Polyphagii azotogens

Polyphagii azotogens
Creator	HorrortheTerror
Information
Status	Extant
Zones	25, 27, 29
Roles	Decomposer
Classification
Genus	Polyphagii
Species	Polyphagii azotogens
Evolution
Date	May 28th, 2020
Ancestor	Polyphagii duocytus
Descendants	No results

Length:20-30μm
Polyphagii duocytus was able disperse into the channel between North and South Etelama, where the conditions were milder and there was a greater abundance of organic matter because of the less extreme winter. They soon adapted to novel conditions and took the vacant niche of an anaerobic decomposer within the zone.
As the only other decomposer within the zone was the ammonia-oxidizing generation of Noflava disprus, which specializes on muscal waste, this left P. azotogens as the sole decomposer of polyph matter, though it can decompose muscal matter if avaliable.

As a result of N. disprus' heavy uptake of ammonia and the lower concentration of nitrogen within polyph matter P. azotogens would experience nitrogen deficits and as a result has developed a method of nitrogen fixation to combat this. By modifying a hydrogenase enzyme present within the fermentative generation P. azotogens is able to react inert atmospheric nitrogen with the unstable high energy hydrogen gas that it produces to form ammonia which is used by the methanogenic generation. The process does consume energy which limits its growth and reproductive rates.

Like its ancestor, P. azotogens alternates between 2 metabolisms with each generation: a fermentative generation that depolymerizes and ferments organics and a methanogenic generation that metabolizes the byproducts of the previous generation. The fermentative generation is also the generation that fixes nitrogen.

Like their ancestor, P. azotogens possesses a nucleus, vacuoles, organelles that facilitates their metabolism, a cell wall, as well as a flagella and microvilli. Their reproductive rates are variable, averaging at 60 minutes per cycle, but they slower reproduce than their ancestor in low population densities due to the less extremophilic conditions within zone 29 and the strain that it incurs on them. They also no longer produce antifreeze compounds and osmoconform to tolerate the higher osmolarity.