Lecture 1: Food is an Ecosystem Flashcards
explain the general cycle of a pond ecosystem
- producers (rooted plants) as well as phytoplankton
- consumed as food-nutrients by primary consumers ie zooplankton
- then primary consumers are cosumeed by secondary consumers ie fish
- secondary consumers consumed by tertiary consumers ie. turtle.
- when any consumer dies, secretes feces etc then it gets broken down by bacteria & fungi creating sediments
- sediments may then be reintroduced and can contain dissolved chemicals
what is an ecosystem?
is a series of interactions between the environment and the organisms that inhabit it
food ecosystems like all ecosystems are impacted by?
the generation and utilization of energy
T or F: the human & animal GI tracks are also ecosystems
True
T or F: food ecosystems affect host ecosystems and may result in illness
T
food ecosystems are composed of what 2 factors? explain
They are composed of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors are factors that are inherent to the food’ (pH, water activity, nutrients) and extrinsic factors are external to the food (temp and gaseous atmosphere). Both factors may change over time as bacteria grow and produce bi-products.
What are the 4 main bacterial growth and division requirements?
- bacteria must have a carbon for building the array of chemical substances of which they are composed.
- bacteria must have source of energy for living (catabolism)
- bacteria must have a source of electrons to be used in energy conservation and biosynthetic reactions.
- bacteria must have an electron acceptor
how can bacteria be classified based on their ability to obtain carbon?
- Autotrophic: carbon from CO2 trough carbon fixation
- Heterotrophic: carbon from organic compounds
- Mixotrophic: can combine auto and heterotrophy
what are the different types of ways bacteria can perform catabolism (obtain energy)?
- chemotrophic: energy is obtained from external chemical compounds
- phototrophic: energy is obtained from light.
autotrophic
carbon obtained from CO2 trough carbon fixation
Heterotrophic
carbon obtained from organic compounds
Mixotrophic
Can combine auto and heterotrophy
What are the two different ways bacteria can obtain a source of electrons to be used in energy conservation and biosynthetic reactions?
- lithotrophic: reducing come from inorganic compounds
2. organotrophic: reducing equivalents come from organic compounds
use oxygen as a terminal electron acceptor
aerobic organisms
use organic carbon as a terminal electron acceptor
fermentation ie anaerobes
what are facultative anaerobes?
organism can grow with or without oxygen
what are examples of unusual forms of fermentation?
succinate and oxalate
succinate and oxalate fermentation are very high/low energy yielding
low
what are the other important types of anaerobic terminal electron acceptors?
Denitrification- nitrate as an electron acceptor
Sulfate Reduction – sulfate as an electron acceptor
Acetogenesis – CO2 as an electron acceptor
Ferric Iron, Manganic ion, and Arsenate can also be used as terminal electron acceptors
lactic acid bacteria
produce relatively large quantities of lactic acid from carbs
ex of LAB
lactobacillus in yogurt
proteolytic bacteria
hydrolyse proteins in food because they produce extracellular proteinases (clostridium botulinum)
lipolytic bacteria
hydrolyse triglycerides because they produce extracellular lipases