Abstract

METHANOGENS – AN UNIQUE ARCHEAL GROUP

*Jyoti Ashok Kedar

ABSTRACT

Methanogens are microorganisms that produce methane as a metabolic byproduct in anoxic conditions. They are classified as archaea, a domain distinct from bacteria. They are common in wetlands, where they are responsible for marsh gas, and in the digestive tracts of animals such as ruminants and humans, where they are responsible for the methane content of belching in ruminants and flatulence in humans. In marinesedimentsbiomethanation is generally confined to where sulfates are depleted, below the top layers.Moreover, the methanogenic archaea populations play an indispensable role in anaerobic wastewater treatments. Others are extremophiles, found in environments such as hot springs and submarine hydrothermal vents as well as in the "solid" rock of the Earth's crust, kilometers below the surface. Not to be confused with methanotrophs which rather consume methane for their carbon and energy requirements.

Keywords: Methanogens, Archea