Plant as Microbial Habitats

Question 2

as microbial habitats are very different from animals.

Answer 2

plants

Question 3

Compared
to warm-blooded animals, they experience great variations in temperature,
diurnally and throughout the year

Answer 3

plants

Question 4

Compared
to warm-blooded animals, they experience great variations in ___,
diurnally and throughout the year

Answer 4

temperature

Question 5

Compared to __, plants have
simpler communication systems making the transfer of microorganisms from
one part to another slower compared with animal systems

Answer 5

vertebrates

Question 6

Compared to vertebrates, plants have
simpler communication systems making the transfer of microorganisms from
one part to another ___compared with animal systems

Answer 6

slower

Question 7

The above-ground parts of the plants i.e.___ and __, are
subjected to frequent drying and for this reason have developed waxy coatings
that retain moisture and incidentally, serve as protection from
microorganisms.

Answer 7

leaves
setms

Question 8

The above-ground parts of the plants i.e. leaves and stems, are
subjected to frequent ___and for this reason have developed waxy coatings
that retain moisture and incidentally, serve as protection from
microorganisms.

Answer 8

drying

Question 9

The above-ground parts of the plants i.e. leaves and stems, are
subjected to frequent drying and for this reason have developed ___coatings
that retain moisture and incidentally, serve as protection from
microorganisms.

Answer 9

waxy

Question 10

The above-ground parts of the plants i.e. leaves and stems, are
subjected to frequent drying and for this reason have developed waxy coatings
that retain __and incidentally, serve as protection from
microorganisms.

Answer 10

moisture

Question 11

The above-ground parts of the plants i.e. leaves and stems, are
subjected to frequent drying and for this reason have developed waxy coatings
that retain moisture and incidentally, serve as ___from
microorganisms.

Answer 11

protection

Question 12

plants that have barks which are usually resistant to
microbial invasion.

Answer 12

woody

Question 13

are in a
microenvironment i.e. rhizosphere, where moisture is less variable and
nutrient concentrations are higher.

Answer 13

roots of plants

Question 14

what part of plants are suitable habitats for the growth of microorganisms.

Answer 14

plant roots

Question 15

Sample Collection and Sterilization
a. Collect healthy plant parts (___ ___) using sterile scalpel or tools.
b. Place samples in sterile containers to avoid contamination.
c. Wash plant samples in petri dish with sterile distilled water to remove
debris or dirt.
d. In another sterile petri dish, aseptically cut leaves in 1 cm2 size. Prepare
5 cuts.
e. Add at least 5 ml of 10% sodium hypochlorite and immerse for 1
minute for surface sterilization.
f. Rinse in beaker with 10 ml of sterile water three times to remove
chemical residue and transfer into dry, sterile petri dish.
g. Repeat procedure a to f using diseased or rotten parts of the same
plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 15

leaves
stem

Question 16

Sample Collection and Sterilization
a. Collect healthy plant parts (leaves, stem) using sterile scalpel or tools.
b. Place samples in sterile containers to avoid contamination.
c. Wash plant samples in petri dish with sterile ___ ___to remove
debris or dirt.
d. In another sterile petri dish, aseptically cut leaves in 1 cm2 size. Prepare
5 cuts.
e. Add at least 5 ml of 10% sodium hypochlorite and immerse for 1
minute for surface sterilization.
f. Rinse in beaker with 10 ml of sterile water three times to remove
chemical residue and transfer into dry, sterile petri dish.
g. Repeat procedure a to f using diseased or rotten parts of the same
plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 16

distilled water

Question 17

Sample Collection and Sterilization
a. Collect healthy plant parts (leaves, stem) using sterile scalpel or tools.
b. Place samples in sterile containers to avoid contamination.
c. Wash plant samples in petri dish with sterile distilled water to remove
debris or dirt.
d. In another sterile petri dish, aseptically cut ___in 1 cm2 size. Prepare
5 cuts.
e. Add at least 5 ml of 10% sodium hypochlorite and immerse for 1
minute for surface sterilization.
f. Rinse in beaker with 10 ml of sterile water three times to remove
chemical residue and transfer into dry, sterile petri dish.
g. Repeat procedure a to f using diseased or rotten parts of the same
plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 17

leaves

Question 18

Sample Collection and Sterilization
a. Collect healthy plant parts (leaves, stem) using sterile scalpel or tools.
b. Place samples in sterile containers to avoid contamination.
c. Wash plant samples in petri dish with sterile distilled water to remove
debris or dirt.
d. In another sterile petri dish, aseptically cut leaves in ___ ___ size. Prepare
5 cuts.
e. Add at least 5 ml of 10% sodium hypochlorite and immerse for 1
minute for surface sterilization.
f. Rinse in beaker with 10 ml of sterile water three times to remove
chemical residue and transfer into dry, sterile petri dish.
g. Repeat procedure a to f using diseased or rotten parts of the same
plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 18

