cell biology and molecular genetics to paleontology and mineralogy, joined with an almost equal number of other participants in a wide-ranging exploration of minimum cell size and the challenge of interpreting micro- and nano-scale features of sedimentary rocks found on Earth or elsewhere in the solar system. This document contains the proceedings of that workshop. It includes position papers presented by the individual panelists, arranged by panel, along with a summary, for each of the four sessions, of extensive roundtable discussions that involved the panelists as well as other workshop participants.




Environmental Biotechnology


Book Description

A deeper insight into the complex processes involved in this field, covering the biological, chemical and engineering fundamentals needed to further develop effective methodologies. The book devotes detailed chapters to each of the four main areas of environmental biotechnology -- wastewater treatment, soil treatment, solid waste treatment, and waste gas treatment -- dealing with both the microbiological and process engineering aspects. The result is the combined knowledge contained in the extremely successful volumes 11a through 11c of the "Biotechnology" series in a handy and compact form.




Bacterial Physiology


Book Description

Bacterial Physiology focuses on the physiology and chemistry of microorganisms and the value of bacterial physiology in the other fields of biology. The selection first underscores the chemistry and structure of bacterial cells, including the chemical composition of cells, direct and indirect methods of cytology, vegetative multiplication, spores of bacteria, and cell structure. The text then elaborates on inheritance, variation, and adaptation and growth of bacteria. The publication reviews the physical and chemical factors affecting growth and death. Topics include hydrogen ion concentration and osmotic pressure; surface and other forces determining the distribution of bacteria in their environment; dynamics of disinfection and bacteriostasis; bacterial resistance; and types of antibacterial agents. The text also ponders on the anaerobic dissimilation of carbohydrates, bacterial oxidations, and autotrophic assimilation of carbon dioxide. The selection is a dependable reference for readers interested in bacterial physiology.