Question

Methanogens are found in
(a)In swamps
(b)In a cow's stomach
(c)In marshes
(d)All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: The microorganisms that help in the production of methane which is used as a metabolic byproduct in certain hypoxic conditions are known as methanogens. They are found where soil along with organic matter is present.

Complete answer:
Methanogens are found in swamps, a cow's stomach, and marshes. They are the primitive bacteria that belong to the archaea and can utilize the carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas to form methane. They produce Marsh gas in marshy areas and are responsible for methane production in the stomach of cattle that cause belching. They are prokaryotic and are found in the digestive tract of certain animals such as ruminants and many humans. Some methanogens are responsible for the aerobiotic wastewater treatment and are found in environments such as hot springs and submarine hydrothermal vents which are known as extremophiles. They are vital for the ecological role as they remove the excess hydrogen from the anaerobic environments and fermentation products that have been produced by other forms of anaerobic respiration. They are found in several extreme elements on the earth which includes Greenland under kilometers which are living in hot and dry desert soil.

Additional information:
They are widely used as anaerobic digesters for wastewater treatment and aqueous organic pollutants. They can perform bio methanation during the wastewater treatment and decomposition which is adapted by several industries and rendering the process sustainable and cost-effective. The bio decomposition in the anaerobic digester involves four stages which are performed by different microorganisms. The hydrolysis of insoluble polymerized organic matter constitutes the first stage and the acidogenic breakdown that dissolves into organic pollutants in wastewater to fatty acids constitutes the second stage. The acetogenins convert the fatty acids into acetates in the third stage and the final stage metabolizes acetates to gaseous methane by methanogens.
So, the correct answer is option (D) 'All of the above'.

Note: Methanogens are considered as a threat to the ecological environment as it produces methane gas which is potent to greenhouse gases. It carries out several organisms and prevents the release of a large amount of methane into the atmosphere by the process of methanotrophy which is the degradation of methane.