The DOI matches its Crossref record; 86 of the 92 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Prokaryotes: The unseen majority
Open accessAbstract
The number of prokaryotes and the total amount of their cellular carbon on earth are estimated to be 4–6 × 10 30 cells and 350–550 Pg of C (1 Pg = 10 15 g), respectively. Thus, the total amount of prokaryotic carbon is 60–100% of the estimated total carbon in plants, and inclusion of prokaryotic carbon in global models will almost double estimates of the amount of carbon stored in living organisms. In addition, the earth’s prokaryotes contain 85–130 Pg of N and 9–14 Pg of P, or about 10-fold more of these nutrients than do plants, and represent the largest pool of these nutrients in living organisms. Most of the earth’s prokaryotes occur in the open ocean, in soil, and in oceanic and terrestrial subsurfaces, where the numbers of cells are 1.2 × 10 29 , 2.6 × 10 29 , 3.5 × 10 30 , and 0.25–2.5 × 10 30 , respectively. The numbers of heterotrophic prokaryotes in the upper 200 m of the open ocean, the ocean below 200 m, and soil are consistent with average turnover times of 6–25 days, 0.8 yr, and 2.5 yr, respectively. Although subject to a great deal of uncertainty, the estimate for the average turnover time of prokaryotes in the subsurface is on the order of 1–2 × 10 3 yr. The cellular production rate for all prokaryotes on earth is estimated at 1.7 × 10 30 cells/yr and is highest in the open ocean. The large population size and rapid growth of prokaryotes provides an enormous capacity for genetic diversity.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“However, the majority of astrobiological research is focused on the possible existence and detection of microbial life, which is the simplest, most robust, and most abundant form of life on our own planet (Whitman et al., 1998) and therefore is considered to be the most likely form of life to exist on other planets and moons.”
From The Astrobiology Primer v2.0 (2016) · cites this paper as Whitman et al., 1998
In the citing paper
“Given that there are estimated to be greater than 1030 prokaryotes on earth (Whitman et al., 1998), the vast majority of which are yet unstudied, there are likely to be more PFAS‐metabolizing bacteria uncovered.”
From Nothing lasts forever: understanding microbial biodegradation of polyfluorinated compounds and perfluorinated alkyl substances (2022) · cites this paper as Whitman et al., 1998
Citations
Cites
Escherichia coli and Salmonella :cellular and molecular biology
Neidhardt, F. C. (1996) · ASM Press eBooks · Cited by 8,197
Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Reconciliation of Approaches to Bacterial Systematics
Wayne, L. G., Moore, W. E., Stackebrandt, E. S., Kandler, O., Colwell, R. R., Krichevsky, M. I., Trüper, H. G., Murray, R. G. E., Grimont, P. A. D., Brenner, D. J., et al. (1987) · INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY · doi:10.1099/00207713-37-4-463 · Cited by 7,338
Hungate, R. E. (2013) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/c2013-0-12555-x · Cited by 3,060
Soil microbiology and biochemistry
(1989) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.26-6277 · Cited by 2,930
Bacterial production in fresh and saltwater ecosystems: a cross-system overview
Cole, J. R., Findlay, S., & Pace, M. L. (1988) · Marine Ecology Progress Series · doi:10.3354/meps043001 · Cited by 1,506
Relationships between Biovolume and Biomass of Naturally Derived Marine Bacterioplankton
Lee, S., & Fuhrman, J. A. (1987) · Applied and Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1128/aem.53.6.1298-1303.1987 · Cited by 1,338
Sisson, S., & Grossman, J. D. (1958) · Australian Veterinary Journal · doi:10.1111/j.1751-0813.1958.tb05872.x · Cited by 1,245
Food Webs: Integration of Patterns and Dynamics.
Lodge, D. M., Polis, G. A., & Winemiller, K. O. (1997) · Ecology · doi:10.2307/2266040 · Cited by 798
Organic geochemistry: principles and applications
(1994) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.31-4371 · Cited by 733
Deep bacterial biosphere in Pacific Ocean sediments
Parkes, R. J., Cragg, B. A., Bale, S. J., Getliff, J., Goodman, K., Rochelle, P. A., Fry, J. C., Weightman, A. J., & Harvey, S. M. (1994) · Nature · doi:10.1038/371410a0 · Cited by 696
Flagged first, then by citations
6 of the 92 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 19
- E A Romankevich Geokhimiya (2), 292–306 (1988).
- 10.1007/bf02388732 · DOI
- A B Ronov, A A Yaroshevsky Geophysical Monograph 13: The Earth’s Crust and Upper Mantle, ed P J Hart (Am. Geophys. Union, Washington, DC), pp. 37–57 (1969).
- B A Cragg, S M Harvey, J C Fry, R A Hebert, R J Parkes Proc Ocean Drill Program: Sci Results 127/128 (Pt. 1), 761–776 (1992).
- B A Cragg Proc Ocean Drill Program: Sci Results 135, 147–150 (1994).
- B A Cragg, A E S Kemp Proc Ocean Drill Program: Sci Results 138, 599–604 (1995).
