Lecture 2 Whyte Flashcards
What are organic pollutants?
They contain carbon, ex: DDT and oil
Name some abiotic degradation mechanisms:
- photochemical (sunlight very good at degrading hydrocarbons)
- chemical (oxidation/reduction)
- mechanical (waves, storms, winds) - wind, water, mixing, dilution
What are microorganisms the most important in pollutant degradation?
Because they are responsible for 90-95% of the biodegradation
What does mineralization mean?
Converting organic compounds to CO2
Modification or transformation:
product may be more or less of a pollution problem
Microbiology is the study of __________
bacteria
Microscopic:
- plant and animals (including protozoa)
- bacteria
- fungi
- archaea
- viruses and prions
Thiomargarita namibiensis:
- some type of sulfur metabolism
- anaerobic uses nitrate as an electron acceptor
Leadership, predominant influence or domination of esp. as exercised by one nation over others :
Hegemony
T or F: Over 50% of the global biomass is ____________
microbial
Leadership, supremacy of microbial:
extraordinary metabolic capacity!
How old is the earth?
4.5 billion years old
Microbes have been around for about ______, over that time they have been exposed ti every imaginable organic compound and environment
3-4 billion years
T or F: Microorganisms have a complex metabolic process that has evolved over time
T
T or F: 99% of microbial species have never been cultured
T
4.5 billion years ago theres was no free ____ in the atmosphere
O2
Oxygen occured in the atmosphere when cyanobacteria came up with ____________
oxygenic photosynthesis
T or F: eukaryotic cells have organelles and nucleus
T
Bacteria have been on Earth for ____ billion years
3.5
Cyanobacteria are capable of:
- photosynthesis
- nitrogen fixation
Stromatolites =
cyanobacteria-like microfossils
In 1g of soil you can find ________ cells and _______ species
10^8-10^9
10,000+