AID Flashcards
(333 cards)
Microbiology
=study of organisms too small to see with naked eye
archaea
Archaea is a domain of single-celled organisms. These microorganisms lack cell nuclei and are therefore prokaryotes.
protozoa
one-celled animals found worldwide in most habitat
whittlers five kingdom tree is wrong because it is
outdated
the three domains
monera = archaea and bacteria
-crown taxa = very little diversity
-protista is eukaryotes and microbial world s much more diverse
what are microbes
-small bacteria 1-6 micrometers in size
-largest bacteria visible to eye
eukaryote microbes
-fungi
significance of microbes to global biomass
-estimate of total microbial cells on earth is 4-6 x 10^30
-microbial carbon equals that of all plants
-microbial N and P is >10X that of plant biomass
bacteria and archaea
-major portion of biomass on earth
-microbial carbon equals that of all plants
why are there so many bacteria
-rapid growth rate = many changes at speciation
-lateral gene transfer
phototroph
energy from light
chemotroph
energy from chemical bonds
ganotroph
organic compounds as e donors
lithograph
inorganic compounds as e donors
autotrophs
CO2 as carbon source for example plants
heterotrophs
organic carbon as carbon source HUMANS
photolithoautotroph
light energy, water as e donor, fix carbon dioxide
more complex media
some microbes have to be grown inside eukaryotic cells or in an animal
growth of bacteria
-by binary fission or budding
-cells double in size then split into two
-exponential growth
why can bacteria not grow forvever
bacterial growth curve
measurement of growth
-cell number
-optical density
-fresh/dry weight
-protein
-DNA
ways to identify microorganisms
-microscopy and staining
-growth on selective media
-testing substrate spectrum supporting growth
-testing enzyme activities
selective media
= allows growth of only some types of organisms used to culture presumed pathpogens
differential media
= allows the identification of organisms based on growth and appearance on that medium often based on colour differences used to determine if potentially pathogenic