- B A Cragg, R J Parkes Proc Ocean Drill Program: Sci Results 139, 509–516 (1994).
- B A Cragg, R J Parkes, J C Fry, R A Hebert, J W T Wimpenny, J M Getliff Proc Ocean Drill Program: Sci Results 112, 607–619 (1990).
- B A Cragg, R J Parkes, J C Fry, A J Weightman, P A Rochelle, J R Maxwell, M Kastner, M Hovland, M J Whiticar, J C Sample Proc Ocean Drill Program: Sci Results 146 (Pt. 1), 399–411 (1995).
- B A Cragg, R J Parkes, J C Fry, A J Weightman, J R Maxwell, M Kastner, M Hovland, M J Whiticar, J C Sample, R Stein Proc Ocean Drill Program: Sci Results 146 (Pt. 2), 139–144 (1995).
- 10.1111/j.1365-294x.1996.tb00332.x · DOI
- J H Cummings, J G Banwell, I Segal, N Coleman, H N Englyst, G T Macfarlane Gastroenterology 98, A408 (1990).
- FAO Production Yearbook (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome) 48 (1994).
- H P Willett Zinsser Microbiology, eds W K Joklik, H P Willett, D B Amos, C M Wilfert (Appleton & Lange, 20th Ed., Norwalk, CT), pp. 393–400 (1992).
- 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1989.tb03698.x · DOI
- C A Carlson, N R Bales, D A Hansell, H W Ducklow EOS 79, OS171, (abstr.). (1998).
- W H Schlesinger Biogeochemistry (Academic, 2nd Ed., New York, 1997).
- L R Pomeroy, W J Wiebe Marine Microb Food Webs 7, 101–118 (1993).
- D S Jenkinson, J N Ladd, J H Rayner Soil Biochemistry, eds E A Paul, J N Ladd (Dekker, New York) 5, 415–471 (1980).
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 501–600 of 1,017
Schippers, A., & Neretin, L. N. (2006) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2006.01019.x · Cited by 171
Limits of life in hostile environments: no barriers to biosphere function?
Williams, J. P., & Hallsworth, J. E. (2009) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.02079.x · Cited by 174
“Furthermore, the vast majority of microbes cannot be cultivated in vitro (Whitman et al., 1998; Rutz and Kieft, 2004; Ward and Fraser, 2005) and some of these may remain elusive as long as the physicochemical parameters that determine their biotic windows for growth are poorly understood.”
BackgroundTreusch, A. H., Kletzin, A., Raddatz, G., Ochsenreiter, T., Quaiser, A., Meurer, G., Schuster, S. C., & Schleper, C. (2004) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2004.00663.x · Cited by 170
Engineering Bacteriophages as Versatile Biologics
Kilcher, S., & Loessner, M. J. (2018) · Trends in Microbiology · doi:10.1016/j.tim.2018.09.006 · Cited by 172
Edwards, K. J., Bach, W., McCollom, T. M., & Rogers, D. R. (2004) · Geomicrobiology Journal · doi:10.1080/01490450490485863 · Cited by 171
“This is a nominal amount of biomass production compared, for example, to photoautotrophic C production in the upper water column, which is estimated at nearly 1017 g C/yr (Whitman et al. 1997).”
BackgroundInfluentialNew cell extraction procedure applied to deep subsurface sediments
Kallmeyer, J., Smith, D. C., Spivack, A. J., & D'Hondt, S. L. (2008) · Limnology and Oceanography Methods · doi:10.4319/lom.2008.6.236 · Cited by 170
“A large fraction of Earth’s biomass resides within deep subseafloor sediment (Parkes et al. 2000; Whitman et al. 1998).”
BackgroundBioprospecting metagenomes: glycosyl hydrolases for converting biomass
Li, L., McCorkle, S., Monchy, S., Taghavi, S., & van der Lelie, D. (2009) · Biotechnology for Biofuels · doi:10.1186/1754-6834-2-10 · Cited by 171
“Estimates suggest that approximately 4–6 × 1030 prokaryotes inhabit the earth [2].”
BackgroundTHE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SPATIAL FACTORS FOR THE COMPOSITION OF AQUATIC BACTERIAL COMMUNITIES
Langenheder, S., & Stabo, H. R. (2007) · Ecology · doi:10.1890/06-2098.1 · Cited by 170
Pathogenic microbes, the microbiome, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
Hill, J. M., Clément, C., Pogue, A. I., Bhattacharjee, S., Zhao, Y., & Lukiw, W. J. (2014) · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnagi.2014.00127 · Cited by 170
Expanding frontiers in deep subsurface microbiology
Amend, J. P., & Teske, A. (2005) · Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology · doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2004.10.018 · Cited by 171
Viable cyanobacteria in the deep continental subsurface
Puente‐Sánchez, F., Arce‐Rodríguez, A., Oggerin, M., García‐Villadangos, M., Moreno‐Paz, M., Blanco, Y., Rodríguez, N., Bird, L. R., Lincoln, S. A., Tornos, F., et al. (2018) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1808176115 · Cited by 169
Development of a novel cultivation technique for uncultured soil bacteria
Chaudhary, D. K., Altankhuu, K., & Kim, J. (2019) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-43182-x · Cited by 169
Xu, H., Chen, Z., Huang, R., Cui, Y., Li, Q., Zhao, Y., Wang, X., Mao, D., Luo, Y., & Ren, H. (2021) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/acs.est.1c01615 · Cited by 167
Microbial Enzymes Mined from the Urania Deep-Sea Hypersaline Anoxic Basin
Ferrer, M., Golyshina, O. V., Chernikova, T. N., et al. (2005) · Chemistry & Biology · doi:10.1016/j.chembiol.2005.05.020 · Cited by 169
“es pervasive perception that undiscovered microbial diversity is enormous and is a treasure trove for new biotechnological applications [6–9].”