1cm^2

Question 19

Sample Collection and Sterilization
a. Collect healthy plant parts (leaves, stem) using sterile scalpel or tools.
b. Place samples in sterile containers to avoid contamination.
c. Wash plant samples in petri dish with sterile distilled water to remove
debris or dirt.
d. In another sterile petri dish, aseptically cut leaves in 1 cm2 size. Prepare
___ cuts.
e. Add at least 5 ml of 10% sodium hypochlorite and immerse for 1
minute for surface sterilization.
f. Rinse in beaker with 10 ml of sterile water three times to remove
chemical residue and transfer into dry, sterile petri dish.
g. Repeat procedure a to f using diseased or rotten parts of the same
plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 19

5

Question 20

Sample Collection and Sterilization
a. Collect healthy plant parts (leaves, stem) using sterile scalpel or tools.
b. Place samples in sterile containers to avoid contamination.
c. Wash plant samples in petri dish with sterile distilled water to remove
debris or dirt.
d. In another sterile petri dish, aseptically cut leaves in 1 cm2 size. Prepare
5 cuts.
e. Add at least __ ml of 10% sodium hypochlorite and immerse for 1
minute for surface sterilization.
f. Rinse in beaker with 10 ml of sterile water three times to remove
chemical residue and transfer into dry, sterile petri dish.
g. Repeat procedure a to f using diseased or rotten parts of the same
plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 20

5

Question 21

Sample Collection and Sterilization
a. Collect healthy plant parts (leaves, stem) using sterile scalpel or tools.
b. Place samples in sterile containers to avoid contamination.
c. Wash plant samples in petri dish with sterile distilled water to remove
debris or dirt.
d. In another sterile petri dish, aseptically cut leaves in 1 cm2 size. Prepare
5 cuts.
e. Add at least 5 ml of 1___ and immerse for 1
minute for surface sterilization.
f. Rinse in beaker with 10 ml of sterile water three times to remove
chemical residue and transfer into dry, sterile petri dish.
g. Repeat procedure a to f using diseased or rotten parts of the same
plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 21

10% sodium hypochlorite

Question 22

Sample Collection and Sterilization
a. Collect healthy plant parts (leaves, stem) using sterile scalpel or tools.
b. Place samples in sterile containers to avoid contamination.
c. Wash plant samples in petri dish with sterile distilled water to remove
debris or dirt.
d. In another sterile petri dish, aseptically cut leaves in 1 cm2 size. Prepare
5 cuts.
e. Add at least 5 ml of 10% sodium hypochlorite and immerse for _
minute for surface sterilization.
f. Rinse in beaker with 10 ml of sterile water three times to remove
chemical residue and transfer into dry, sterile petri dish.
g. Repeat procedure a to f using diseased or rotten parts of the same
plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 22

1

Question 23

Sample Collection and Sterilization
a. Collect healthy plant parts (leaves, stem) using sterile scalpel or tools.
b. Place samples in sterile containers to avoid contamination.
c. Wash plant samples in petri dish with sterile distilled water to remove
debris or dirt.
d. In another sterile petri dish, aseptically cut leaves in 1 cm2 size. Prepare
5 cuts.
e. Add at least 5 ml of 10% sodium hypochlorite and immerse for 1
minute for surface sterilization.
f. Rinse in beaker with 10 ml of__ __r three times to remove
chemical residue and transfer into dry, sterile petri dish.
g. Repeat procedure a to f using diseased or rotten parts of the same
plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 23

sterile water

Question 24

Sample Collection and Sterilization
a. Collect healthy plant parts (leaves, stem) using sterile scalpel or tools.
b. Place samples in sterile containers to avoid contamination.
c. Wash plant samples in petri dish with sterile distilled water to remove
debris or dirt.
d. In another sterile petri dish, aseptically cut leaves in 1 cm2 size. Prepare
5 cuts.
e. Add at least 5 ml of 10% sodium hypochlorite and immerse for 1
minute for surface sterilization.
f. Rinse in beaker with 10 ml of sterile water ___times to remove
chemical residue and transfer into dry, sterile petri dish.
g. Repeat procedure a to f using diseased or rotten parts of the same
plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 24

three

Question 25

Preparation for Culture and Inoculation in Growth Media. a. Crush or homogenize plant tissue in sterile petri dish using ___ ___ b. To create the bacterial suspension, pipette 1 ml of sterile saline solution and use this to rinse the glass rod into the dish while mixing the suspension. Do it twice. c. Streak plate onto nutrient agar or MacConkey agar, depending on the type of microbes being isolated. d. Incubate plates at 25°C for 24-48 hours. e. Repeat procedure a to d for diseased or rotten parts of the same plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 25

sterile glass rod

Question 26

Preparation for Culture and Inoculation in Growth Media. a. Crush or homogenize plant tissue in sterile petri dish using sterile glass rod. b. To create the bacterial suspension, pipette 1 ml of __ ___ ___ and use this to rinse the glass rod into the dish while mixing the suspension. Do it twice. c. Streak plate onto nutrient agar or MacConkey agar, depending on the type of microbes being isolated. d. Incubate plates at 25°C for 24-48 hours. e. Repeat procedure a to d for diseased or rotten parts of the same plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 26

