Post originally by Conall Kavanagh at 2004-07-27 12:51:56
Converted from Phorums BB System

I'm intrigued by the idea of magiotrophs forming the basis of the food chain (ie. primary producers) in underground and harsh environments. I wonder whether the book covers real world bacteria that can derive energy from rocks and nasty chemicals (eg. sulfur compounds).

For example --
* methanogens: form methane from carbon dioxide and hydrogen; live in environments without molecular oxygen
* chemosynthesizers: make sugar from hydrogen sulfide; base of food chain in deep ocean
* chemolithoautotrophs: make organic compounds from nitrogen or sulfur compounds; live in salt, water, rocks

These are just three examples. There are tons of other bacteria that do other things besides photosynthesis and oxygen-based respiration. These bacteria are crucial for chemical cycling, as well as being food sources for other organisms.