BIOL 2051 Chapter : Chapter 1 Lecture Outline
Document Summary
The study of organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye = microbiology: microorganisms are everywhere. Microorganisms are everywhere: our bodies, foods, environment, industry. Some are pathogens but most are harmless or beneficial. Importance: medicine, making antibiotics, substances we take when we have a bacterial infection, substances produced by organism that inhibit the production of other organisms, ex. Penicillium inhibits the growth of staphylococcus: fighting diseases, agriculture, nitrogen fixing bacteria, bacteria turns nitrogen gas into a nitrogen that the plant can use, ex. Microbiologists study: bacteria, viruses, protozoans, fungi, algae, diatoms, and more! What is a microbe: organism that requires microscope to be seen, microbial cells size- . 2 um to mm; viruses much smaller, contradictions: Super-size cells - thiomargarita namibiensis is size of fruit fly head. Microbial communities in biofilms microbes have specialized functions & act as multicellular organism. Viruses are non-cellular- considered to be microbes but are not fully functional cells: 6 major groups studied by microbiologists.