BackgroundA General O-Glycosylation System Important to the Physiology of a Major Human Intestinal Symbiont
Fletcher, C. M., Coyne, M. J., Villa, O. F., Chatzidaki‐Livanis, M., & Comstock, L. E. (2009) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2009.02.041 · Cited by 170
“In this intensely competitive environment, the best adapted microbial species colonize at high densities and persist for long periods (Ley et al., 2006; Whitman et al., 1998).”
Status of the Archaeal and Bacterial Census: an Update
Schloss, P. D., Girard, R., Martin, T., Edwards, J., & Thrash, J. C. (2016) · mBio · doi:10.1128/mbio.00201-16 · Cited by 165
“The orders of these categories were surprising, considering that soil and aquatic environments harbor the most microbial biomass and biodiversity (21).”
Priscu, J., & Christner, B. (2004) · ASM Press eBooks · doi:10.1128/9781555817770.ch13 · Cited by 195
“…cells we estimate for subglacial lakes plus the ice sheet (10.04 x 1025 cells) is about 50 fold higher than that estimated 21 for prokaryotic cells in Antarctic sea ice (2.2 x 1024 cells) and about 25 fold higher than sea ice in both polar regions combined (4 x 1024 cells) (Whitman et al. 1998).”
BackgroundInfluentialLämmle, K., Zipper, H., Breuer, M., et al. (2006) · Journal of Biotechnology · doi:10.1016/j.jbiotec.2006.07.036 · Cited by 166
Aüllo, T., Ranchou‐Peyruse, A., Ollivier, B., & Magot, M. (2013) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2013.00362 · Cited by 174
“Therefore, the deep biosphere becomes the potentially major habitat for prokaryotes although cells concentration remains low (Whitman et al., 1998) and can be highly variable likely because of geological features and sediment composition (Sinclair and Ghiorse, 1989).”
BackgroundInfluentialBacteria beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
Lanoil, B., Skidmore, M. L., Priscu, J. C., et al. (2008) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2008.01831.x · Cited by 166
“This prokaryotic abundance is equivalent to between 2 and 11 times greater than the prokaryotic abundance estimated for all surface freshwaters (lakes and rivers) combined (Whitman et al., 1998).”
BackgroundAstrobiology: The Study of the Living Universe
Chyba, C. F., & Hand, K. P. (2005) · Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics · doi:10.1146/annurev.astro.43.051804.102202 · Cited by 176
Beattie, R. E., Henke, W., Campa, M. F., Hazen, T. C., McAliley, L. R., & Campbell, J. H. (2018) · Soil Biology and Biochemistry · doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.08.011 · Cited by 167
Marine Metagenomics: New Tools for the Study and Exploitation of Marine Microbial Metabolism
Kennedy, J., Flemer, B., Jackson, S. A., Lejon, D. P. H., Morrissey, J. P., O’Gara, F., & Dobson, A. D. W. (2010) · Marine Drugs · doi:10.3390/md8030608 · Cited by 167
“It is estimated that about 1 × 10 bacteria are present in 1 mL of seawater, with far greater concentrations in marine snow [47–49].”
BackgroundŁoś, M., & Węgrzyn, G. (2012) · Advances in virus research · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-394621-8.00019-4 · Cited by 165
Metagenomics approaches in systems microbiology
Vieites, J. M., Guazzaroni, M., Beloqui, A., Golyshin, P. N., & Ferrer, M. (2008) · FEMS Microbiology Reviews · doi:10.1111/j.1574-6976.2008.00152.x · Cited by 169
“3 10(30) kg total biomass) is too high to be studied using traditional cultivation strategies (Whitman et al., 1998; McHardy & Rigoutsos, 2007; Raes et al., 2007; Beloqui et al., 2008).”
BackgroundWackett, L. P. (2022) · Microbial Biotechnology · doi:10.1111/1751-7915.13928 · Cited by 165
“Given that there are estimated to be greater than 1030 prokaryotes on earth (Whitman et al., 1998), the vast majority of which are yet unstudied, there are likely to be more PFAS-metabolizing bacteria uncovered.”