sterile saline solution

Question 27

Preparation for Culture and Inoculation in Growth Media. a. Crush or homogenize plant tissue in sterile petri dish using sterile glass rod. b. To create the bacterial suspension, pipette 1 ml of sterile saline solution and use this to rinse the glass rod into the dish while mixing the suspension. Do it twice. c. ___plate onto nutrient agar or MacConkey agar, depending on the type of microbes being isolated. d. Incubate plates at 25°C for 24-48 hours. e. Repeat procedure a to d for diseased or rotten parts of the same plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 27

streak plate

Question 28

Preparation for Culture and Inoculation in Growth Media. a. Crush or homogenize plant tissue in sterile petri dish using sterile glass rod. b. To create the bacterial suspension, pipette 1 ml of sterile saline solution and use this to rinse the glass rod into the dish while mixing the suspension. Do it twice. c. Streak plate onto ___ ___ depending on the type of microbes being isolated. d. Incubate plates at 25°C for 24-48 hours. e. Repeat procedure a to d for diseased or rotten parts of the same plant and part assigned to you.

Answer 28

nutrient agar macconkey agar

Question 29

1. Are there differences in colony morphology and cell types from healthy and diseased plant part? Explain briefly.

Answer 29

Yes, there are differences in colony morphology and cell types mainly due to the activity and the presence pathogens. If the bougainvillea maintains a clean look, it is labeled healthy, but in cases for pathogens like bacteria or fungi, a colony will form depending on the characteristics of pathogens, examples like fungi, producing fuzzy and colored colonies and bacterial pathogens most likely forming a slimy or mucoid colonies distinct from non-pathogenic microorganisms. Respectively, this would only manifest from diseased to healthy plant parts.

Question 30

What are examples of microbial flora of your specific plants and part? Characterize.

Answer 30

Bougainvillea spp. leaves host a diverse range of microbial flora including both beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms. For bacteria, Pantoea stewartia, a Gram-negative bacillus has been found to cause bacterial leaf spot diseases. Symptoms include concentric circular lesions with yellowish halos in the leaf (Hu et al. 2023). Additionally, the presence of phyllosphere (leaf surface) bacteria that are adapted to leaf surfaces such as Lactococcus lactis and Curtobacterium albdium. Fungi, on the other hand, are also present in the Bougainvillea leaf. Considered as epiphytes, Aspergillus avenaceus and Aspergillus fumigatus were identified as microbes present in Bougainvillea leaves (Saxena et al 2023).

Question 31

Describe interactions of the microbial flora and plants as host.

Answer 31

Plants and their microbial communities interact in various ways, affecting plant health, growth, and resilience. These interactions can be generally characterized as beneficial and pathogenic. Beneficial interactions include nutrient absorption, stress tolerance, disease suppression, and soil health enhancement. Mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria are two examples of microbes that help plants absorb critical nutrients from the soil. They also boost growth by releasing phytohormones, which drive root development and cell division. On the other hand, disease development, nutrient competition, and weakened stress tolerance are examples of pathogenic interactions. Pathogenic microbes infiltrate plant tissues, release enzymes and toxins, cause cell damage, alter physiological processes, and compete for important resources, all of which weaken the host and exacerbate illness symptoms. Furthermore, plants are selective hosts, influencing their microbial communities through root exudates, immune responses, genetic factors, and environmental factors.

Question 32

What are examples of microbial pathogens of your specific plants and part? Characterize.

Answer 32

Bougainvillea spp. leaves can be affected by several microbial pathogens, primarily fungal and bacterial in nature. Common fungal pathogens include Alternaria spp., which cause leaf spots characterized by circular, dark brown to black lesions often surrounded by yellow halos. Another notable fungal pathogen is Phyllosticta spp., causing leaf spot diseases with small, watersoaked lesions that enlarge and coalesce, leading to leaf blight. Bacterial pathogens such as Xanthomonas campestris can also infect Bougainvillea spp. leaves, causing angular leaf spots that are water-soaked and may turn necrotic. These pathogens typically produce colonies with distinct morphologies on culture media. Fungal colonies are often fuzzy or powdery with varied pigmentation, while bacterial colonies are usually smooth, shiny, and may produce pigments depending on the species. (Bever et al. 2013).

Question 33

Describe interactions of the microbial pathogens and plants as host

Answer 33

The interaction between microbial pathogens and Bougainvillea spp. leaves involves a dynamic host-pathogen relationship where the plant's physical and chemical defenses attempt to limit microbial invasion. Bougainvillea spp. leaves, with their waxy cuticle, serve as a barrier to microbial entry, but pathogens overcome this by producing enzymes and toxins that degrade the cuticle and cell walls, facilitating colonization. The pathogens exploit the leaf tissues to obtain nutrients, causing symptoms such as leaf spots and blight that reduce photosynthetic capacity and overall plant vigor. In response, Bougainvillea spp. activates localized immune responses, including the production of antimicrobial compounds and hypersensitive responses to contain the infection. This interaction reflects a balance where microbial pathogens adapt to the host environment, while the plant continuously deploys defense mechanisms to restrict microbial growth and spread (Hernandez et al. 2015).____