O le uiga tonu o nei catabolic tali e eseese mai meaola, ma meaola e mafai ona faavasegaina e faavae i luga o latou punaoa o le malosi ma carbon (la latou vaega nutritional autu), e pei ona faaalia i le laulau o loo i lalo. e faaaogaina molecules faatulagaina o se puna o le malosi e organotrophs, ao lithotrophs faaaogaina substrates inorganic, ma phototrophs puʻe susulu o le la e pei o le malosi o vailaau. Ae peitai, o nei eseese uma o metabolism faalagolago i redox tali e aofia ai le faaliliuina atu o electrons mai molecules foai faaitiitia e pei o molecules vai, ammonium sulfide, nitric oxide po o molecules ferrous i le molecules sulfate?
faʻaleagaina ma le faʻamaʻaina