How bacteria obtain carbon and energy
CARBON
There are two ways that bacteria obtain and use carbon. The first is through an inorganic source of carbon, which is commonly CO2. Prokaryotes that use this form of carbon are autotrophic, that make their own food. The second form of carbon that bacteria use is organic carbon, often glucose, C6H12O6. These bacteria are heterotrophic.
ENERGY SOURCE
Similar to carbon, there are two ways that bacteria obtain their energy: phototrophic, meaning from light, and chemotrophic, meaning from chemicals.
Autotrophs:
Autotrophs:
- Photoautotrophs are organisms that obtain their energy from a light source using an inorganic form of carbon to make organic compounds. For example, cyanobacteria, more commonly known as blue-green algae.
- Chemoautotrophs also use an inorganic source of carbon, but they obtain their energy from inorganic molecules (chemicals). For example, nitrogen fixing bacteria use NH3 as their energy source.
- Photoheterotrophs use light energy to make ATP as well as an organic good source. It is very uncommon for a prokaryote to do this.
- Chemoheterotrophs use an organic carbon for energy as well as organic carbon for their carbon source. This is the most commonly used method of bacteria for nutrition. An example of this is E.Coli.