BIOL 2051 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Paramecium, Multicellular Organism, Microorganism
Document Summary
What is a microbe: organism that requires microscope to be seen, microbial cells size- 0. 2 micrometer to mm; viruses are much smaller (require electron microscopes to be seen, contradictions: Super-size cells - thiomargarita namibiensis is size of fruit fly head. Microbial communities in biofilms microbes have specialized functions & act as multicellular organism (plaque on teeth) Viruses are non-cellular- considered to be microbes but are not fully functional cells. Prokaryotes (no membrane-bound organelles; much simpler: bacteria (e. coli, archaea. Eukaryotes (organelles = mitochondria: algae, protists (paramecium, amoeba, fungi. Microbes shape human history: microbes affect food availability. Some destroy crops (corn rust, late blight - irish potato famine) Some make foods (beer, bread, cheese: microbial diseases change history. Black plague in europe killed 1/3 population in 14th century (transmitted by bite of fleas) More soldiers have died from infections than battle wounds. Florence nightingale- convinced british gov"t to improve army living conditions & upgrade army hospital standards.
