GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY - T.P. Pyrog - 2004

14. TYPES OF FERMENTATION

14.1. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FERMENTATION PROCESS

14.1.2. The Role of Fermentation Processes in the Global Balance of Nature

Fermentation-carrying microorganisms play a vital role in the natural cycling of matter. The bulk of the Cellulose consumed by herbivorous animals is excreted undigested. When such cellulosic detritus enters anaerobic soil layers or aquatic bottom sediments, it undergoes fermentation by Clostridia and various other strictly anaerobic Bacteria. This process yields all the aforementioned fermentation products, almost invariably including molecular hydrogen. Hydrogen occupies the initial position in the anaerobic food chain, whose primary end products are methane and/or hydrogen sulfide. In freshwater lake sediments and the rumen of ruminants, hydrogen is converted into methane by methanogenic bacteria, whereas in marine anaerobic ecosystems, sulfate-reducing bacteria convert hydrogen and sulfate into hydrogen sulfide:

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Last update: 12/08/2026

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