Rare Microbes that produce Oxygen in dark

Rare Microbes that produce Oxygen in dark

Subject – Science and Tech

Context – Researchers from University of Southern Denmark have discovered that oxygen is also produced without sunlight, possibly deep below the ocean surface.

Concept –

• Scientists say there would be no oxygen on Earth were it not for sunlight: the key component in photosynthesis.
• Now researchers have discovered that oxygen is also produced without sunlight, possibly deep below the ocean surface.
• Researchers have discovered that some of the invisible microorganisms living in water columns produce oxygen in an unexpected way.
• A few microbes are known to make oxygen without sunlight, but so far they have only been discovered in very limited quantities and in very specific habitats.
• But the ocean living microbe Nitrosopumilusmaritimus and its cousins, called ammonia oxidising archaea play an important role in the nitrogen cycle.
  • The researchers found that these micro-organisms make their own oxygen.
• The researchers conducted tests in the lab and found that N. maritimus was using the oxygen present in water but the oxygen levels started increasing again in water. The micro-organisms were able to make oxygen even in a dark environment. Not sufficiently high to influence oxygen levels on Earth, but enough to keep itself going.
• maritimus couples the oxygen production to the production of gaseous nitrogen. By doing so they remove bioavailable nitrogen from the environment.