3 ms·
I wondered that too. "Die" implies not just metabolic rate going to zero, but also cells "disassembling" too ("decomposing" feels a bit large-scale in this cont
by kitd 6y ago
I wondered that too. "Die" implies not just metabolic rate going to zero, but also cells "disassembling" too ("decomposing" feels a bit large-scale in this context).
It did say that there were microscopic amounts of oxygen in the sediment. Presumably, that was enough to maintain a minimally-small MR.
- londons_explore 6y agoAs they were buried deeper and deeper in the sediment, presumably oxygen levels fell lower and lower. That will have caused selective pressure to manage to survive with so few resources. Those that can't simply become energy for others who can.
- coliveira 6y agoThere are cells that don't need oxygen to survive. The fact that there is no oxygen in the environment doesn't mean that certain forms of bacteria cannot survive.
- wombatmobile 6y ago> The presence of dissolved O2, nitrate (NO3−), phosphate (PO4−), and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) throughout the sedimentary sequence from the seafloor to the volcanic basement indicates that cell abundance and activity are not limited by availability of electron acceptors or dissolved major inorganic nutrients. From the Redfield stoichiometry of net dissolved O2 reduction to net nitrate production in the sediment, the microbial cells have been inferred to consume oxygen coupled to oxidation of marine organic matter at extremely slow rates. -- D’Hondt, S. et al. Presence of oxygen and aerobic communities from sea floor to basement in deep-sea sediments. Nature Geosci. 8, 299–304 (2015).