Biomining Takes Advantage of Prokaryotes Ability to ________ Metals

Question

Biomining takes advantage of prokaryotes ability to ________ metals.
A) reduce
B) reduce the solubility of
C) oxidize
D) directly solubilize
E) bioaccumulate

Accepted Answer

Biomining involves the use of microorganisms to oxidize or solubilize metals from ores. Prokaryotes like Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans are commonly used for biomining because they can oxidize metal sulfides, converting them to soluble metal sulfates. This makes the metals more accessible and easier to extract. Therefore, the correct answer is C) oxidize.