BNS-1002 microbes Flashcards
what is microbiology about
understanding basic life processes
applying our understanding of microbiology for the benefits of humans
name 3 areas where microorganisms impact human affairs
agriculture energy/environment disease food biotechnology
what roles do microorganisms play in agriculture (3)
nitrogen fixation
nutrient cycling
animal husbandry
what roles do microorganisms play in energy/environment
biofuels
fermentation
bioremediation
microbial mining
what roles do microorganisms play in disease
identifying new diseases
treatment, cure and prevention
what role do microorganisms play in food
food preservation
fermented foods
food additives
what role do microorganisms play in biotechnology
genetically modified organisms
production of pharmaceuticals
gene therapy for certain diseases
what is the importance of microorganisms in the biosphere
they pervasively and profoundly affect the entire biosphere
they regulate global and local biogeochemical processes
what organisms were the first form of life
microorganisms were the first formsof life on earth
what % of humans
are microbial
what do microorganisms do in the human gut
they digest much of our food intake and release its nutrients in forms we can assimilate and utilise
what do microorganisms provide that humans cannot make themselves
they provide essential vitamins amino acids and other micronutrients we cannot make ourselves
how are microorganisms harmful to humans
virulence factors
invasiveness
toxicity
tissue damage
how do microorganisms help in agrictulre
protecting and promoting growth of crop plants
digestion process in ruminant animals
how do microorganisms help in production of cheese and yogurt
lactic acid fermentation produces cheese and yogurt
some fungi make cheese turn blue
how do microorganisms help in production of bread and dough production and alcohol production
yeast is used to make bread and dough products
yeast is also used in alcohol production when fermentation occurs in anaerobic conditions
what do microorganisms do in medicine and energy production (4)
they assist in the production of pharmaceuticals
production of diverse chemicals and biomaterials
energy production
treatment of waste streams and bioremediation of polluted sites and many others
what is the 3 domain system based on
results from molecular biology particularly from comparison of sequences of nucleic acid bases in ubiquitous gene 16s rRNA
what are the 3 domains
archaea
bacteria
eukarya
what size are most of bacteria and archaea
most bacteria and archaea are between 1 and 5 micrometres in length
what is the diameter of the smallest eukaryote
1 micrometre in diameter
name 3 features of bacterial cell structure
they are small unicellular prokaryotes
they are 1-10 micrometres across
they do not have a nucleus or membrane bound organelles
what are the macromolecules in bacteria
proteins
nucleic acids
polysaccharides
lipids
what are polysaccharides and lipids in bacteria
storage molecules
what structures are made from protein in bacteria
nucleoid
ribosomes
what is the cell membrane
lipid and protein layer surrounding the cytoplasm
what is the cell wall
rigid outer layer of the cell
what is the nuclear material
the hereditary material, DNA
what is the cytoplasm
contains organelles, enzymes and chemicals
