MICROBIAL GROUPS

Range of Microorganism

eukaryotes

fungus

characteristics

multicellular and multinucleated (except yeast)

spore-bearing organisms

absorptive heterotrophs

saprophytes

rigid cell wall (chitin)

no chlorophyll

types

chytrids (Chytridiomycota)

Neocallismastigales

obligate anaerobe

decompose cellulose

breakdown lignin deposits into smaller species

zygote (Zygomycota)

sac (Ascomycetes)

club (Basidiomycetes)

Feeding forms

Saprobic heetrotrophs

feed on dead or decaying organic matter

Parasitic heterotrophs

feeding on living hosts

Mutualistic heterotrophs

feeding of /living of without damaging the host --> host & fungi benefit

reproduction

sexual

condition change (unfavourable)

generate diversity diversification

division of parent cell

production new buds (yeast)

spore production (mitosis and cell division)

asexual

condition stable

maximise production

genetic diversitification (less urgent)

morphological and ecological grouping

mycorrhizae

mutualistic ( plant root & fungi)

benefits

plants

increase surface area

increase growth potential

fungi

feeding from tissues of the plants

lichen

association of fungus & photosynthetic symbiont --> thallus

involve ascomycete fungi (mostly) and basidiomycete

ecological role

primary succession

making abiotic world habitable to biotic world

sensitive environmental indicators

mycobiont

protection from sunlight and dessication

absorb nutrients

photobiont

synthesize organic nutrient from CO2

ecological impacts

decomposers

reduce complex polysaccharides & proteins

recycling carbon, nitrogen, & other elements to ecosystem

modify habitat

lichens - inhabit hospitable places --> make habitat suitable

spoilers

decompose food , wood, etc

improve plants growth

eg: micorrhizae

pathogens

causes athletes foot, ringworm, &yeast infection

produces natural carcinogen and aflatoxin

harmful to organism

slime/water molds

characteristic

resemble fungi (lifestyle & appearance)

differents in cellular organization,reproduction and life cycle

divisions

Acrasiomycota

celular slime molds

individual amoeboid cells

feed phagosytically

plentiful of food --> divide by food & cytokinesis

oomycota

true fungi in appearance => finely branced filaments (hyphae

sexual reproduction

decomposers in aquatic system

Myxomycota

plasmodials (acellular)

multinucleated

phagocytosized dead materials

saprophytes

glistening, viscous masses of slime

habitat

terrestrial habitat eg. soil, decaying wood, dung and etc

ecological function

engulf bacteria (predator)

decomposer & consumerin ecosystem

recycling of nutrients

cause disease in plantseg. tobacco plants, potatoes, grapes

algae

characteristic

simple "aquatic plants"

diffrences with other photosynthetic eukaryotes

lack vascular conducting system

simple reproductive structure

lack true leaves, roots, flowers & etc

photoautotrophics

distribution

primarily aquatics

Planktonic

suspended in aqueous environment

phytoplankton

benthic

attach & living on bottom of water

Neustonic

at water atmosphere interface

terrestrial

moist, rocks, trees, soils

endosymbionts in protozoa, worms, corals, fungi (lichens)

classification

cell wall

flagella number & location

chlorophyll & pigments

habitat

reproductive structures

nutrition

autotrophics

photoautotrophics

heterotrophs

chemoheterotrophs

Subtopic

reproduction

asexual

ex

thallus breakup --> fragmentation parts --> new thallus

spores

nor,mals vegetative cells or sporangia

flagellated motile spores = zoospores

non-motile spores = aplanospores

binary fission

nuclear division --> division of cytoplasm

sexual

oogenia (eggs) + antheridia (sperms) --> zygote

ecology

seaweed eg: Rhodophyta & phaeophyta algae

protozoa

characteristic

motile eucaryotics unicellular protist

nutrition

chemoheterotrophs

holozoic

solid nutrients --> phagocytosis --> cytostome

saprozoic

soluble nutrient --> pinocytosis --> diffusion, carrier mediated resonses

reproduction

asexual : binary fission

nucleus --> mitosis

cytoplasm --> cytokinesis

sexual: conjugation

habitat

moist habitat ( fershwater /marine)

some terrestrial (soil)

ecoological role

in marine food chain

eg: zooplankton ingest phytoplankton and bacteria

interaction with higher microorganism

parasitic relationship ( harm to host )

sporozoans: Plasmodium causes malaria

mutualistic relationship eq : with ruminants

degardation of fibrous plants materials

acts as barrier to passage of pathogens ( digestive tract of ruminant)