BackgroundCheca-Ros, A., Jeréz-Calero, A., Molina-Carballo, A., Campoy, C., & Muñoz-Hoyos, A. (2021) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu13010249 · Cited by 164
The Commensal Microbiology of the Gastrointestinal Tract
Manson, J. M., Rauch, M., & Gilmore, M. S. (2009) · Advances in experimental medicine and biology · doi:10.1007/978-0-387-09550-9_2 · Cited by 161
Pyrosequencing as a tool for better understanding of human microbiomes
Siqueira, J. F., Jr., FOUAD, A. F., & Rôças, I. N. (2012) · Journal of Oral Microbiology · doi:10.3402/jom.v4i0.10743 · Cited by 184
“Gut Bacterial diversity in the gut The gut contains the largest number of microorganisms associated with the human body and is regarded as one of the most densely populated microbial ecosystems on this planet (66, 67).”
BackgroundCampbell, B. J., & Cary, S. C. (2004) · Applied and Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1128/aem.70.10.6282-6289.2004 · Cited by 163
“that of all other habitats on earth combined (53).”
BackgroundDiversity and Biogeography of Bathyal and Abyssal Seafloor Bacteria
Bienhold, C., Zinger, L., Boëtius, A., & Ramette, A. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148016 · Cited by 165
“organism abundance and biomass [1, 2], as well as in carbon and nutrient recycling and oxygen fluxes [3, 4].”
Glasl, B., Webster, N. S., & Bourne, D. G. (2017) · Marine Biology · doi:10.1007/s00227-017-3097-x · Cited by 169
“Microorganisms are key drivers of large-scale biogeochemical cycles in the oceans (Azam et al. 1983; Whitman et al. 1998; Falkowski et al. 2008) and also play a fundamental role in coral reef ecosystem functioning, through mediating nutrient cycling (Charpy et al.”
BackgroundNew mechanisms of metformin action: Focusing on mitochondria and the gut
Hur, K. Y., & Lee, M. (2015) · Journal of Diabetes Investigation · doi:10.1111/jdi.12328 · Cited by 161
Schouten, S., Middelburg, J. J., Hopmans, E. C., & Damsté, J. S. S. (2010) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/j.gca.2010.03.029 · Cited by 170
Toward Understanding, Managing, and Protecting Microbial Ecosystems
Bodelier, P. L. E. (2011) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2011.00080 · Cited by 171
“, bacteria, archaea, protozoa, and fungi) comprise a major part of the total biomass of organisms inhabiting on earth (Whitman et al., 1998) and represent the largest source of biodiversity (Gans et al.”
BackgroundInfluence of Humans on Evolution and Mobilization of Environmental Antibiotic Resistome
Gaze, W. H., Krone, S. M., Larsson, D. G. J., Li, X.-Z., Robinson, J. A., Simonet, P., Smalla, K., Timinouni, M., Topp, E., Wellington, E. M. H., et al. (2013) · Emerging infectious diseases · doi:10.3201/eid1907.120871 · Cited by 162
Discriminative detection and enumeration of microbial life in marine subsurface sediments
Morono, Y., Terada, T., Masui, N., et al. (2009) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1038/ismej.2009.1 · Cited by 161
“The marine subsurface environment is considered as the largest biosphere that harbors one-tenth of the living biota on Earth (Parkes et al., 1994, 2000; Whitman et al., 1998; Lipp et al., 2008).”
BackgroundRobinson, C. M., & Pfeiffer, J. K. (2014) · Annual Review of Virology · doi:10.1146/annurev-virology-031413-085550 · Cited by 171
Abdelfattah, A., Malacrinò, A., Wisniewski, M., Cacciola, S. O., & Schena, L. (2017) · Biological Control · doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2017.07.009 · Cited by 175
“A total of approximately 1030 prokaryotic cell types have been estimated to inhabit the Earth, and they play an essential role in the vast majority of the biological processes occur in the divers ecosystems that exist, including the human body (Whitman et al., 1998).”
BackgroundTaxon-specific aerosolization of bacteria and viruses in an experimental ocean-atmosphere mesocosm
Michaud, J. M., Thompson, L., Kaul, D., Espinoza, J. L., Richter, R. A., Xu, Z. Z., Lee, C., Pham, K. M., Beall, C. M., Malfatti, F., et al. (2018) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-018-04409-z · Cited by 160
Trade-offs and coexistence in microbial microcosms
Bohannan, B. J. M., Kerr, B., Jessup, C. M., Hughes, J. B., & Sandvik, G. (2002) · Antonie van Leeuwenhoek · doi:10.1023/a:1020585711378 · Cited by 161
“This is especially true for microorganisms, which likely represent most of the earth's biodiversity (Whitman et al. 1998) and may consist of millions of species (Dykhuizen 1998).”
BackgroundThe energy–diversity relationship of complex bacterial communities in Arctic deep-sea sediments
Bienhold, C., Boëtius, A., & Ramette, A. (2011) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1038/ismej.2011.140 · Cited by 163
“Although microbes dominate most ecosystems in terms of abundance, diversity and biomass (Whitman et al., 1998), we have only recently begun to understand to what degree these relationships may be extended to complex microbial communities (reviewed in Smith, 2007).”
