Question

Describe/recognize how some bacteria can get ATP energy from other organic compounds other than glucose

Answer 1

Bacteria can obtain energy and nutrients by performing photosynthesis, decomposing dead organisms and other organic wastes or by breaking down chemical compounds. Bacteria also obtain energy and nutrients by establishing close relationships with other organisms, including symbiotic and parasitic relationships.

Bacteria are prokaryotic organisms so they do not have cell organelles like mitochondria to produce energy. Although cellular respiration does occur in bacteria but it takes place in its plasma membrane.

Aerobic bacteria break down glucose into CO2 and water in the presence of oxygen. Energy in the form of ATP is released during the process.

Bacteria also obtain energy from inorganic molecules such as nitrates [NO3] anaerobically, that is without the presence of oxygen.

Some bacteria metabolise compounds such as hydrocarbons and even organic salts. Halophilic bacteria thrive in places with a high salt concentration.

Energy-yielding catabolic reactions can be of many different types, although they all involve electron transfer reactions in which the movement of an electron from one molecule to another is coupled with an energy trapping reaction that yields ATP.

Thus, bacteria are so diverse and have so many modes of nutrition, they can thrive in different conditions bcause they can generate energy from different sources although the basic mechanism of gnerating ATP might be similar.