Biotransformations of Carbon

Abstract

Biotransformations of organic matter are ubiquitous processes occurring in hydrosphere and geosphere that are key in the environmental fate of organic pollutants. These biotic reactions may be of varios types: oxidation, hydroxylation, reduction, dehalogenation, ring cleavage and dealkylation. Generally, a biotransformation lead to a structural simplification of the organic compound, in which case it is called biodegradation. This mind map shows the characteristics of each type of biotransformation and some examples, as well as its environmental importance.