In swamps and bogs with very low dissolved oxygen in water, soils are low in inorganic nutrients required for plant growth because decomposition rates are very low. Microbes have evolved ways to use the available resources found in low oxygen environments. Given this, how should we classify a bacterium that makes ATP by breaking bonds in methane (CH4) and uses carbon in CO2 to make sugars?

a.      As chemoheterotrophs, because these bacteria are decomposers, so they get both their carbon and other nutrients from organic material.

b.      As chemoautotrophs, because the bacteria make their own sugars, and obtain energy from chemical compounds.

c.      As photoheterotrophs, because they use both sunlight energy & energy in organic molecules.

d.      As photoautotrophs, because these bacteria are photosynthetic.

e.      As photochemotrophs, because they get energy from sunlight and carbon from chemicals.