microorganism definition
organisms too small to be seen with the unaided eye (smaller than 1 mm)
what percent of microbes are pathogenic
<1%
basic uses for microbes
-primary carbon producers(through photosynthesis)
-produce industrial chemicals
-produce fermented foods
why are viruses not considered either prokaryotic or eukaryotic
they are acellular
why do antibiotics not work on other types of microbes
they can only work on prokaryotes
what is bioremediation
a process that uses microorganisms to detoxify or reduce pollutants
practical uses of bioremediation
-degrade organic matter in sewage
-detoxify pollutants such as oil and mercury
most bacteria used in bioremediation is part of what genus
pseudomonas
what is required for bioremediation
microbes + H2O + oxygen
effects of bioremediation
-pesticide levels reduced by 96%
-solvents reduced from 1 million PPB to <10 PPB
-heavy metals detoxified
what is fixation
bacteria taking gas from environment and putting it into an organic molecule
how do microbes make nitrogen available to plants
they pull N2 to utilize for nitrogen compounds such as nitrate and ammonia
what microbe can be used as a pesticide? why?
bacillus thuringiensis
it produces crystals that can damage the digestive tract of insects but is harmless to other organisms
how and why are endospores made
made by bacteria under harsh conditions through using proteins to form a hard shell around the nucleic acid to protect it
biotechnology definition
use of microbes to produce food and chemicals(fermentation, industrial processes, medical uses)
how does penicillin work
it is a mold that kills nearby bacteria to protect itself
what type of microscope is needed to see bacteria
oil immersion
what type of microscope is needed to see virus’
electron microscope
how can microbes be used in gene therapy
attenuated virus can deliver the working gene
why are archaea rarely seen as disease causing pathogens
they grow in harsh conditions(they dont grow in the human body)
characteristics of archaea that differ from bacteria
no peptidoglycan in cell wall
different lipid linkages
how does bacteria reproduce? what is the product?
produces through binary fission
produces 2 identical daughter cells(clones)
types of archaea
methanogens(grow in methane gas)
extreme halophiles(grow in high salt)
extreme thermophiles(grow in high temps)
what eukaryotic pathogens can grow as either a single cell or multicellular
Algae and fungi
