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Methanogens such as Methanobacterium help in biogas production by breaking down organic matter anaerobically.
Ref: NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 8: Microbes in Human Welfare Microbes in Biogas Production - Methanogens
Methanogenesis, anaerobic production of methane as catabolic end product, is restricted to Archaea possessing coenzymes methanofuran, tetrahydromethanopterin, and coenzyme M unique to this group and absent in bacteria. Most cultivated methanogens including Methanobacterium, Methanococcus, and Methanosarcina belong phylogenetically to phylum Euryarchaeota which also includes halophiles, thermoplasmatales, and Archaeoglobus sulfate reducers. Crenarchaeota primarily comprises hyperthermophiles lacking methanogenic capacity. Euryarchaeal 16S rRNA clustering and shared methanogenic pathway enzymes define this metabolic coherence, playing crucial role in anaerobic digestion, rumen function, and global carbon cycle regulation.
Ref: Brock Biology Microorganisms 15th ed., Chapter 16 Euryarchaeota methanogens; Madigan Microbiology methanogenesis coenzyme M pathway
specifies that Methanogens are a distinct group of Archaebacteria present in the gut of several ruminant animals, such as cows and buffaloes. These microorganisms are strictly anaerobic and are fundamentally responsible for the biological production of methane (biogas) from the dung of these animals. They play a vital ecological role in the breakdown of complex cellulose in the ruminant stomach.
Ref: NCERT Class 11 Biology > Chapter 2: Biological Classification > 2.1 Kingdom Monera
