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There is evidence that viruses are important in providing a way to obtain nutrients from dying organisms that lysed after viral infection. (I need to find specific examples of ways in which viruses might play vital roles in ecosystems.) Please provide the website if possible.

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Irving Heathcote
Irving HeathcoteLv2
28 Sep 2019

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can you please give me a response for this Article(type the anwer)

When a soil dries out, this has a negative impact on the activity of soil bacteria. Using an innovative combination of state-of-the-art analysis and imaging techniques, researchers at UFZ have now discovered that fungi increase the activity of bacteria in dry and nutrient-poor habitats by supplying them with water and nutrients. The ability of fungi to regulate drought stress in soil and thus sustain ecosystem functions is an important insight in the context of climate change.

Many fungi spread through the soil with a fine network of thin filaments known as hyphae. In their search for water and nutrients the hyphae grow in different directions, constantly enlarging the network. Once found, water and nutrients are absorbed and transported through the hyphae, allowing them to be supplied to parts of the fungal network in dry or nutrient-poor areas of the soil. But it isn't only the fungus itself which benefits from the transport of material through the hyphal pipelines: bacteria, too, are kept supplied with the water and nutrients they need to thrive. This has now been demonstrated by a team of UFZ researchers in a study recently published in the journal Nature Communications. "We've suspected for a long time that fungi play an important role in the soil moisture budget," says UFZ environmental biotechnologist Prof. Matthias Kästner. "Now, using secondary ion mass spectrometry techniques (NanoSIMS and ToF-SIMS) from the ProVIS research platform at UFZ, we've finally obtained experimental evidence."

As part of their investigations, the researchers closely examined the transport of water, substrates and nutrients through the microscopically small hyphae of fungi. They grew the fungi on a culture medium of water, glucose and nitrogen-containing nutrients. The fungal hyphae had to pass through a dry, nutrient-free zone in order to grow through into a new area containing the culture medium. The inhospitable transition zone contained spores of the common soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Spores are inactive stages of Bacillus that form when there is insufficient water, food and nutrients available for bacterial growth. The bacteria go into a kind of dormant stage, from which they only awake once the environmental conditions are more favourable for living again.

In the experiment, these conditions were indeed improved by the growth of the fungi: "As the fungal hyphae grew through the dry zone, the bacterial spores germinated and we noticed clear microbial activity," says UFZ environmental microbiologist Dr. Lukas Y. Wick. "The fungi obviously improved the environmental conditions for the bacteria and woke them from their slumber, like Sleeping Beauty." But what exactly happens at a chemical level when fungal hyphae grow in direct proximity to bacterial spores? To answer this question, the researchers 'labelled' the water, glucose and nitrogen-containing nutrients in the culture medium in advance with stable isotopes. If these substances were transferred from the fungus to the bacteria, they could be detected using the isotopic marker and the NanoSIMS method, with nano-scale spatial resolution. "The NanoSIMS method reveals the distribution of elements and isotops and therefore allows us to observe metabolic processes," Kästner explains. "As it turns out, we did find the stable isotopes of the labelled water, glucose and nitrogen-containing nutrients in the cell mass of the bacteria -- which could only have come from the fungi."

This study has given the UFZ researchers another important insight into fungi and their important function in soils. Fungi serve as pumping stations and pipelines for water, substrates and nutrients and can colonise inhospitable locations, making them habitable for bacteria -- and thus stimulate microbial activity in the soil. In previous work the researchers have already shown that fungal hyphae act as a kind of fungal highway for bacteria, allowing them to move around, and provide a hotspot for bacterial gene transfer. Wick continues: "The results of this latest study demonstrate once again that, through their interaction with bacteria, fungi play a significant, previously underestimated role in the soil ecosystem."

If a soil is contaminated with pollutants, for example, bacteria can break them down. But if the soil is too dry, the degradation processes will come to a standstill. "If the drought period lasts for a limited time, fungi have a stabilising effect and can keep soil processes going. This could be important specifically with regard to the impacts of climate change, if the ratio of dry to moist areas of soil dramatically increases," says Kästner. In future investigations, the researchers therefore intend to look even more closely at soil as a true ecosystem. "We want to carry out soil experiments under different environmental conditions and find out what influence fungal growth has on the breakdown of pollutants," says Wick. He adds: "It's important to have a better understanding of the role of fungi in the soil ecosystem. Only when we know how soil works can we respond to changes, for example those caused by climate change, with informed decisions."

Select the statements that correctly represent the theory ofevolution. Select all that apply.

Evolution is partly about inheritance. Evidence of evolution isseen in structures such as wisdom teeth and the tail bone inhumans. These structures are thought to be “left over” from ourancestors and no longer appear to have any essential function inmodern humans.

Natural selection means that today’s organisms are perfectlyadapted after millions of years of fine-tuning. No further changesare necessary because of all the progress that has been made bynatural selection.

