BLOCK 1 BIO6 Flashcards
Do all niches on the planet harbour microorganisms?
Microorganisms are found in almost every niche on the planet.
They inhabit soil, water, air, extreme environments, hosts, and subsurface environments.
Widespread Distribution:
From oceans to mountains, microorganisms have colonized a wide range of habitats.
Crucial Roles: They play essential roles in nutrient cycling, decomposition, atmospheric processes, and host health.
Name three groups of microorganisms
Three groups are:
Viruses
Prokaryotes:
- Bacteria, Archaea
Eukaryotes:
-Fungi(mold, yeast)
-Algae
-Protzoa
How do bacteria proliferate?
By repetitively proceeding through the cell cycle in coordination with an increase in cell mass
How is bacterial growth rate calculated
Exponetial phase of growth: N(t) = N0 * e^(µ(t-t0))
Specific growth rate (µ): rate of increase of cells per biomass (h-1)
N = number of cells at time t, N0 = number of cells at time 0
Thus µ = (ln(N) – ln(N0)) / (t-t0) OR (if in log): µ = ((log(N) - log(N0)) * 2.303 )/ (t-t0)
What do bacteria and archae have in common (as opposed to eukaryotes)
They are both Prokaryotes
Prokaryotic cells are much smaller than eukaryotic cells, have no nucleus, and lack organelles
How can CO2 absorption of the ocean be facilitated?
Iron fertilization for incresse growth of Algal and incresse the CO2 capture
What are (som of the) adverse effects of microorganisms?
The negative impacts they can have on various aspects of life
- Food Spoilage/Food decay
- Infectious Diseases
- Water Contamination
Name some (biotechnological) uses of microorganisms
Biofuel Production
Production of Enzymes
Fermentation
Biofertilizers
What is meant by synthetic biology?
Combines engineering principles with existing biotechnology techniques, such as DNA sequencing and genome editing, to modify organisms or create new ones
How do bacteria evolve (so rapidly)?
Short Generation Time: Bacteria reproduce quickly
If Large Population Sizes: Population sizes increase the probability of beneficial mutations arising
Why do bacteria become antibiotic resistant?
Mutations occurring during cell replication may result in antimicrobial resistance.
This can then be vertically transmitted through replication. Antimicrobial resistance can also be acquired through horizontal gene transfer: by transformation (uptake of DNA), transduction (by phages) or conjugation (plasmids)
A mutation may cause a change in the target (e.g., the ribosome), the cell may express efflux pumps, or produce enzymes that degrade (or chemically alter) the antibiotic
How and where can new antibiotics be discovered?
Two options for interfering with virulence are:
Blocking the bacterial communication (quorum sensing) that often is involved in virulence expression
Nanobodies are small antibodies that are easy to produce and that typically resist proteolytic degradation. Such nanobodies can be developed targeting specific virulence factors (toxins or attachment pili)
