BIOL 2051 Chapter : Chapter 1 Notes
Document Summary
Microbiology is the study of organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye. Microorganisms are everywhere: our bodies foods, environment industry, some are pathogens but most are harmless. Agriculture: nitrogen fixing bacteria, genetically engineered crops. Food industry: wine, bread, yogurt, beer, pickles, chocolate. Insulin, growth hormone, vitamins: crops resistant to pests, heat, pesticides, herbicides, etc. Keep us alive: recycle nutrients, produce vitamins, degrade organic matter. Cause diseases: hiv, colds, std"s, food poisoning, flu. Organisms that requires microscope to be seen: microbial cells size- . 2 um to mm, viruses much smaller, contradictions: Super-size cells - thiomargarita namibiensis is size of namibiensis is size of fruit fly head. Microbial communities in biofilms microbes have specialized functions & act as multicellular organism. Viruses are non-cellular- considered to be microbes but are not fully functional cells: 6 major groups studied by microbiologists. Prokaryotes: bacteria e. coli, staph, archaea found in extreme environments. Eukaryotes: algae photosynthethic, protists pond water, muddy, fungi found everywhere.
