Intro To Microbiology Flashcards
Why are microbes important in soil?
It is important in decomposition of organic matter
What is ubiquity?
Everywhere
What are two microbes found in soil?
Saprophytes and acids
What are the recycler microbes?
Saprophytes
What are saprophytes?
They convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that can be used by plants
What would happen without saprophytes?
Plants would deplete nitrogen from the soil
What makes dirt?
Acids produced my microbes aid in dissolving rocks and helps form new soil
What is an important source of photosynthesis?
Water
What are microbes considered as in terms of the food chain?
The beginning
What is Unpurified water considered as?
A vector or reservoir for diseases
Why are microbes beneficial for sewage treatment?
They decompose organic matter
What are three classifications of microbes?
Beneficial, opportunistic, pathogenic
What are four ways humans have utilized microbes?
Food production
Engineered products
Genetic engineering
Research tools
What are three types of microorganisms?
Bacteria
Fungi
Protozoan
What are two types of bacteria?
Procaryotes
Archaea
What do prokaryotes have that archaea lack?
Prokaryote cell walls have peptidoglycan
What are prokaryotes?
Normal flora can be found on skin and GI tracts. Usually beneficial or harmless.
What are pathogens?
Microbes capable of causing disease
Where can archaea be found?
In deep seas in hydrothermal vents and mountain tops (glacier surface, active to just below freezing)
What are three types of fungi?
Yeast, dermatophytes, mushrooms
What are two examples of Protozoa?
Giardiasis sp. and babesia spp.
What are algae important for?
Photosynthesis
What type of medication is the most prescribed?
Antibiotics
