Microbes and Viruses

Latin word for Germ

Germen

Germen

To sprout from or germinate

Microbe

AKA Microorganism

Nutrient production and energy flow

(photosynthesis, nitrogen cycle, oxygen production)

Microbes are involved in:

Decomposition

Microbes are involved in:

Bioremediation

Microbes are involved in:

Cause disease (production of vaccines)

Microbes are involved in:

Production of food (vinegar, cheese, bread)

Microbes are involved in:

Production of drugs e.g. insulin

Microbes are involved in:

Normal Microbiota

• Microorganisms that inhabit the skin and mucous membrane of healthy persons

• First line of defense against pathogenic microorganisms, assist in digestion, play a role in toxin degradation

Transient Microbiota

• just passing through. Although they may attempt to colonize the same areas of the body as do resident microbiota.

• are unable to remain in the body for extended periods of time due to: difficulty competing with established resident.

microbe

Carl Linnaeus

Established Nomenclature

Scientific Names (Genus and Species)

• Naming Microorganisms

• Either underlined or italicized

Genus

First name, always capitalized

Specialties

Not capitalized

All organisms into 3 domains:

1. Bacteria

2. Archaea

3. Eukarya

Eukarya

• Protists

• Fungi

• Plants

• Animals

Bacteria

• Unicellular

• No nucleus

• Prokaryotes “prenucleus”

• Variety of shapes

• Cell walls contain large composition of peptidoglycan

• Binary fission is means of reproduction

Archaea

• Just like bacteria are prokaryotic

• Cell walls lack peptidoglycan

• Typically found in extreme environments

Fungi

• Absorb organic material from the environment

• Eukaryotes

• Maybe unicellular or multicellular

• Cannot carry out photosynthesis

• Cell walls composed of chitin

• Visible masses called mycelia which are composed of long filaments called hyphae

• Produce sexually or asexually

Protozoa

• Unicellular eukaryotes

• Move either by pseudopods, cilia or flagella

• Variety of shapes and sizes

• Light for energy and carbon dioxide for producing sugars

• Reproduce sexually or asexually

Viruses

• Very small

• Acellular (not cellular), inert outside of host

• Core containing DNA or RNA is surrounded by a protein coat sometimes enclosed by a lipid membrane

• Uses cellular machinery of a host to reproduce

Algae

• Photosyntetic eukaryotes

• Wide variety of shapes

• Cell wall are composed of cellulose

• Need water, light and carbon dioxide → oxygen and carbohydrate