CIVL 175 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Cyanobacteria, Autotroph, Chemotroph
27 Jan 2017
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Document Summary
Environmental microbiology - study of microbial fate + activity in air, water, and soil. 4 billion years ago microbes appeared - archaea. 2 billion years ago oxygen in the atmosphere formed. Various sizes eukaryotic cell multicellular (10-30um) single -celled organisms lacking a true nucleus. Most are harmless or beneficial, however notorious diseases-causing members occur in this group. Vital roles in decomposition and nutrient cycling. Archaea - extreme environments but also widespread. Coating of macromolecules, which can be loose (slime) or rigid (capsule) Plasmids - small dna which allows growth. Hairy things; fimbriae - stick to a surface. Flagella - allows them to move around. Metabolism - use nutrients from the environment as an energy source. Chemoheterotroph - bacteria who gets energy from organic carbon. Similar in size and shape to bacteria. Now found in variety of non-extreme environments. Significance and function in environments still to be determined. Filamentous organisms many of which produce abundant spores.
