Chemoorganotrophie

Chemoorganotrophie, also called chemoorganotrophy, is a metabolic strategy in which organisms derive energy by oxidizing organic compounds and obtain electrons from organic substrates. The carbon source is usually organic, making many chemoorganotrophs heterotrophs; some organisms can fix carbon dioxide while deriving energy from organic oxidation, a mode sometimes referred to as chemoorganoautotrophy in specialized contexts.

Chemoorganotrophs can use aerobic respiration, with oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor, or anaerobic respiration using alternative acceptors such as nitrate, sulfate, or ferric iron. When no external electron acceptor is available, fermentation can generate energy and ATP. Members include many bacteria (for example, Escherichia coli, Bacillus, and Pseudomonas) and fungi, occupying a wide range of environments, including soil, sediments, the gut, and industrial fermentation systems.

Ecological roles include decomposition of organic matter and recycling of carbon and nutrients; some chemoorganotrophs are opportunistic pathogens. In biotechnology, chemoorganotrophs underpin fermentation processes that produce lactic acid, ethanol, solvents, and other products, and they are important in waste treatment and bioprocessing.