microorganisms

Examples of microorganisms in the following topics:

• Opportunistic Microorganisms

  • A microorganism is a microscopic organism that can either be a single cell, cell cluster, or multicellular.
  • Microorganisms are very diverse and include bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa.
  • Opportunistic microorganisms are typically non-pathogenic microorganisms that act as a pathogen in certain circumstances.
  • An example of an opportunistic microorganism is Haemophilus ducreyi.
  • This microorganism infects its host through broken skin or epidermis.

• Defining Microbes

  • The study of microorganisms is called microbiology, a subject that began with Anton van Leeuwenhoek's discovery of microorganisms in 1675, using a microscope of his own design.
  • Most microorganisms are unicellular, but this is not universal, since some multicellular organisms are microscopic.
  • Although many microorganisms are beneficial, many others are the cause of infectious diseases.
  • Hygiene is the avoidance of infection or food spoiling by eliminating microorganisms from the surroundings.
  • As microorganisms, in particular bacteria, are found virtually everywhere, the levels of harmful microorganisms can be reduced to acceptable levels with proper hygiene techniques.

• Classification of Microorganisms

  • Microorganisms are classified into taxonomic categories to facilitate research and communication.
  • The domain was proposed by the microbiologist and physicist Carl Woese in 1978 and is based on identifying similarities in ribosomal RNA sequences of microorganisms.
  • Microorganisms are scientifically recognized using a binomial nomenclature using two words that refer to the genus and the species.
  • The names assigned to microorganisms are in Latin.
  • Classification of microorganisms has been largely aided by studies of fossils and recently by DNA sequencing.

• Subfields of Microbiology

  • Microbial cytology: The study of microscopic and submicroscopic details of microorganisms.
  • Using microorganisms to produce foods, for example by fermentation.
  • Agricultural microbiology: The study of agriculturally relevant microorganisms.
  • Soil microbiology: The study of those microorganisms that are found in soil.
  • Exo microbiology (or Astro microbiology): The study of microorganisms in outer space.

• Industrial Microorganisms

  • There are various types of microorganisms that are used for large-scale production of industrial items.
  • Industrial microbiology includes the use of microorganisms to manufacture food or industrial products in large quantities.
  • However, the use of microorganisms at an industrial level is deeply rooted into today's society.
  • Another type of microorganism utilized by industry includes various species of Aspergillus.
  • Describe how microorganisms are used in industry to manufacture food or products in large quantities

• Applied Microbiology

  • The manipulation of microorganisms at the genetic and molecular level to generate useful products.
  • The study of microorganisms causing food spoilage and food-borne illness.
  • Microorganisms can produce foods, for example by fermentation .
  • The study of agriculturally relevant microorganisms.
  • Soil microbiology - The study of those microorganisms that are found in soil.

• Citric Acid and Other Organic Compounds

  • Many organic compounds, like citric acid, are produced industrially by microorganisms.
  • After World War I, the ability of some microorganisms to produce citric acid was further explored and the technology for industrial production was developed.
  • Penicillium mold was the first described organism to produce citric acid but industrially another mold, Aspergillus niger, became the microorganism of choice .
  • The microorganism makes more citric acid in the Krebs cycle than needed for the cell's metabolism and exports it outside the cell.
  • Microorganisms replaced the industrial chemical production of many different organic compounds, like enzymes and amino acids.

• History of Microbiology: Hooke, van Leeuwenhoek, and Cohn

  • The development of the microscope, along with the observations of various scientists, led to the discovery of microorganisms.
  • All these early claims about the existence of microorganisms were speculative and were not based on any data or science.
  • Microorganisms were neither proven, observed, nor correctly and accurately described until the 17th century.
  • Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729–1799) found that boiling broth would sterilise it and kill any microorganisms in it.
  • He also found that new microorganisms could settle only in a broth if the broth was exposed to the air.

• The Degradation of Synthetic Chemicals in Soils and Water

  • Microorganisms are crucial participants in the detoxification of water and soil.
  • Microorganisms play a major role in eliminating such pollutants from the environment.
  • Soil is a major reservoir of microorganisms with each gram containing about one billion microbes.
  • Microorganisms that can remove contaminants from the environment are called bioremediators.
  • Microorganisms substantially lessen the concentration of nutrients which if released in the environment can lead to undesirable overgrowth of microorganisms and algae.

• Phenotypic Analysis

  • Microorganisms can be classified on the basis of cell structure, cellular metabolism, or on differences in cell components.
  • Microorganisms are very diverse.
  • Most microorganisms are unicellular (single-celled), but this is not universal.
  • So, for most of the history of life on earth the only forms of life were microorganisms.
  • Microorganisms tend to have a relatively rapid evolution.