We can see evidence of past natural selection in adaptationssuch as the camouflage of moths perched on the bark of their hosttree. We can also see natural selection at work today if we trackhow populations change in rapidly changing environments.

The theory of evolution does not apply to life today. It isstrictly about the history of life: what happened in the past asseen in fossils.

Scientists disagree about the main ideas of evolutionary theorybecause of incomplete or conflicting evidence.

Question 2

Select one answer.

10 points

The ability or tendency of organisms and cells to maintainstable internal conditions is called

metabolism

homeostasis

emergent property

evolution

Question 3

Select one answer.

10 points

Why do organisms maintain fairly steady conditions within theircells and bodies?

They need to keep conditions stable so that they can obtainfood.

Organisms just change along with whatever is happening in theoutside world, which is usually quite steady.

They must maintain stable conditions to keep their enzymesworking and generally to enable the chemical reactions of life.

Unstable conditions will destroy the DNA in cells; this is themost important risk for a cell facing physical or chemicalstress.

Question 4

Select one answer.

10 points

An organism or cell exhibits ____________ when it maintainssteady internal conditions despite changes in the outerenvironment.

homeostasis

evolution

balance

natural selection

Question 5

Select one answer.

10 points

Which type of molecule best illustrates the very strongrelationship between structure and function in biology?

enzymes

oxygen gas

all kinds of organic matter

water

Question 6

Select one answer.

10 points

Which best expresses how nutrients and energy move throughlife?

Nutrients flow from sunlight to organic matter to heat. Energycycles among all life forms.

Nutrients cycle among all life forms. Energy flows from sunlightto chemical energy to heat.

Nutrients and energy both are continually recycled in a greatcircle of life.

Question 7

Select one answer.

10 points

Which of the following is not a recurring theme in biology?

Living organisms maintain homeostasis.

Energy flows through living systems while matter isrecycled.

Evolutionary processes explain both the unity and adaptivediversity of life.

All of these are recurring themes.

Question 8

Select one answer.

10 points

Which statement about evolution is FALSE?

According to evolutionary theory, you are related to abacterium, to a yeast cell, to a snake, and to a whale. In fact,you are related to every species now alive on Earth, and to fossilspecies like dinosaurs as well.

Evolution occurs constantly, without end; there is no endpointin evolution.

Natural selection acts on genetic differences within apopulation to cause evolution. Individuals do not evolve.

Natural selection is about slow but steady progress. Through it,populations constantly get better-adapted. When this process iscompleted for all populations, evolution will come to a stop.

Question 9

Select one answer.

10 points

Imagine you have a peanut butter sandwich in front of you. Thesandwich is an example of _______.

matter

energy

Question 10

Select one answer.

10 points

You provide your gut bacteria with a warm place to live. Theyprovide you with vitamins and other services. This most directlyrepresents an example of...

shared ancestry of all life

natural selection

homeostasis

interdependence of life

We discuss three acellular infectious agents in this module – viruses, prions and viroids. Infection by any one of these can have serious consequences to human health and/or economic wellbeing. In the event of an outbreak, it is important to be able to identify and contain these pathogens to avoid potentially deadly outbreaks. Your assignment is to choose one of the three infectious agents and consider the epidemiological features of your selection. By epidemiological features we mean: Can you characterize the causative organism? Where does the disease come from? Who is affected? How do they acquire the pathogen? What are the symptoms and risk factors? How is the disease dealt with once it is discovered in order to prevent its spread? You can choose one pathogen based on the general scenario described below.

For this assignment you now work for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service. You have been assigned to characterize a new epidemic that has spread rapidly at a farm in Montana. You arrive at the farm observe the livestock, crops and farm workers for signs of illness. You sample the fluids and tissue of several affected organisms and bring them to a state-of-the-art USDA laboratory for analysis. The outbreak is fictional but all the information – from the organism, to how it is acquired, to the symptoms it causes – should be legitimate for the infectious agent. I have intentionally left out these and other details in the scenario. You will fill in the details in your essay by addressing the following questions.

What is the affected organism (animal/plant/human or any combination)?

What are the symptoms exhibited by the affected organism(s)?

What is the pathogen that you have identified after analysis of the infected material?

How where you able to identify the agent in a laboratory?

Describe the etiology. How did the infection make its way to the farm?

Trace the fictional outbreak from its origins either locally, nationally or internationally.

Knowing how the infectious agent is disseminated, what recommendations do you make to the farm manager for containment and treatment of infected organisms?

Please visit the Excelsior Library to find at least 3 suitable citations to support the information you provide as you portray this outbreak.

Your essay should be 2-3 pages in length, double spaced in a 10-12 point font. Please be sure to cite all sources of information, including the text book, in the essay text and on a reference page using APA format. When you have finished your essay, attach it to the assignment drop box and submit it to your instructor.

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