Cows' methane burps may be driven by fuzzy microbes
Scientists have identified a specific organelle called a 'hydrogenobody' within gut microbes that contributes to methane production in ruminant animals. This discovery explains the biological mechanism behind the significant greenhouse gas emissions caused by cattle burps.
Why it matters
Understanding the biological source of methane in livestock is a crucial step toward developing potential interventions to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
A tiny part in some cow gut microbes kicks off production of this greenhouse gas
The stomachs of cows contain microbes that help break down plants. Single-celled ciliates make up about one-fourth of those microbes. Scientists have cataloged 65 ciliate species. They include Isotricha prostoma (left), Entodinium caudatum (center) and Dasytricha ruminantium (right). These 3-D microscope images show them in false color.
Chuanqi Jiang, Jinying He, and Che Hu/Institute of Hydrobiology/Chinese Academy of Sciences
Cows belch a lot of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But it’s not their fault. Scientists have identified a new trigger for the process. It resides in some microbes that live in the cows’ guts.
This tiny organelle appears to help control how much of this greenhouse gas the cows burp out.
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