El oxígeno es un elemento que presenta un perfil con doble efecto fisiológico; es esencial para el desarrollo de la vida aerobia y posee efectos tóxicos inherentes a su estructura. Del oxígeno se derivan moléculas inestables denominadas radicales libres que pueden causar daño a nivel celular, cuando se pierde el equilibrio entre dichas moléculas y el sistema de defensa antioxidante que poseen los seres vivos, generando así lo que se denomina estrés oxidativo. Dicho mecanismo posee una estrecha relación con el desarrollo y evolución de una gran variedad de procesos degenerativos, enfermedades y síndromes. Su estudio se ha centrado principalmente en el conocimiento de los mecanismos de su génesis y las formas de; atenuar, disminuir o contrarrestarlas, por medio de los sistemas de defensa antioxidante que posee la célula y la forma de controlar los radicales libres que se generan de forma normal y continua en el organismo resultado de algunos procesos celulares como el relacionado con el metabolismo oxidativo de la mitocondria, proceso necesario para la obtención de ATP.

An alternative to diminish the environmental contamination generated by the use of chemical substances when heavy metals in the mining industry as well as the costs in chemical equipments are extracted is to use in this process microorganisms that have demonstrated this activity, denominated bioleaching. For this, is necessary to identify and to phenotyping these microorganisms. The objective of this project was to isolate and to phenotype obtained bioleaching microorganisms of four emerald mines of the department of Boyacá (Muzo, Coscuez, Chivor and Consorcio). The sampling was made in water and rock, main habitat of the bacteria that participate in the Bioleaching processes. The isolation was made previous preparation of each one of the samples, which seeded in culture means 9K, liquid and solid, and incubated by seven days to 37°C. showing physical changes in the color intensity and the aspect in culture means, which allows to be conceited that it has happened some action of the leaching bacteria on compounds of means. The microscopic observation demonstrated the presence of gram negative bacilli and crystals.On the other hand, the characteristic of being was confirmed acidophilic bacteria since its development was obtained to pH between 1 and 2,5. The results obtained in this study allowed to conclude that in these mines there is presence of bacterial organisms with morphology and compatible biochemical behavior with biolixiviantes bacteria of the Thiobacillus sort. The obtained isolation and fenotipificación in vitro open the possibility of establishing an optimal method for its conservation and later use in bioremediation processes.