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methanogen
[ me-than-uh-juhn, -jen ]
noun
, Microbiology.
- any of a diverse group of widely distributed archaea that occur in anaerobic environments, as the intestinal tracts of animals, freshwater and marine sediments, and sewage, and are capable of producing methane ( def ) from a limited number of substrates, including carbon dioxide and hydrogen, acetate, and methylamines: an important source of natural gas.
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Other Words From
- meth·an·o·gen·ic [me-than-, uh, -, jen, -ik], adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of methanogen1
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Example Sentences
Known as acetogens and methanogens, the microbes developed simple metabolic pathways that use enzyme catalysts to convert CO2 and carbon monoxide into organic molecules.
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These sulfate-consuming microbes outcompeted methanogens for nutrients such as hydrogen and acetate in the rice soils, the researchers found.
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Paddy-dwelling methanogens are so prolific that rice fields are estimated to generate about 11 percent of all human-induced methane emissions.
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