BackgroundMicrobial diversity — exploration of natural ecosystems and microbiomes
Gibbons, S. M., & Gilbert, J. A. (2015) · Current Opinion in Genetics & Development · doi:10.1016/j.gde.2015.10.003 · Cited by 164
Policy: An intergovernmental panel on antimicrobial resistance
Woolhouse, M. E. J., & Farrar, J. (2014) · Nature · doi:10.1038/509555a · Cited by 159
Soil-on-a-Chip: microfluidic platforms for environmental organismal studies
Stanley, C. E., Großmann, G., Solvas, X. C. I., & deMello, A. J. (2015) · Lab on a Chip · doi:10.1039/c5lc01285f · Cited by 161
Jebbar, M., Franzetti, B., Girard, É., & Oger, P. (2015) · Extremophiles · doi:10.1007/s00792-015-0760-3 · Cited by 167
“From global estimates of volume, the upper 200 m of the ocean contains a total of 3.6 × 1028 prokaryotic cells of which 2.9 × 1027 cells are autotrophs; whereas the ocean water below 200 m contains 6.5 × 1028 prokaryotic cells (Whitman et al. 1998).”
BackgroundInfluentialHost species as a strong determinant of the intestinal microbiota of fish larvae
Li, X., Yu, Y., Feng, W., Yan, Q., & Gong, Y. (2012) · The Journal of Microbiology · doi:10.1007/s12275-012-1340-1 · Cited by 157
“Prokaryotes are the most abundant form of life on the planet (Whitman et al., 1998).”
BackgroundGeological and geochemical controls on subsurface microbial life in the Samail ophiolite, Oman
Rempfert, K. R., Miller, H. M., Bompard, N., Nothaft, D., Matter, J. M., Kelemen, P., Fierer, N., & Templeton, A. S. (2017) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.00056 · Cited by 157
“Terrestrial deep subsurface environments contain a significant microbial biosphere (Whitman et al., 1998).”
Solutes determine the temperature windows for microbial survival and growth
Chin, J. P., Megaw, J., Magill, C. L., Nowotarski, K., Williams, J. P., Bhaganna, P., Linton, M., Patterson, M. F., Underwood, G. J. C., Mswaka, A. Y., et al. (2010) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1000557107 · Cited by 159
“The temperatures of the Earth’s oceans at ≤500 m (a major microbial habitat) (3) and those of the sea surface in temperate and polar regions typically range from 12 °C downward.”
BackgroundHerrera, C. M., Canto, A., Pozo, M. I., et al. (2009) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.1485 · Cited by 156
“Micro-organisms, however, represent the ‘unseen majority’ of species, individuals and biomass in many ecosystems, and play pivotal roles in community development and function (Whitman et al. 1998).”
BackgroundLiu, L., Zhu, K., Wurzburger, N., & Zhang, J. (2020) · Ecosphere · doi:10.1002/ecs2.2999 · Cited by 167
Wilms, R., Sass, H., Köpke, B., et al. (2006) · Applied and Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1128/aem.72.4.2756-2764.2006 · Cited by 156
“It has been estimated, that marine subsurface habitats harbor the majority of the global prokaryotic biomass (55).”
BackgroundVincent, W. F., & Laybourn‐Parry, J. (2008) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199213887.001.0001 · Cited by 155
“. (1998; Tables 1 and 5). Global cellular carbon reservoirs for the terrestrial subsurface and soils are also from Whitman et al . (1998) ; a carbon content of 11 fg C cell −1 was used to”
MethodDefault taxonomy: Ernst Mayr’s view of the microbial world
Woese, C. R. (1998) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.95.19.11043 · Cited by 155
Control of Drosophila endocycles by E2F and CRL4CDT2
Zielke, N., Kim, K. J., Tran, V., Shibutani, S., Bravo, M. J., Nagarajan, S., van Straaten, M., Woods, B., von Dassow, G., Rottig, C., et al. (2011) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature10579 · Cited by 155
“Such cycles facilitate post-mitotic growth in many invertebrate and plant cells, and are so ubiquitous that they may account for up to half the world’s biomas”
BackgroundDucatelle, R., Eeckhaut, V., Haesebrouck, F., & Immerseel, F. V. (2014) · animal · doi:10.1017/s1751731114002584 · Cited by 154
“In all animal species as well as in humans, the intestine hosts communities of microorganisms whose collective numbers largely exceed that of the host’s somatic and germ cells (Whitman et al., 1998).”
BackgroundLateral gene transfer, bacterial genome evolution, and the Anthropocene
Gillings, M. R. (2016) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/nyas.13213 · Cited by 162
Challenges and Opportunities of Airborne Metagenomics
Behzad, H., Gojobori, T., & Mineta, K. (2015) · Genome Biology and Evolution · doi:10.1093/gbe/evv064 · Cited by 160
Metagenomics: Concept, methodology, ecological inference and recent advances
Singh, J., Behal, A., Singla, N., Joshi, A., Birbian, N., Singh, S., Bali, V., & Batra, N. (2009) · Biotechnology Journal · doi:10.1002/biot.200800201 · Cited by 161
“At present, the total number of prokaryotic cells on earth has been estimated at 4 × 1030–6 × 1030 [1], comprising 106 and 108 separate genospecies (distinct taxonomic groups based on gene sequence analysis) [2].”
