BIOL 2051 Chapter : Chapter1 Lecture Outline Spring 12
Document Summary
What is a microbe: organism that requires a microscope to be seen, microbial cells size- 0. 2 m to mm, viruses are much smaller, contradictions: Super-size cells - thiomargarita namibiensis is size of a 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. Prokaryotes: bacteria most common (ex. E. coli & staphylococcus: archaea exist in extreme environments (high heat and cold weather) Eukaryotes: algae photosynthetic organisms that reside in water, protists, fungi. Microbes shape human history: microbes affect food availability. Some destroy crops ( corn rust, late blight irish potato famine) Some make food (breads, cheese: microbial diseases change history. Black plague - in europe killed 1/3 population in 14th century. Transmitted through flea bite: flea bites rat & infected flea then bites human.
