In their work with soil bacteria, McInerney and colleagues have found microorganisms that display metabolic pathways with net $$\Delta$$ G values as small as -20 kJ/mol. This is an example of

A) the capacity of microorganisms to conquer a wide variety of environments.
B) microorganisms contradicting the laws of thermodynamics.
C) growth near thermodynamic equilibrium.
D) growth that depends on the concentration of reactants but not products.
E) enthalpic growth.