Question

How do anammox bacteria participate in the nitrogen cycle? Where do the organisms live and how do they contain the toxic intermediates of their specialized metabolism?

Short answer

The anammox bacteria participate in the nitrogen cycle by oxidizing ammonium into diatomic nitrogen. These anammox bacteria are found to live in both aquatic and terrestrial environments, and they contain the toxic intermediates of their specialized metabolism in a specialized organelle anammoxasome.

Step-by-step solution

Anammox bacteria

Anammox is an abbreviation of anaerobic ammonium oxidation.The prokaryotes or bacteria that participate in this process are anammox bacteria. They help in oxidizing ammonium into gaseous nitrogen with the help of nitrite. The bacteria found performing this process mainly belong to the genera Planctomycetota. These bacteria are found in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

Step 2:Anammoxasome

Anammoxasomes are a lipid layer membrane-bound organelle in which the anammox process occurs.The toxic metabolic intermediate hydrazine produced in this specialized metabolism is contained in anammoxasomes with the help of the highly compact ladderane lipids found in the membrane.