1 - Introduction to Microbiology Flashcards
Three domains
Archaea
Bacteria
Eukarya
Bacteria info
1-6 micrometers long
Mostly very small, can be some that are visible to naked eye
Archaea info
Can be extremophiles - can grow in extreme conditions
No known pathogenic archaea
Fungi info
Eukaryotic microbes
Size varies enormously
Commonly found with spores
Protists info
Very diverse - most eukaryotes are protists
Size range - 1-150 micrometers
Different types of microorganisms
Bacteria
Archaea
Fungi
Protozoa
Significance of microorganisms in global biomass
4-6 x 10^30 microbial cells in earth estimated
Microbial carbon equals that of all plants
Microbial Nitrogen and Phosphorous is 10x that of plant biomass
Bacteria and Archaea:
Major portion of biomass on Earth
Key reservoirs of nutrients for all life
Five kingdoms
Plants
Fungi
Animal
Protists
Bacteria
Distribution/abundance of microorganisms (not in size order)
Cloud water (least abundant
Seawater
Soil
Rivers and lakes
Marine subsurface
Human cells and bacteria in humans (most)
Why so many microorganisms
Rapid growth rate in environment
Many changes of speciation through random mutations
Exchange of genetic material (lateral gene transfer)
Every available niche is occupied by specifically adaptations microbes
A very long evolutionary history (3.8 billion years)
Phototroph def
Converts light energy to chemical, usable energy for organism
Chemotroph def
Utilise energy from chemical bonds, breaking them open to convert energy
Organotroph
Organic compounds as electron donors
Lithotroph
Inorganic compounds as electron donors
Autotrophs
CO2 as a carbon source