Gulf Oil Spill Series : Biodegradation of Oil

Abstract

A microscopic organism, also known as a microorganism or microbe, is too small to see with the human eye. The world of microbes includes protists, bacteria, fungi and some species of animals and plants. In time, any organic material – a substance that contains carbon atoms – can be chemically broken down by microbes and invertebrates in the environment. This proces called biodegradation. On land, an example is compost, in which fungi, bacteria and insects decompose food waste. Microbes use carbon for energy. For others, it es anaerobic. In addition to carbon and oxygen, microbes need other nutrients and minerals to survive, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and iron.