methanogen

noun

me·than·o·gen | \ mə-ˈtha-nə-ˌjen

plural methanogens

Definition of methanogen

: any of various anaerobic archaea (as of the families Methanobacteriaceae and Methanosarcinaceae of the taxon Euryarchaeota) that produce methane as a by-product of energy metabolism, are found in various chiefly anoxic environments (such as aquatic sediments, rice paddies, landfills, hydrothermal vents, and the digestive tract of ruminants, humans, and termites), and typically utilize hydrogen and carbon dioxide as a substrate for energy production but may use other substrates (such as acetate or methylamine) Some microbes called methanogens, for instance, exude as waste the powerful greenhouse gas methane.— Charles Petit … these reactions are part of the pathway that reduces CO₂ to methane, the central pathway for energy metabolism in methanogens.— Ludmila Christoserdova et al.