Chemolithotrophs edit

Name Examples Source of energy Source of electrons Respiration electron acceptor
Iron bacteria Fe2+ (ferrous iron) → Fe3+ (ferric iron) Fe2+ O
2
(Oxygen)
Nitrosifying bacteria NH3 (ammonia) → NO
2
(nitrite)
NH3 O
2
(Oxygen)
Nitrifying bacteria NO
2
(nitrite) → NO
3
(nitrate)
NO
2
O
2
(Oxygen)
Chemotrophic purple sulfur bacteria Halothiobacillaceae S2−
(sulfide) → S0
(sulfur)
S2−
O
2
(Oxygen)
Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria Chemotrophic Rhodobacteraceae and Thiotrichaceae sulfur (S0
) → sulfate (SO2−
4
)
sulfur O
2
(Oxygen)
Thiobacillus denitrificans Thiobacillus denitrificans sulfur (S0
) → sulfate (SO2−
4
)
sulfur Nitrate (NO
3
)
Anammox bacteria Planctomycetes NH3 (ammonia) → N
2
(nitrogen)
NH3 Nitrite (NO
2
)
Sulfate-reducing bacteria H2 (hydrogen) → H2O (water) H2 (hydrogen) Sulfate (SO2−
4
)
Phosphite bacteria phosphitephosphate phosphite Sulfate (SO2−
4
)
Aerobic hydrogen bacteria Cupriavidus metallidurans H2 (hydrogen) → H2O (water) H2 (hydrogen) O
2
(Oxygen)
Carboxydotrophic bacteria carbon monoxide (CO) → carbon dioxide (CO2) carbon monoxide (CO) O
2
(Oxygen)
Methanogens Archaea H2 (hydrogen) → H2O (water) H2 (hydrogen) CO2 (carbon dioxide)