BIS 2C Lecture 6: BIS2C Lecture 6
16 Jan 2019
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
The term microbe can be applied broadly to microscopic life ; it includes all bacteria, archaea, and some. Among bacteria and archaea, there are three general morphologies (despite the fact that there are so many species). Sphere or coccus (plural cocci), occur singly or in plates, blocks, or clusters. Lots of homoplasy/opportunities for convergent evolution since there are only 3 categories for a great abundance of species. They are key players in ecosystem and organism processes. Nitrogen cycle would not be possible without bacteria (they fix gaseous nitrogen from the air that would be unavailable to most organisms in this form). Some are harmful and are the causative agents of disease. Some are capable of living in extreme environments . Many are involved in the production of foods ; bread, cheese, beer, wine, soy sauce, etc. Microbes live in syntrophic communities where species rely on the metabolic byproducts of others; coupled biochemical reaction.
