Demystifying anaerobic respiration: a problem-solving exercise
ABSTRACT Anaerobic respiration reactions are of fundamental importance to global biogeochemical cycling of elements. Yet, the idea that cellular respiration can occur not only in the absence of oxygen but also involve the oxidation of inorganic substrates (e.g., AsO33–, Fe2+, H2, H2S, Mn2+, NH3, and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00044-24 |
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| author | Tomas Linder |
| author_facet | Tomas Linder |
| author_sort | Tomas Linder |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Anaerobic respiration reactions are of fundamental importance to global biogeochemical cycling of elements. Yet, the idea that cellular respiration can occur not only in the absence of oxygen but also involve the oxidation of inorganic substrates (e.g., AsO33–, Fe2+, H2, H2S, Mn2+, NH3, and S0) is often foreign to many undergraduate students. This article describes a problem-solving exercise where students are introduced to the thermodynamic fundamentals of respiration with a particular focus on the role of redox (reduction-oxidation) potentials (E0´). In the exercise, the students investigate how the difference in redox potential (ΔE0´) between different pairs of reductants and oxidants affects the range of permissible microbial metabolic reactions in natural environments when oxygen is absent. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a6b14b92ccb74c6dba48124a266eb43d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1935-7877 1935-7885 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-a6b14b92ccb74c6dba48124a266eb43d2025-08-20T01:58:45ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyJournal of Microbiology & Biology Education1935-78771935-78852024-12-0125310.1128/jmbe.00044-24Demystifying anaerobic respiration: a problem-solving exerciseTomas Linder0Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, SwedenABSTRACT Anaerobic respiration reactions are of fundamental importance to global biogeochemical cycling of elements. Yet, the idea that cellular respiration can occur not only in the absence of oxygen but also involve the oxidation of inorganic substrates (e.g., AsO33–, Fe2+, H2, H2S, Mn2+, NH3, and S0) is often foreign to many undergraduate students. This article describes a problem-solving exercise where students are introduced to the thermodynamic fundamentals of respiration with a particular focus on the role of redox (reduction-oxidation) potentials (E0´). In the exercise, the students investigate how the difference in redox potential (ΔE0´) between different pairs of reductants and oxidants affects the range of permissible microbial metabolic reactions in natural environments when oxygen is absent.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00044-24active learningproblem-based learninganaerobic respirationredox potentialmetabolism |
| spellingShingle | Tomas Linder Demystifying anaerobic respiration: a problem-solving exercise Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education active learning problem-based learning anaerobic respiration redox potential metabolism |
| title | Demystifying anaerobic respiration: a problem-solving exercise |
| title_full | Demystifying anaerobic respiration: a problem-solving exercise |
| title_fullStr | Demystifying anaerobic respiration: a problem-solving exercise |
| title_full_unstemmed | Demystifying anaerobic respiration: a problem-solving exercise |
| title_short | Demystifying anaerobic respiration: a problem-solving exercise |
| title_sort | demystifying anaerobic respiration a problem solving exercise |
| topic | active learning problem-based learning anaerobic respiration redox potential metabolism |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00044-24 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tomaslinder demystifyinganaerobicrespirationaproblemsolvingexercise |