Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Energy Supply for Muscle Contraction01:25

Energy Supply for Muscle Contraction

5.6K
Skeletal muscle fibers have the unique ability to switch between rest and contraction states, using different sources of ATP for energy. The contraction cycle and Ca2+ transport back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum for relaxation require significant ATP. However, the ATP reserves in muscle fibers are limited and can only sustain contractions for a few seconds. Additional ATP production becomes necessary for prolonged contractions. As a result, muscle fibers generate ATP through various sources,...
5.6K
The Energies of Atomic Orbitals03:21

The Energies of Atomic Orbitals

30.0K
In an atom, the negatively charged electrons are attracted to the positively charged nucleus. In a multielectron atom, electron-electron repulsions are also observed. The attractive and repulsive forces are dependent on the distance between the particles, as well as the sign and magnitude of the charges on the individual particles. When the charges on the particles are opposite, they attract each other. If both particles have the same charge, they repel each other.
30.0K
Activation Energy01:26

Activation Energy

86.5K
Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy necessary for a chemical reaction to move forward. The higher the activation energy, the slower the rate of the reaction. However, adding heat to the reaction will increase the rate, since it causes molecules to move faster and increase the likelihood that molecules will collide. The collision and breaking of bonds represents the uphill phase of a reaction and generates the transition state. The transition state is an unstable high-energy state...
86.5K
What is Energy?04:10

What is Energy?

58.7K
The universe is composed of matter in different forms, and all forms of matter contain energy.  The different forms of energy on Earth originate from the Sun — the ultimate energy source. Plants capture light energy from the Sun, and, via the process of photosynthesis, convert it into chemical energy. This stored energy from plants can be harnessed in many ways. For example, eating plant products as food provides energy for our body to function, and burning wood or coal (fossilized...
58.7K
Cell Potential and Free Energy02:58

Cell Potential and Free Energy

46.4K
Thermodynamics of a Redox Reaction
Thermodynamics is the branch of physics dealing with the relationship between heat and other forms of energy. In an electrochemical cell, chemical energy is converted into electrical energy.
Thus, a link can be predicted between cell potential, free energy change, and the equilibrium constant for the reaction. Cell potential can also be measured as the oxidant or the reducing strength, and similar acid-base strength measures are reflected in equilibrium...
46.4K
Free Energy01:21

Free Energy

51.9K
Free energy—abbreviated as G for the scientist Gibbs who discovered it—is a measurement of useful energy that can be extracted from a reaction to do work. It is the energy in a chemical reaction that is available after entropy is accounted for. Reactions that take in energy are considered endergonic and reactions that release energy are exergonic. Plants carry out endergonic reactions by taking in sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce glucose and oxygen. Animals, in turn, break...
51.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Controlling the Surface Morphology of Strongly Confined CsPbBr<sub>3</sub> Perovskite Quantum Dots.

Nano letters·2026
Same author

Methanotrophy under extreme alkalinity in a serpentinizing system.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Electrochemical characterization of photo-driven hole-scavenging by cadmium sulfide quantum dot-nitrogenase biohybrid complexes.

Bioelectrochemistry (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2026
Same author

Breathing both ways: simultaneous aerobic-anaerobic respiration in microbes.

Trends in microbiology·2026
Same author

Vacancy-Redox Coupling at Interface-Engineered Heterostructures Enhances Reversible Energy Conversion in Protonic Ceramic Cells.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Pushing the upper temperature limit of methanotrophy in continental hydrothermal ecosystems, active biological methane oxidation in hot springs of Yellowstone National Park.

Frontiers in microbiology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Assessing Energy Substrate Oxidation In Vitro with 14CO2 Trapping
09:20

Assessing Energy Substrate Oxidation In Vitro with 14CO2 Trapping

Published on: March 23, 2022

2.5K

Microbial substrate preference dictated by energy demand, not supply.

Maximiliano J Amenabar1, Everett L Shock2,3, Eric E Roden4,3

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana.

Nature Geoscience
|April 5, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Microorganisms do not always prefer energy-rich substrates. This study shows *Acidianus* archaea favor hydrogen and sulfur (H2/S°) over higher-yield options due to lower energy demand for electron transfer.

More Related Videos

Exploring Life History Choices: Using Temperature and Substrate Type as Interacting Factors for Blowfly Larval and Female Preferences
12:14

Exploring Life History Choices: Using Temperature and Substrate Type as Interacting Factors for Blowfly Larval and Female Preferences

Published on: November 17, 2023

1.8K
A Standardized Protocol for Preference Testing to Assess Fish Welfare
07:29

A Standardized Protocol for Preference Testing to Assess Fish Welfare

Published on: February 22, 2020

7.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Assessing Energy Substrate Oxidation In Vitro with 14CO2 Trapping
09:20

Assessing Energy Substrate Oxidation In Vitro with 14CO2 Trapping

Published on: March 23, 2022

2.5K
Exploring Life History Choices: Using Temperature and Substrate Type as Interacting Factors for Blowfly Larval and Female Preferences
12:14

Exploring Life History Choices: Using Temperature and Substrate Type as Interacting Factors for Blowfly Larval and Female Preferences

Published on: November 17, 2023

1.8K
A Standardized Protocol for Preference Testing to Assess Fish Welfare
07:29

A Standardized Protocol for Preference Testing to Assess Fish Welfare

Published on: February 22, 2020

7.4K

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Geochemistry

Background:

  • Microbial substrate utilization is often predicted by maximum energy yield.
  • Observed microbial activity and distribution can contradict thermodynamic predictions.
  • Metabolically flexible microorganisms offer insights into substrate preference.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the bioenergetics and growth yields of *Acidianus* archaea.
  • Determine substrate preference in relation to energy supply and demand.
  • Reconcile thermodynamic predictions with observed microbial growth.

Main Methods:

  • Culturing a thermophilic archaeon (*Acidianus*) autotrophically.
  • Utilizing hydrogen (H2) and elemental sulfur (S°) as electron donors.
  • Using elemental sulfur (S°) and ferric iron (Fe3+) as electron acceptors.
  • Measuring biomass yields and calculating energy yields for different redox couples.

Main Results:

  • H2/Fe3+ and S°/Fe3+ couples offer higher theoretical energy yields than H2/S°.
  • *Acidianus* exhibited eight-fold greater biomass yields with H2/S° compared to other couples.
  • Cells preferentially utilized H2 as an electron donor and S° as an electron acceptor when all substrates were available.

Conclusions:

  • Substrate preference in *Acidianus* is governed by the energy demand of electron transfer, not solely by energy supply.
  • Lower energy demand for H2/S° metabolism leads to higher growth yields.
  • Microbial substrate selection involves a complex interplay of thermodynamics and cellular energetics.