1. Soil Populations Flashcards
What is decomposition?
The breakdown of organic materials into nutrients available for uptake
What is mineralization?
Process of converting organic materials, such as animal fecal materials/dead plants + animals, to inorganic materials
What is a soil macronutrient?
A mineral used in large quantities by plants
What does anaerobic mean?
Lacking in oxygen
What is a fungus?
A eukaryotic microorganism; yeast/mold
What is an actinomycete?
Gram-positive bacterium characterized by threadlike growth
What is a bacterial growth curve?
Graphical representation of how a bacterial population in a closed system progresses over time
What is a viable count?
An estimate of the # of living cells in a microbial population
What is a solute?
Substance that is dissolved/dispersed in a liquid
What is a solvent?
Liquid in which a solute is dissolved/dispersed
What is serial dilution? What is it used for?
A dilution of a substance in a solution
Used to reduce a dense culture of cells to a usable conc. level that allows for quantification of cell populations.
What is the spread plate technique used for?
Technique used for isolating + counting the viable microorganisms present in a sample
What is pH?
Quantitive measure of the acidity/basicity of aqueous or other liquid solutions
What is a colony? Where do bacteria grow?
A visible mass of microorganisms all originating from a single mother cell
Bacteria grow on solid media as colonies!
