1. Soil Populations Flashcards
(14 cards)
What is decomposition?
The breakdown of organic materials into nutrients available for uptake
What is mineralization?
Process of converting organic materials, such as animal fecal materials/dead plants + animals, to inorganic materials
What is a soil macronutrient?
A mineral used in large quantities by plants
What does anaerobic mean?
Lacking in oxygen
What is a fungus?
A eukaryotic microorganism; yeast/mold
What is an actinomycete?
Gram-positive bacterium characterized by threadlike growth
What is a bacterial growth curve?
Graphical representation of how a bacterial population in a closed system progresses over time
What is a viable count?
An estimate of the # of living cells in a microbial population
What is a solute?
Substance that is dissolved/dispersed in a liquid
What is a solvent?
Liquid in which a solute is dissolved/dispersed
What is serial dilution? What is it used for?
A dilution of a substance in a solution
Used to reduce a dense culture of cells to a usable conc. level that allows for quantification of cell populations.
What is the spread plate technique used for?
Technique used for isolating + counting the viable microorganisms present in a sample
What is pH?
Quantitive measure of the acidity/basicity of aqueous or other liquid solutions
What is a colony? Where do bacteria grow?
A visible mass of microorganisms all originating from a single mother cell
Bacteria grow on solid media as colonies!
