science

Methanoperedens nitroreducens

Methanoperedens nitroreducens is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Methanoperedens nitroreducens rather than just read about it. In short: Methanoperedens nitroreducens (from Latin: methano, meaning "methane", peredens, meaning "consuming", nitro, meaning "nitrate", and reducens, meaning "leading back") is a candidate species of methanotrophic archaea that oxidizes methane by coupling to nitrate reduction. Morphology M. nitroreducens are irregular cocci with a diameter of 1-3 μm.

Key takeaways

Methanoperedens nitroreducens belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Methanoperedens nitroreducens to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Methanoperedens nitroreducens from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Methanoperedens nitroreducens (from Latin: methano, meaning "methane", peredens, meaning "consuming", nitro, meaning "nitrate", and reducens, meaning "leading back") is a candidate species of methanotrophic archaea that oxidizes methane by coupling to nitrate reduction.

Morphology M. nitroreducens are irregular cocci with a diameter of 1-3 μm.

Metabolism Ideal conditions for M. nitroreducens growth consist of temperatures around 72–95 °F (22–35 °C) and neutral to slightly basic pH of 7-8. M. nitroreducens has been cultured in a bioreactor, but a pure culture has not yet been cultivated. M. nitroreducens is one of only two organisms that are currently known to be able to couple methane oxidation with nitrate or nitrite reduction, the other being Methylomirabilis oxyfera. M. nitroreducens utilizes the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM), a process which serves as an important sink of environmental methane, lowering the gas' overall impact on climate change. This process was originally discovered to be paired with sulfate reduction, but is now known to also be paired with nitrate and metal ion (Mn4+ or Fe3+) reduction. M. nitroreducens uses reverse methanogenesis with nitrate as the terminal electron acceptor. M. nitroreducens is the first anaerobic methanotrophic archaea found to have genes for the full reverse methanogenesis pathway. The full pathway of acetyl-CoA has also been found in M. nitroreducens. It has been suggested that AOM is facilitated by Borgs, unusual large extrachromosomal DNA elements found in Methanoperedens.

Ecology M. nitroreducens survives in oxygen-free environments and can typically be found in deeper down in freshwater ecosystems. M. nitroreducens is more likely to exist and be competitive in an environment enriched in nitrate as opposed to sulfate or other potential terminal electron acceptors. M. nitroreducens competes against other organisms who reduce nitrate with other carbon sources. Requiring both methane and nitrate, this organism is commonly found in the area between oxic and anoxic zones. While originally known as an anaerobic species, it has oxygen tolerance mechanisms. When it is in contact with oxygen, M. nitroreducens will up-regulate genes needed to protect against oxidative stress. This differs from other anaerobic species who suffer irreversible damage when exposed to oxygen, hinting at future applications for this archaeal species.

Discovery M. nitroreducens was first described by Haroon et al. in 2013 after adding methane, ammonium, and nitrate to a bioreactor, which led to a single organism proliferating.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Methanoperedens nitroreducens

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Methanoperedens nitroreducens claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Methanoperedens nitroreducens before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Methanoperedens nitroreducens ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Methanoperedens nitroreducens

In research: Methanoperedens nitroreducens appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Methanoperedens nitroreducens in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Methanoperedens nitroreducens is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Methane, Methanobacteriati, Nitrates, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Methanoperedens nitroreducens outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Methanoperedens nitroreducens” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Methanoperedens nitroreducens in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Methanoperedens nitroreducens means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Methanoperedens nitroreducens out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Methanoperedens nitroreducens in simple terms?

Why does Methanoperedens nitroreducens matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Methanoperedens nitroreducens?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Methanoperedens nitroreducens.