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What is the origin of the term "exometabolism" in environmental and water sciences?

The prefix 'exo-' suggests 'outside,' and it's used in contexts describing dissolved organic matter transformations in lakes or sediments. It seems distinct from 'extracellular enzyme activity,' which is a mechanism. Is 'exometabolism' referring to the sum of all externally-mediated metabolic processes, or does it have a more specific meaning regarding the fate of metabolites?

 

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By Trisha Answered 2 years ago

You've pinpointed a key term. Etymologically, it's from Greek exo (outside) and metabolism. Conceptually, it encompasses all metabolic activities where the substrates, products, or processes occur external to the cell. This includes the action of true extracellular enzymes, but also the passive diffusion of metabolites like organic acids or antibiotics. In my work on biofilm systems, we use it to describe the collective chemical footprint of a microbial community the suite of compounds they release that then shape their immediate environment, drive mineral weathering, or become food for other organisms in the carbon cycle.

 

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