Question

1. A. What are methane hydrates, and where do they occur in nature?

1. B. Why is there lease (into the atmosphere) of methane from methane hydrates a concern?

2. What is the redox tower, and why is it useful for understanding microbial metabolisms?

3. The diversity of prokaryotes is manifested in (among other ways) (i)their metabolic capabilities and(ii)the range of habitats where they thrive. Choose one of these (metabolisms, or habitats), and briefly summarize what you have learned about that ‘dimension’ of prokaryotic diversity

Answer 1

Answer 1-A)-Methane hydrate is a crystalline solid that consists of a methane molecule surrounded by a cage of interlocking water molecules .It is an ice that only occures naturally in subsurface deposits where temperature and pressure conditions are favourable for its formation.If the ice is removed from this temperature environment,it becomes unstable.For this reason methane hydrate deposits are difficult to study.

In nature four earth environment have the temperature and pressure conditions suitable for the formation of methane hydrate. I)sediment and sedimentary rock units below Arctic permafrost ii)sedimentary deposits along continental margins.iii)Under Antarctic ice.iv)deep water sediments of inland lakes and seas.

Answer-1-B)The lease of methane from methane hydrates are concern because they rapidly dissociate with an increased in temperature or a decrease in pressure.This dissociation produce free methane and water.The conversion of a solid sediment into liquids and gases will create a loss of support and shear strength.These can cause submarine slumping,landslide,or subsidence that can damage production quipment and pipelines.besides warming arctic temperature could result in gradual melting of gas hydrates below permafrost.

Answer-2)Remix tower-The amount of energy transferred in a redox reaction is associated with the difference between each half reactions reduction potential Eo.The redox tower is a tool that ranks different common half reactions based on how likely they are to donate or accept electrons.

It is useful for microbial metabolism because the measurements allow for rapid characterization of the degree of reduction and for predicting stability of various compounds that regulate nutrients and metal availability in soil and sediment.

Answer-3)The diversity of prokaryotes is manifested in their metabolic capabilities. Explanation-Some prokaryote are phototrophs getting energy from sun ,some are chemotrophs ,getting energy from chemical compounds,some are autotrophs,fixing carbon from co2 ,others are heterotroph ,getting carbon from organic compounds.Some are sulfer metabolizing prokaryote which can oxidize H2S from piping hot hydrothermal vents.Some are nitrogen metabolizing prokaryote include nitrogen fixers,nitrifires,denitrifiers .They convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia.