Micro Lecture Exam 2 Flashcards
Microbial Nutrition, Ecology, and Growth
two categories of essential nutrients
Macronutrients, micronutrients /trace elements
How do microbes survive environments?
Adaption-the-gradual process
Difference between macro & micro nutrients
Macro plays role in cell structure and metabolism and micro is involved in enzyme function and maintenance of protein structure
categorization of nutrients by carbon content?
organic and inorganic
Examples of organic and inorganic nutrients
Inorganic - water, metals, salts, gases
Organic - methane, carbs, lipids, proteins
chemical analysis of microbial cytoplasm
70% water & proteins
What are the 6 elements 96% of a cell is composed of?
SPONCH
The main determinants of a microbes nutritional type?
carbon and energy
Carbon sources
Heterotroph (dependent on other living things) & autotroph (self feeder CO2)
Energy sources
Chemotroph (chemical compounds) & Phototrophs (photosynthesis)
Photoautotrophs
use sunlight for energy and CO2 in the atmosphere to make organic compounds
Photoheterotrophs
use sunlight for energy and relies on organic compounds for carbon
Chemoautotrophs
use chemical compounds for energy and CO2 in the atmosphere to make organic compounds
Chemoheterotrophs
use chemical compounds for energy and relies on consuming organic compounds for carbon
lithoautotrophs
relies totally on inorganic materials and no sunlight
Saprobes
organisms that obtain nutrients by decomposing dead organic matter
Name the mineral ions and what their function
Calcium - stabilizer of the cell wall
Sodium - Cell transport
Potassium - protein synthesis & membrane function
Iron - cell respiration
Magnesium - in chlorophyll and stabilizes membrane & ribosomes
Zinc - eukaryotic genetics
Sodium Potassium Pump
3 sodium + 1 ATP - ADP = P - 3 sodium + 2 K+ - P
Environmental factors to have most effect on microbial growth
Temp, pH, O2 and CO2, and pressure
3 groups of Prokaryotes based on optimum temp
Psychrophiles, mesophiles, thermophiles
Psychrophiles
Optimum temp <15 degrees C; capable of growth at 0 degrees C
Mesophiles
Optimum temp = 20-40 degrees C (68-104 degrees F); most human pathogens (human temp is 37 degrees C)
Thermophiles
optimum temp >45 degrees C (113 degrees F)
Facultative
an organism that can grow under different conditions
Extremely reactive; produced by phagocytes to kill invading bacteria
Singlet oxygen, superoxide ion, peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals
^1 O_2
Singlet Oxygen
O_2-
Superoxide ion
H_2 O_2
Peroxide
OH-
Hydroxyl radicals
Name the enzymes that neutralize the chemicals so the cells are safe from ultimate destruction
Superoxide dismutase & catalase
Obligate aerobes
prokaryote the cannot grow without O2
Facultative anaerobes
Prokaryotes that utilize O2 by can also grow without it (many gram - intestinal bacteria)
Microaerophilic
Prokaryotes that only need a small amount of O2 (lives in host, water so that way they arent exposed to atmosphere)
Obligate anaerobes
Prokaryotes that lack the enyzmes to detoxify O2 so therefore cannot survive in an O2 environment (many oral & intestinal bacteria)
Aerotolerant anaerobes
Prokaryotes that do not utilize O2 but can survive and grow in its presence
Thioglycollate test
A medium test for anaerobic and aerobic bacteria; anaerobic floats to bottom and aerobic floats to top
Capnophiles
Grow best at higher CO2 tension
Alkalophiles
grow best >8.5pH
Neutrophiles
grows 5-8 pH but 7 is optimal
Acidophiles
grows best <5.5 pH
Osmophiles
Lives in habitat with high solute concentration
Halophiles
Osmophiles that prefer high concentrations of salt
Barophiles
Microorganisms that can handle extreme pressure e.g. deep sea creatures
Ecological associations among microorganisms
Either symbiotic or non-symbiotic
Symbiotic
organisms that live together in close partnership
3 types: mutualism, commensalism, parasitism
Mutalism
Obligatory, dependent; both members benefit
Commensalism
one member benefits while the other member is not harmed
Parasitism
parasite is dependent and benefits while the other member (the host) is harmed
Non-symbiotic
organisms are free-living and relationship is not required for survival
2 types: Synergism & Antagonism
Synergism
Syntrophy; members cooperate to produce a result that none of them could do alone
Antagonism
Amensalism; actions of one organism that affects the success/survival of others in the same community (competition)
Symbiosis
A close partnership between individuals from two species that may be helpful, harmful, or neither to either member
Binary fission
parent cell enlarges, duplicates its chromosome, and forms a protein central transverse septum dividing the cell into two identical daughter cells
Generation/Doubling time
the length of time of a microbial species needs to divide
The Growth Curve
4 phases:
Lag - production & preparation before division
Log/Exponential - cells are dividing at constant rate
Stationary - rate of cell growth = rate of cell death
Death - more cells die due to lack of nutrients
Exponential Growth Equation
Original # of cells in the population (N _i) X # of generations (2^n) = # of cells in a population at this point in time (N_t)
N = starting number
Turbidity
degree of cloudiness reflects the relative population size
Viable/Standard Plate Count technique
traditional method used to observe population growth pattern where 1 colony represents 1 cell or CFU
CFU
Colony Forming Unit
Direct Cell Count
count all cells present, automated (Coulter counter) or manual
Genetic probing
A variation of Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that can quantify bacteria without isolating or culture