BackgroundHervàs, A., Camarero, L., Reche, I., & Casamayor, E. O. (2009) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.01926.x · Cited by 156
“Although this number represents only a small portion of the total bacterial numbers estimations (Whitman et al., 1998), atmospheric transport probably plays a key role for global bacterial dispersion.”
BackgroundBiosynthesis of Antibiotics by PGPR and its Relation in Biocontrol of Plant Diseases
Fernando, W. G. D., Nakkeeran, S., & Zhang, Y. (2006) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/1-4020-4152-7_3 · Cited by 153
“©2005, Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands Key words: antibiotics; biocontrol; PGPR.”
InfluentialExtracellular Metabolism Sets the Table for Microbial Cross-Feeding
Fritts, R. K., McCully, A. L., & McKinlay, J. B. (2021) · Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews · doi:10.1128/mmbr.00135-20 · Cited by 157
“Globally, there are an estimated;1030 individual bacterial and archaeal cells (1, 2).”
BackgroundPfeifer, K., Ergal, İ., Koller, M., Basen, M., Schuster, B., & Rittmann, S. K. ‐. R. (2020) · Biotechnology Advances · doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107668 · Cited by 154
Microbial view of central nervous system autoimmunity
Berer, K., & Krishnamoorthy, G. (2014) · FEBS Letters · doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2014.04.007 · Cited by 153
Fredriksson, N. J., Hermansson, M., & Wilén, B. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0076431 · Cited by 156
“For example, estimates for bacterial communities in soil are in the range of 107 -1010 bacterial cells [1,2] of 103 -105 different taxa [2,3].”
BackgroundThe Physiology of Phagocytosis in the Context of Mitochondrial Origin
Martin, W. F., Tielens, A. G. M., Mentel, M., Garg, S. G., & Gould, S. B. (2017) · Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews · doi:10.1128/mmbr.00008-17 · Cited by 157
“(319) estimated that roughly 1030 prokaryotic cells exist on Earth today.”
BackgroundMacroecology to Unite All Life, Large and Small
Shade, A. L., Dunn, R. R., Blowes, S. A., Keil, P., Bohannan, B. J. M., Herrmann, M., Küsel, K., Lennon, J. T., Sanders, N. J., Štorch, D., et al. (2018) · Trends in Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.tree.2018.08.005 · Cited by 156
Suttle, C. A. (2000) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-012362675-2/50007-0 · Cited by 150
Priester, J. H., Stoimenov, P. K., Mielke, R. E., Webb, S. M., Ehrhardt, C. J., Zhang, J. P., Stucky, G. D., & Holden, P. A. (2009) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es802806n · Cited by 151
Soil bacterial diversity mediated by microscale aqueous-phase processes across biomes
Bickel, S., & Or, D. (2020) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13966-w · Cited by 150
Multicellular microorganisms: laboratory versus nature
Palková, Z. (2004) · EMBO Reports · doi:10.1038/sj.embor.7400145 · Cited by 151
“…density and variability of microorganisms that exist in different environments indicate that they represent one-half of all cellular carbon, but that 99% of them are unknown and cannot be grown under standard laboratory conditions (Whitman et al, 1998); in other words, only a small proportion (1”
BackgroundDell’Anno, A., & Corinaldesi, C. (2004) · Applied and Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1128/aem.70.7.4384-4386.2004 · Cited by 150
“In order to explore the potential ecological implication of extracellular DNA in benthic biogeochemical processes, we estimated the daily bacterial P requirement on the basis of bacterial C production (assuming a bacterial C/N/P ratio of 40:10:1 [18]) and the daily P supply derived from DNA degradation rates (assuming…”
BackgroundProkaryote diversity and taxonomy: current status and future challenges
Oren, A. (2004) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2003.1458 · Cited by 151
“With an estimated total biomass of 350–550 × 10(15) g of carbon, prokaryotic cells contain as much as 60–100% of the estimated total carbon in plants (including extracellular material such as cell walls and structural polymers; Whitman et al. 1998).”
BackgroundInfluentialBarton, H. A., Taylor, N. M., Lübbers, B., & Pemberton, A. C. (2005) · Journal of Microbiological Methods · doi:10.1016/j.mimet.2005.10.005 · Cited by 159
Desulfotomaculum and Methanobacterium spp. Dominate a 4- to 5-Kilometer-Deep Fault
Moser, D. P., Gihring, T. M., Brockman, F. J., Fredrickson, J. K., Balkwill, D. L., Dollhopf, M. E., Lollar, B. S., Pratt, L. M., Boice, E., Southam, G., et al. (2005) · Applied and Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1128/aem.71.12.8773-8783.2005 · Cited by 177
“, liquid water, habitable space, and permissive temperatures), it follows that a significant proportion of the biosphere may be microbial and associated with deep terrestrial hydrologic systems (76).”
