Microbial Ecology and Symbiosis

Flashcards summarizing key concepts from the lecture on Microbial Ecology and Symbiosis.

Symbiosis

The living together in close association of two or more dissimilar organisms.

Symbiont

Any microorganism that spends a portion or all of its life associated with another organism of a different species.

Host

The organism with which the symbiont associates.

Nitrogen Fixation

The process by which certain prokaryotes convert nitrogen gas (N2) into ammonia (NH3) and nitrates, often occurring in symbiosis with leguminous plants.

Leghemoglobin

A protein produced by leguminous plants that protects nitrogenase, the enzyme essential for nitrogen fixation, from oxygen.

Microbiome

The microbial populations in and on our bodies, including bacteria that contribute to human health.

Homesteading

The process by which species of normal flora bacteria prevent pathogenic bacteria from colonizing.

Nitrogenase

An enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of nitrogen gas (N2) to ammonia (NH3) but is inactivated by oxygen.

Bacteroid

A form that certain nitrogen-fixing bacteria take on within the root nodules of leguminous plants.

Obesity

A condition that may be influenced by differences in microbiome populations between normal weight and obese individuals.