Abstract
Did you know that iron is one of the most important elements on Earth? It is assumed that life evolved close to iron sources. This means that the earliest life forms—and therefore oldest creatures—were able to use iron to obtain energy the way we use food. These tiny organisms are called iron microorganisms and can occur in sediments, which are mainly muddy sand. But less was known about where iron microorganisms live in these sediments—are they located close to the water surface or deep in the sediment? In this study, a team from the University of Tübingen investigated the distribution and variety of iron microorganisms. The scientists discovered that iron microorganisms live independent from their favorite foods: iron, oxygen, and light! This independence might be explained by an unexpected extraordinary friendship with a “living cable.” Are you curious about what a living cable is?
Highlights
Did you know that iron is one of the most important elements on Earth? It is assumed that life evolved close to iron sources
The scientists discovered that iron microorganisms live independent from their favorite foods: iron, oxygen, and light! This independence might be explained by an unexpected extraordinary friendship with a “living cable.”
One teaspoonful of marine sediment contains more than a billion bacteria! bacteria are so small, there are so many of them that they have a huge impact on our environment
Summary
The process that all living organisms use to create the energy they need to live. Iron bacteria can use iron to generate energy for their growth, and in doing so they produce waste products in the form of brownish iron minerals [ ], commonly known as rust. Some iron bacteria live in coastal sediments, which are mainly muddy sand. In the deeper sediment layers there is less light and oxygen, but it is still possible to measure a bit of nitrate, organic substances, iron, iron minerals, and sulfate. These specific layers are mainly formed by the food preferences of the di erent sediment bacteria present at each sediment layer
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