BackgroundModelling the emergent dynamics and major metabolites of the human colonic microbiota
Kettle, H., Louis, P., Holtrop, G., Duncan, S. H., & Flint, H. J. (2014) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/1462-2920.12599 · Cited by 149
“The human colon is one of the most densely populated microbial ecosystems on Earth (Whitman et al., 1998) with several hundred different bacterial strains coexisting at any one time (Eckburg et al.”
BackgroundThe microbial contribution to macroecology
Barberán, A. (2014) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2014.00203 · Cited by 149
“First, microbial communities could expand the number of species and individuals included in macroecological datasets of plant and animal communities by several orders of magnitude (Whitman et al., 1998; Curtis et al., 2006).”
BackgroundSharma, M., Mitnala, S., Vishnubhotla, R., Mukherjee, R., Reddy, D. N., & Rao, P. N. (2015) · Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology · doi:10.1016/j.jceh.2015.02.002 · Cited by 154
“The intestinal microbiome is composed of bacteria, viruses, yeast and archae.(144,145) Recently, there has been a growing body of evidence that implicate gut microbiota in NAFLD and its progression to NASH.”
BackgroundBiogenic methane in shale gas and coal bed methane: A review of current knowledge and gaps
Colosimo, F., Thomas, R., Lloyd, J. R., Taylor, K. G., Boothman, C., Smith, A. D., Lord, R., & Kalin, R. M. (2016) · International Journal of Coal Geology · doi:10.1016/j.coal.2016.08.011 · Cited by 156
“It has been suggested that the biomass into the deep biosphere constitutes one-tenth (Parkes et al., 2000), or even one-third (Whitman et al., 1998) of the total global, living biomass.”
BackgroundOrellana, L. H., Chee‐Sanford, J. C., Sanford, R. A., Löffler, F. E., & Konstantinidis, K. T. (2017) · Applied and Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1128/aem.01646-17 · Cited by 148
“soil ecosystems has been extensively reported (3, 4), the dynamics of microbial communities responding to seasonal agricultural perturbations (e.”
BackgroundGlacier ice archives nearly 15,000-year-old microbes and phages
Zhong, Z.-P., Tian, F., Roux, S., Gazitúa, M. C., Solonenko, N., Li, Y.-F., Davis, M. E., Etten, J. L. V., Mosley‐Thompson, E., Rich, V. I., et al. (2021) · Microbiome · doi:10.1186/s40168-021-01106-w · Cited by 157
“These studies revealed microbial cell concentrations of 10(2) to 10(4) cells ml in most glacier-ice samples [4], which are several orders of magnitude lower than other environments such as seawater or soils [7].”
BackgroundDeep subseafloor microbial cells on physiological standby
Jørgensen, B. B. (2011) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1115421108 · Cited by 141
“M icroscopic counts of microbial cells in deep sediment cores retrieved by scientific ocean drilling have revealed the largest living ecosystem on earth: the deep biosphere (1, 2).”
BackgroundBrown, E. M., McTaggart, L. R., Zhang, S. X., Low, D. E., Stevens, D. A., & Richardson, S. E. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0059237 · Cited by 148
The human microbiome and bile acid metabolism: Dysbiosis, dysmetabolism, disease and intervention
Jones, M. L., Martoni, C. J., Ganopolsky, J. G., Labbé, A., & Prakash, S. (2014) · Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy · doi:10.1517/14712598.2014.880420 · Cited by 150
“All surfaces of the human body that are exposed to the environment are colonized, including skin, respiratory system, urogenital tract and gastrointestinal (GI) tract, totaling at least 100 trillion microbial cells [6].”
BackgroundA physiological perspective on the origin and evolution of photosynthesis
Martin, W. F., Bryant, D. A., & Beatty, J. T. (2017) · FEMS Microbiology Reviews · doi:10.1093/femsre/fux056 · Cited by 158
Einen, J., Thorseth, I. H., & Øvreås, L. (2008) · FEMS Microbiology Letters · doi:10.1111/j.1574-6968.2008.01119.x · Cited by 147
The Genomic Enzymology of Antibiotic Resistance
Morar, M., & Wright, G. D. (2010) · Annual Review of Genetics · doi:10.1146/annurev-genet-102209-163517 · Cited by 159
Milici, M., Deng, Z.-L., Tomasch, J., Decelle, J., Wos‐Oxley, M. L., Wang, H., Jáuregui, R., Plumeier, I., Giebel, H., Badewien, T. H., et al. (2016) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2016.00649 · Cited by 146
“In the ocean, prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) are the most abundant living organisms, with an average of 5 × 10 5 cells per milliliter of sea water on the continental shelf but also in the upper 200 m of the oceanic water column (Whitman et al., 1998).”
