BNS-1002 microbes

Question 1

what is microbiology about

Answer 1

understanding basic life processes

applying our understanding of microbiology for the benefits of humans

Question 2

name 3 areas where microorganisms impact human affairs

Answer 2

agriculture 
energy/environment 
disease 
food 
biotechnology

Question 3

what roles do microorganisms play in agriculture (3)

Answer 3

nitrogen fixation
nutrient cycling
animal husbandry

Question 4

what roles do microorganisms play in energy/environment

Answer 4

biofuels
fermentation
bioremediation
microbial mining

Question 5

what roles do microorganisms play in disease

Answer 5

identifying new diseases

treatment, cure and prevention

Question 6

what role do microorganisms play in food

Answer 6

food preservation
fermented foods
food additives

Question 7

what role do microorganisms play in biotechnology

Answer 7

genetically modified organisms
production of pharmaceuticals
gene therapy for certain diseases

Question 8

what is the importance of microorganisms in the biosphere

Answer 8

they pervasively and profoundly affect the entire biosphere

they regulate global and local biogeochemical processes

Question 9

what organisms were the first form of life

Answer 9

microorganisms were the first formsof life on earth

Question 10

what % of humans

Answer 10

are microbial

Question 11

what do microorganisms do in the human gut

Answer 11

they digest much of our food intake and release its nutrients in forms we can assimilate and utilise

Question 12

what do microorganisms provide that humans cannot make themselves

Answer 12

they provide essential vitamins amino acids and other micronutrients we cannot make ourselves

Question 13

how are microorganisms harmful to humans

Answer 13

virulence factors
invasiveness
toxicity
tissue damage

Question 14

how do microorganisms help in agrictulre

Answer 14

protecting and promoting growth of crop plants

digestion process in ruminant animals

Question 15

how do microorganisms help in production of cheese and yogurt

Answer 15

lactic acid fermentation produces cheese and yogurt

some fungi make cheese turn blue

Question 16

how do microorganisms help in production of bread and dough production and alcohol production

Answer 16

yeast is used to make bread and dough products

yeast is also used in alcohol production when fermentation occurs in anaerobic conditions

Question 17

what do microorganisms do in medicine and energy production (4)

Answer 17

they assist in the production of pharmaceuticals
production of diverse chemicals and biomaterials
energy production
treatment of waste streams and bioremediation of polluted sites and many others

Question 18

what is the 3 domain system based on

Answer 18

results from molecular biology particularly from comparison of sequences of nucleic acid bases in ubiquitous gene 16s rRNA

Question 19

what are the 3 domains

Answer 19

archaea
bacteria
eukarya

Question 20

what size are most of bacteria and archaea

Answer 20

most bacteria and archaea are between 1 and 5 micrometres in length

Question 21

what is the diameter of the smallest eukaryote

Answer 21

1 micrometre in diameter

Question 22

name 3 features of bacterial cell structure

Answer 22

they are small unicellular prokaryotes
they are 1-10 micrometres across
they do not have a nucleus or membrane bound organelles

Question 23

what are the macromolecules in bacteria

Answer 23

proteins
nucleic acids
polysaccharides
lipids

Question 24

what are polysaccharides and lipids in bacteria

Answer 24

storage molecules

Question 25

what structures are made from protein in bacteria

Answer 25

nucleoid

ribosomes

Question 26

what is the cell membrane

Answer 26

lipid and protein layer surrounding the cytoplasm

Question 27

what is the cell wall

Answer 27

rigid outer layer of the cell

Question 28

what is the nuclear material

Answer 28

the hereditary material, DNA

Question 29

what is the cytoplasm

Answer 29

contains organelles, enzymes and chemicals