methanotrophicadj.
/mᵻˌθanə(ʊ)ˈtrɒfɪk/, /mᵻˌθanə(ʊ)ˈtrəʊfɪk/, /ˌmɛθənə(ʊ)ˈtrɒfɪk/, /ˌmɛθənə(ʊ)ˈtrəʊfɪk/, U.S. /məˌθænəˈtrɑfɪk/, /məˌθænəˈtroʊfɪk/ Microbiology.
Of a bacterium: capable of utilizing methane as a source of carbon and energy. Also: of or relating to this form of metabolism. Cf. methylotrophic adj.
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the world > life > biology > biological processes > metabolism > [adjective] > metabolizing carbon dioxide into methane
methanogenic1955
methanotrophic1975
1975 Mikrobiologiya 44 850 Pure cultures of obligate methanotrophic bacteria were isolated from natural habitats and cultivated on media containing silica gel.
1979 I. J. Higgins in J. R. Quayle Microbial Biochem. vii. 301 Natural gas contains gaseous hydrocarbons other than methane and at least some will be partially oxidized by methanotrophic cooxidative metabolism.
1991 R. S. K. Barnes & K. H. Mann Fund. Aquatic Ecol. (ed. 2) x. 207/2 Like the sulphur-oxidizing bacteria, these methanotrophic symbionts are aerobic.
2000 Nature 11 May 175 Studies of methane oxidation kinetics in soil infer the activity of two methanotrophic populations.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1975