Abstract
The balances of reductivity and high‐energy bonds (HEB) during microbial growth on glucose (a standard substrate), methanol, and ethanol are reported. Also, numerical values for the quantities of HEB formation in the respiratory metabolism, HEB consumption in the constructive metabolism, as well as in a number of the other intracellular processes are evaluated. Estimations of maximum cell yields by mass and energy are made during growth on methanol and ethanol with regard to peculiar features of different microbe metabolism.