Microbial Ecology Flashcards
What are biochemical cycles?
The movement of chemical elements through the biological and geological world
What do bacteria do in recycling?
Break down chemical substances into simpler compounds or elements.
What is mineralization?
conversion of organic matter to minerals and other inorganic materials.
What are the major elements of bacteria?
C,N,S,P,O,and H.
What are the minor elements of bacteria?
Mg K Na
What are trace elements of Bacteria?
Al Cu Zn
What is the most important element in the biosphere?
carbon
Where is the earth’s carbon stored?
as fossil fuels, coal, peat, oil and natural gas.
What is the carbon source?
carbon dioxide , from photosynthesis and waste product of respiration
What is carbon transformation/
Primary producers fix carbon dioxide, including plants, algae, cyanobacteria, phototropic bacteria
How is fized carbon returned to the atmosphere?
as CO2, in one of 3 ways, respiration, food for herbivores and carnivores, decomposition of dead tissues.
What are types of primary producers?
Photoautotrophic , Chemoautotrophic, Heterotrophic, Methanogen
What is a photoautotrophic bacteria?
Photoautotrophic bacteria fix CO2 via the Calvin cycle and by a reversal of the TCA cycle. This reversal of the TCA cycle occurs in the Green sulfur bacteria
What is a chemoautotrophic bacteria?
Chemoautotrophic bacteria, derive their energy from the oxidation of chemical compounds, NH3, CH4, H2S. Small % of CO2 fixation.
What is a heterotrophic bacteria?
Heterotrophic CO2 fixation, synthesis of the intermediates of the TCA cycle
What is a methanogens bacteria?
Methanogens, reduce CO2 to CH4. This occurs via several steps
What are herbivores and carnivores?
Herbivores consume organic material formed from CO2 fixation, and then become food sources for carnivores.
How is cellulose decomposed?
Cellulose is hydrolyzed to glucose. Plant cell wall cellulose degraded by many different types of bacteria. Breakdown of the beta 1,4 linkages, Rumen stomach.
How is chitin decomposed?
Chitin, poly N-acetlyglucosamine, found in insect exoskeleton, hydrolyzed by chitanases mainly Streptomyces.
How is synthetic carbon compounds decomposed?
Synthetic carbon compounds degraded by specialized bacteria, ie Pseudomonads