The Little Big History of Alkaline Batteries
Biology of Batteries
- Microbiologists, at the University of Massachusetts, discovered a type of bacteria of the family Geobacteraceae in the ocean. These bacteria produce electricity by creating a stream of electrons. This type of bacteria breaks down organic matter on the seafloor to get energy. After that, they create a stream of electrons which could be channeled to create electricity.
- Also, these bacteria have shown the ability to degrade toxic organic compounds, such as benzene, by converting them to carbon dioxide and other benign wastes.
- If enough of these bacteria can be used as an efficient battery, then it would be an alternative to alkaline batteries that is environmentally safe.
Image: http://science1.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2004/05/18/18may_wastenot_resources/geobacter1.jpg