Electron Bifurcation Makes the Puzzle Pieces Fall Energetically into Place in Methanogenic Energy Conservation

Microbial life has evolved a wide range of metabolisms exploiting in many cases unanticipated suites of oxidation-reduction reactions to generate energy. Although many of these suites of reactions don't allow these microbes to enjoy the same quality of energetic life that we enjoy via respiration/oxidative phosphorylation, it has conferred the ability for life to exploit almost any oxidation-reduction reaction. In many of these cases when energy is sparing, the difference between life and death may be conserving the maximal amount of energy and minimizing loss of free energy through heat.