science

Syntrophobacter wolinii

Syntrophobacter wolinii 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 Syntrophobacter wolinii rather than just read about it. In short: Syntrophobacter wolinii is a non-motile, gram-negative and rod-shaped species of bacteria that was originally isolated from a wastewater digester. This species is able to perform propionate degradation and sulfate reduction.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Syntrophobacter wolinii is a non-motile, gram-negative and rod-shaped species of bacteria that was originally isolated from a wastewater digester. This species is able to perform propionate degradation and sulfate reduction. S. wolinii can be grown in co-culture or pure culture. 16s rRNA analysis shows its close relation to other sulfate reducers.

Metabolism Propionate is an intermediate in the process of methane production in sewage digesters, the main environment in which this species has been isolated from. S. wolinii degrades propionate via the methylmalonyl-CoA pathway, resulting in the production of acetate, CO2 and H2. This process is energetically favorable only under low partial pressure of H2 gas, specifically below 10−5 atm. At high partial pressures of oxygen, the reaction is endergonic (ΔG° = +76.0 kJ). When H2 partial pressures are constrained by methanogenesis or sulfate-reduction, the reaction is exergonic (ΔG° = - 26.5 kJ). S. wolinii can use additional substrates such as pyruvate and fumarate in place of propionate. Reduction of sulfate to sulfite and methylation of Hg(II) have also been observed by the bacterium.

Cultures Syntrophobacter wolinii has been repeatedly grown in co-culture with sulfate-reducing Desulfovibrio sp. and methanogen Methanospirillum hungateii. Isolation in pure culture has been successful with propionate and sulfate together or pyruvate alone. S. wolinii optimum growth occurs when kept near neutral pH, yet has been observed to tolerate a pH of 6.1. Growth of this microbe appears to be sensitive to salinity, and is stunted at NaCl concentrations of 86 mM.

Phylogeny 16s rRNA analysis indicates that S. wolinii is closely related to Desulfomonile tiedjei and Desulfoarculus baarsi. All three of these microbes can perform sulfate reduction.

References

External links Type strain of Syntrophobacter wolinii at BacDive - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Syntrophobacter wolinii

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Syntrophobacter wolinii 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 Syntrophobacter wolinii 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 Syntrophobacter wolinii 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 Syntrophobacter wolinii

In research: Syntrophobacter wolinii 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 Syntrophobacter wolinii 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: Syntrophobacter wolinii is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Bacteria described in 1980, Bacteria stubs, Thermodesulfobacteriota, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Syntrophobacter wolinii 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 “Syntrophobacter wolinii” →

Affiliate

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

How to study Syntrophobacter wolinii in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Syntrophobacter wolinii 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 Syntrophobacter wolinii out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Syntrophobacter wolinii in simple terms?

Why does Syntrophobacter wolinii 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 Syntrophobacter wolinii?

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 Syntrophobacter wolinii.