Savior of the 21st Century!? Tree-Loving Termites

Function

Termites are notorious for their voracious appetite for house pillars. Timber (like that used to build houses) is a termite’s favorite meal. Termites are capable of using the cellulose in wood and fallen leaves as a nutrient source. Many animals cannot extract any nutrition from cellulose, including human beings, who cannot digest the cellulose in vegetables and simply expel it as waste. Why are termites able to eat this material? The answer is the microorganisms living in their gut that digest the cellulose for them. Termites rely on these microorganisms inside them to do the difficult digestive work and provide a source of nutrients. Species of termites exist, however, that do not have these microorganisms. Instead, they receive a helping hand from fungi. The termites construct “fungus gardens” on top of their intended meal (fungi can also digest cellulose). The fungus breaks down some of the cellulose in the woody material, creating an easy and nutritious meal for the termites.

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Form/Organization/System:
Decomposition

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Proposals of Applied Technology

The process by which the symbiotic microorganisms decompose cellulose produces not only acetic acid, which the termites absorb, but also hydrogen and carbon dioxide as by-products. Kitasato University professor emeritus Fumiaki Taguchi has investigated hydrogen production using enteric microorganisms from termites, and this research is advancing the development of technology to produce hydrogen from compost piles. A deeper understanding of the way termites digest and obtain nutrients from cellulose may enable humans to also use cellulose to produce food or energy.

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