Editing Methanogenesis (section)

{{short description|Formation of methane by microbes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
'''Methanogenesis''' or '''biomethanation''' is the formation of [[methane]] coupled to energy conservation by [[microbe]]s known as [[methanogen]]s. It is the fourth and final stage of [[anaerobic digestion]]. Organisms capable of producing methane for energy conservation have been identified only from the [[Domain (biology)|domain]] [[Archaea]], a group [[Phylogenetics|phylogenetically]] distinct from both [[eukaryote]]s and [[bacteria]], although many live in close association with anaerobic bacteria. The production of methane is an important and widespread form of microbial [[metabolism]]. In [[Hypoxia (environmental)|anoxic]] environments, it is the final step in the decomposition of [[biomass (ecology)|biomass]].  Methanogenesis is responsible for significant amounts of [[natural gas]] accumulations, the remainder being thermogenic.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Katz B.| title = Microbial processes and natural gas accumulations | journal = The Open Geology Journal | year = 2011 | volume = 5| issue = 1 | pages = 75&ndash;83|doi=10.2174/1874262901105010075| bibcode = 2011OGJ.....5...75J | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=The origin, source, and cycling of methane in deep crystalline rock biosphere|year=2015|journal=Front. Microbiol.|doi=10.3389/fmicb.2015.00725|author=Kietäväinen and Purkamo|pmc=4505394|pmid=26236303|volume=6|page=725|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Indications for an active petroleum system in the Laptev Sea, NE Siberia/publication/227744258_Indications_for_an_active_petroleum_system_in_the_Laptev_Sea_NE_Siberia|year=2005|journal=Journal of Petroleum Geology|doi=10.1111/j.1747-5457.2005.tb00088.x|author=Cramer and Franke|volume=28|issue=4|pages=369–384|bibcode=2005JPetG..28..369C|doi-access=|s2cid=129445357 }}</ref>