Answer to Question #126323 in Microbiology for Ibrahim jibrin

Question

Describe how radioisotopes, Microsensors, stable isotopes techniques are used by microbial ecologists to measure microbial activity

Answer 1

Microsensors measure microbial respiration rates by determining changes in oxygen concentration. Stable isotope probing is used to trace fluxes of nutrients in biogeochemical cycling by microorganisms. A substrate is enriched with a heavier stable isotope that is consumed by the organisms to be studied. Radioisotopes use labeled atoms such as sulphate to measure the rate of geochemical activity of organism in natural conditions.