BackgroundMicrobial community diversity in seafloor basalt from the Arctic spreading ridges
Lysnes, K., Thorseth, I. H., Steinsbu, B. O., Øvreås, L., Torsvik, T., & Pedersen, R. B. (2004) · FEMS Microbiology Ecology · doi:10.1016/j.femsec.2004.06.014 · Cited by 155
“stutzeri are common constituents of laboratory water supply [61–63] and have repeatedly been found to contaminate low-biomass samples [2,61].”
BackgroundA Starving Majority Deep Beneath the Seafloor
Jørgensen, B. B., & D'Hondt, S. L. (2006) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1133796 · Cited by 146
Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents: Potential Hot Spots for Natural Products Discovery?
Thornburg, C. C., Zabriskie, T. M., & McPhail, K. L. (2010) · Journal of Natural Products · doi:10.1021/np900662k · Cited by 149
Soil Microbial Community Responses to a Decade of Warming as Revealed by Comparative Metagenomics
Luo, C., Rodriguez‐R, L. M., Johnston, E. R., Wu, L., Cheng, L., Xue, K., Tu, Q., Deng, Y., He, Z., Shi, Z. J., et al. (2013) · Applied and Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1128/aem.03712-13 · Cited by 153
Carbonate Mineral Precipitation for Soil Improvement Through Microbial Denitrification
Hamdan, N., Kavazanjian, E., Rittmann, B. E., & Karatas, I. (2016) · Geomicrobiology Journal · doi:10.1080/01490451.2016.1154117 · Cited by 147
“Estimates suggest that nearly half of the Earth’s biomass is comprised of microorganisms found in the subsurface and oceanic subsurface (Whitman et al. 1998).”
BackgroundChemical Challenges to Bacterial AHL Signaling in the Environment
Decho, A. W., Frey, R. L., & Ferry, J. L. (2010) · Chemical Reviews · doi:10.1021/cr100311q · Cited by 146
Hu, P., Tom, L., Singh, A., Thomas, B., Baker, B., Piceno, Y., Andersen, G., & Banfield, J. (2016) · mBio · doi:10.1128/mbio.01669-15 · Cited by 135
Microbial competition in porous environments can select against rapid biofilm growth
Coyte, K. Z., Tabuteau, H., Gaffney, E. A., Foster, K. R., & Durham, W. M. (2016) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1525228113 · Cited by 146
“The overwhelming majority of bacteria live in porous environments between the particles that compose soil, aquifers, and sediments, and cumulatively comprise roughly half of the carbon within living organisms globally (8).”
BackgroundEnergy and carbon metabolisms in a deep terrestrial subsurface fluid microbial community
Momper, L., Jungbluth, S. P., Lee, M., & Amend, J. P. (2017) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1038/ismej.2017.94 · Cited by 143
“Early estimates of terrestrial subsurface cells were on the order of 0.25–2.5 × 1030 (Whitman et al., 1998).”
BackgroundInfluentialMetagenomics of extreme environments
Cowan, D. A., Ramond, J., Makhalanyane, T. P., & Maayer, P. D. (2015) · Current Opinion in Microbiology · doi:10.1016/j.mib.2015.05.005 · Cited by 148
Airborne desert dust and aeromicrobiology over the Turkish Mediterranean coastline
Griffin, D. W., Kubilay, N., Koçak, M., Gray, M., Borden, T. C., & Shinn, E. A. (2007) · Atmospheric Environment · doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.01.023 · Cited by 147
“At estimates of 10(9) bacteria and 10(6) fungi per gram of top soil it should not be surprising that when soil is mobilized into the atmosphere by storm activity, concentrations of airborne microorganisms increase in the environment and later in the downwind regions (Tate, 2000; Whitman et al., 1998).”
A metagenomic window into carbon metabolism at 3 km depth in Precambrian continental crust
Magnabosco, C., Ryan, K., Lau, M. C. Y., Kuloyo, O., Lollar, B. S., Kieft, T. L., van Heerden, E., & Onstott, T. C. (2015) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1038/ismej.2015.150 · Cited by 148
“…the habitable, yet carbon poor, regions of the deep continental crust and the previous estimates of subsurface microbial turnover times (1–2 × 103 years; Whitman et al., 1998), the deep continental subsurface microbial carbon metabolism requires reevaluation from an interdisciplinary perspective.”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Whitman, W. B., Coleman, D. C., & Wiebe, W. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Georgia (US)
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 1998-06-09
- Volume
- 95
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 6578-6583
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC33863
- OpenAlex
- W2118001436
- Semantic Scholar
- 321e4c5e6031364c39db3cfdb151dcc2deaac1ba
- Cited by
- 4,871
- References
- 92
- Citations by year
- 2026: 86 · 2025: 134 · 2024: 159 · 2023: 220 · 2022: 190 · 2021: 252 · 2020: 223 · 2019: 238 · 2018: 273 · 2017: 251 · 2016: 281 · 2015: 282 · 2014: 311 · 2013: 252 · 2012: 238
- FWCI
- 6.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine Plankton and Biogeochemistry
- Keywords
- prokaryotes, nitrogen, phosphorus, open ocean, soil, subsurface environments, genetic diversity
- MeSH terms
- Prokaryotic Cells
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
