Question

Name a methanogen that uses carbon dioxide as a source of carbon and hydrogen as reducing agents.

Answer 1

Methanogen:

1. Methanogens are bacteria that have coccoid (spherical shaped) or bacilli (rod-shaped).
2. They are strictly anaerobic that cannot function under aerobic conditions.
3. A pathogen name Methanobacterium formicum uses carbon dioxide (CO₂) as a source of carbon, and hydrogen as a reducing agent.
4. The reduction of carbon dioxide into methane in presence of hydrogen is expressed as follows: CO₂ + 4 H₂ → CH₄ + 2H₂O.