prokaryote

bacteria

characteristic

various morphology

cellular organizations

DNA not enclosed in membrane

no other membrane compartments

genome 1/1000 smaller than eucaryotic genome

reproduction

binary fission

shorter generation time

quick evolution

higher mutation rate

nutrition

photoautotrophs

chemotrophs

autotrophs

heterotrophs

ecological function

recycling of chemical compounts

convert inorganic materials to organic materials

convert organic materiaks to CO2

symbiotics relationship

Interactions: commensalism, parasitism, mutualism eg: N fixing bacteria provide source of N for plants

environmntal applications

bioremediations

remove dentrimental pollutants from the environment

viruses

characteristic

obligate intracellular parasites

cannot replicate outside the cells

presence of either DNA or RNA

inability to reproduce independent of cells

inability to carry out cell division as procaryotes and eucaryotes

viral replication

utilize host machinery & metabolism to reproduce

steps

attachment/ absorption = virus attached ti receptors on host cell walls

penetration = nucleic acid of the virus moves into cytoplasm of host cells

replication = virus induces host cell to synthesize components for its replications

asembly = newly synthesized viral components are assembled

release = assembled viruses are releaed

ecological function

mostly disease causing in human, animals & plants

eq HIV, smallpox, herpes simplex

biological walfare

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General Considerations of Microbial Features

microbial size

advantages of larger cell sizes

greater adaptability

gerater storage of food materials

motile organism --> greater speed attained

disadvantages of larger sizes

reduce ratio of surface to volume ratio

reduce activity related to cell membrane

effect on microbial size on velocity of cells

larger organism, settle > rapidly

smaller organism - suspension

clumps --> settle more raidly

startegy larger organism to counteract tendency to fall

eg: flagellated algae -swimming upwards

microbial cell structure

genetic informations

procaryotic cells

lying free in the cells

single closed loops of dsDNA

transcription & tarnslations, protein synthesis can occur simultaneously

part of the genome is transfered

recombinant process: conjugation, transduction

eucaryotic cells

DNA bound to basic proteins

enclosed by membrane

transcription --> migration of mRNA into cytoplams --> translation

mitosis and meiosis --> daughter cells have correct coplement of genetic info

recombinant process: mainlty sexual reproduction

cell membrane

importance

permeability properties

maintaining levels of nutrients metabolites. slats, pH in the internal evironment

site of nutrient, ion, & protontranslocating systems

procaryotic cells

semi-permeable

site of energy-yielding terminal respiratory system

eucaryotic cells (ptotozoa)

outgoing axtivuty

outer cell membrane fused with membrane systems within the cell

ingoing activity

organism wiyhout rigid cell wall --> invagination of cell membrane

surface layers

eg cell walls

determine

shapes

resistants to osmotic stress

procaryotic cells

peptidoglycan --> site of action of penicillin

components of cell walls --> determine surface properties of ce;ll walls

synthesis & lysis at septal region of dividing cells --> determine formations of chains /clumps

eucaryotic cells

prevent phagocytosis 7 amoeboid movements

rigidation

penetration of host tissue and other substrates

less osmotic damage

motility

procaryotic cells

major by using flagellum

eucaryotic cells ( algae, protozoa, fungi, zoospores)

major by using falgellum, cilia,amoeboid movements

microbial cell replication

procaryotic cells

smaller in size , shorter generation time

binary fission

new cells --> uniform in size

separation of daughter cells --> autolytic enzymes

eucaryotic cells

method

budding

eg: yeast --> smaller buds compare to maximum buds = 20

sporulation

eg: fungi --. smaller than parent cell, many spores at one cycle

cell nutrition

determine microbe's habitat

major elements required : C,H, N O P, S

cell behaviour

chemotaxis

towards favourab;e chemical environment

bacterial chemotaxis

presence of chemoreceptores

chemoreceptors: proteins on cell wall /membrane

+ve chemoreceptors : attractants

-ve: chemoreceptors: repellants

function:

to sence presence /absence of attravtants/repellents

to sence its concentrations

bacteria --> sence concentration through gardient of repellent/ attractants

movement in isotrophic solution of attractant

swims for short periodin straight lines, tumbles & resumes swimming in different straightlines. similar pathlength

movements inincreased concentrations of attractants

pathlenght of length increased, frequency of tumbles decreases

movements in decreased concentration of attractants

pathlebgth of runs decreased, frequency of tumbles increased

movement in increased concentartion of repellant

pathlength of runs decreased, frequency of tumbles increases

movement in decreased concentarion of repellant

pathlength of runs increases, frequency of tumbles decreases

summary: favourable concentration of gradient --> tumbling is supressed and vice versa

eucaryotics microbes

rare among fungi, protozoa and algae

if occur, morecomlicated e.g slime molds

for 'social lives" eg cellular lime molds --> scarcity of food --> release chemical --> attract to frm assemblages of many cells

sexual attractants for sexual reproductions

phototaxis

move toward or away from light

control the localized distributions of organism in habitats

photoreceptors & photosynthetic pigments

photoreceptors --> respond to change in light intensity