The degradation of carbohydrates to CO2 and water is the most common of these catabolic processes, but a far wider range of reduced carbon compounds can be utilized by microorganisms in this way.

• 其中碳水化合物降解成二氧化碳和水是最常见的分解代谢，降解的碳化合物可以被进一步被微生物通过这种方法利用。