BIOL241 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Polymer, Plasmid, Glycolipid

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Biology
• Course: BIOL241
• Professor: Gary Butler

Document Summary

Cells are capable of compartmentalization and metabolism: cells take up nutrients from the environment, transform them, and release the. Unit 1: microbial ecology (674-680; 666-668) their environment: microorganisms perform many essential activities that support life of earth, ecological concepts, microorganisms form microbial communities in ecosystems. An ecosystem is the sum total of all of the organisms and abiotic factors in a particular environment. Under optimal growth conditions microbial activities can profoundly impact an ecosystem, diminishing or enhancing the activities of other microorganisms and microorganisms: symbiosis: parasitism. Symbiosis is defined as a relationship between two or more organisms that share a particular ecosystem. Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit. Commensalism is a symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits and the other is not affected: species diversity and abundance in microbial habitats. The species which inhibit a given ecosystem are those best adapted to growth with the nutrients and conditions that prevail there.