Abstract
Hydrocarbons have been part of the biosphere from its inception, produced initially by prebiotic processes, and subsequently both by living organisms and during the generation of fossil fuels. As highly reduced forms of carbon, hydrocarbons provide a rich source of energy and carbon to those organisms, typically microorganisms, which are able to consume them. Indeed, almost all hydrocarbons are readily degraded under appropriate conditions. There is, nevertheless, a clear preference for the catabolism of some molecules before others; hence the composition of a fuel or crude oil changes as biodegradation proceeds.
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