Lecture_8_Microbial_Ecology_UPDATED

Abiotic Factors

Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms.

Biotic Factors

Living components of an ecosystem that interact with organisms.

Symbiosis

A close and long-term interaction between two different species.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another.

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Ecosystem Service

The benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to the well-being of humans.

Biofilm

A group of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other and often to a surface.

Microbial Mats

Thick biofilms composed of diverse communities of microorganisms, often found in aquatic environments.

Species Richness

The total number of different species present in an ecosystem.

Species Abundance

The proportion of each species in an ecosystem.

Niche

The role and position a species has in its environment.

Guild

A group of metabolically related microbial populations.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

A major marine oil spill that occurred in April 2010, which resulted in significant ecological impacts.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

A measure of the amount of oxygen that microorganisms will consume while decomposing organic matter.

Phytoplankton

Photosynthetic microorganisms found in aquatic environments, including algae and cyanobacteria.

Stratification

The process by which a body of water forms distinct layers with different temperatures and oxygen levels.

Chemolithotrophy

Metabolism by which microorganisms obtain energy from inorganic compounds.

Oxygenic Phototrophs

Organisms that produce oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis.

Anoxygenic Phototrophs

Phototrophic organisms that do not produce oxygen during photosynthesis.

Anthropogenic Effects

Changes to the environment that are caused by human activity.