Microbiology Lecture 2, Taxonomy and Types of Microbes

Taxonomy

The classification system of living organisms.

Prokaryote

Organisms that do not have a membrane-bound nucleus or organelles.

Eukaryote

Organisms that have a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Carolus Linnaeus

The father of taxonomy who developed a classification system for naming organisms using genus and species.

Genus

The first part of the scientific name that indicates a group of species.

Species

The second part of the scientific name that identifies a specific organism in that genus.

Extremophiles

Organisms that thrive in extreme environmental conditions.

Halophiles

Organisms that can survive in extremely salty environments.

Thermophiles

Organisms that thrive in extreme temperatures.

Methanogens

Prokaryotes that produce methane gas and live in anaerobic conditions.

Acidophiles

Organisms that can survive in highly acidic environments.

Alkaliphiles

Organisms that thrive in highly basic or alkaline environments.

Photosynthetic autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food using light energy.

Chemosynthetic autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own energy using chemical reactions, often involving inorganic molecules.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that obtain their energy by consuming other organic substances.

Protozoa

Single-celled eukaryotes that exhibit motility and can be heterotrophic or photosynthetic.

Viruses

Acellular infectious agents that can only reproduce inside a host cell.

Bacteriophages

Viruses that specifically infect bacteria.

Multicellular animal parasites

Organisms that are multicellular, live off a host, and may be visible to the naked eye.

Cellulose

A complex carbohydrate that makes up the cell wall of algae.

Chitin

A protein that constitutes the cell wall of fungi.

Did King Philip come over for great soup?

A mnemonic to remember the order of taxonomic categories: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Bacteria

A large group of unicellular prokaryotes that are ubiquitous in the environment.