Name: Kleint T.

Ocial Date: March 13, 2017

Year & Section: BSCE – 2A Instructor: Dr. Zina D. Sayson

“MICROBIOLOGY”

 Microorganisms
 Bacteria - are microscopic single-celled organisms that thrive in
diverse environments. They can live within soil, in the ocean and
inside the human gut. Humans' relationship with bacteria is complex.
Sometimes they lend a helping hand, by curdling milk into yogurt, or
helping with our digestion. At other times they are destructive,
causing diseases like pneumonia and MRSA. Bacteria constitute a
large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few
micrometres in length, bacteria have a number of shapes, ranging
from spheres to rods and spirals.

 Virus - A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that

cannot grow or reproduce apart from a living cell. A virus invades
living cells and uses their chemical machinery to keep itself alive and
to replicate itself. It may reproduce with fidelity or with errors
(mutations); this ability to mutate is responsible for the ability of
some viruses to change slightly in each infected person, making
treatment difficult. Viruses cause many common human infections
and are also responsible for a number of rare diseases. Examples of
viral illnesses range from the common cold, which can be caused by one of the rhinoviruses, to AIDS,
which is caused by HIV. Viruses may contain either DNA or RNA as their genetic material. Herpes simplex
virus and the hepatitis B virus are DNA viruses. RNA viruses have an enzyme called reverse transcriptase
that permits the usual sequence of DNA-to-RNA to be reversed so that the virus can make a DNA version
of itself.
 Algae - are a diverse group of aquatic organisms that have the ability
to conduct photosynthesis. Certain algae are familiar to most
people; for instance, seaweeds (such as kelp or phytoplankton),
pond scum or the algal blooms in lakes. However, there exists a vast
and varied world of algae that are not only helpful to us, but are
critical to our existence.
 Fungi - any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that
includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the
more familiar mushrooms. They range in size from the single-celled
organism we know as yeast to the largest known living organism on
Earth — a 3.5-mile-wide mushroom. Dubbed “the humongous
fungus,” this honey mushroom (Armillaria ostoyae) covers some
2,200 acres in Oregon’s Malheur National Forest. The only above-
ground signs of the humongous fungus are patches of dead trees and
the mushrooms that form at the base of infected trees.

 Protozoa - the name protozoa means “first animals.” As the

principal hunters and grazers of the microbial world, protozoa
play a key role in maintaining the balance of bacterial, algal, and
other microbial life. They also are themselves an important food
source for larger creatures and the basis of many food
chains. Protozoa have been found in almost every kind of soil
environment from peat bogs to arid desert sands. The four main
subgroups of protozoa are the ciliates, the flagellates, the
sarcodina, and the apicomplexans. Protozoa range in size from 1/5,000 to 1/50 of an inch (5 to 500 µm)
in diameter. They can be classified into three general groups based on their shape.
“APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY”
Soil And Solid Waste Microbiology
Most of land-based living things – plants, animals, and protista – and their associated wastes eventually
find their way into the soil. There, microbial activity transforms this material into substances that constitute the
soil. Without this activity, nutrient cycles such as the carbon cycle or the nitrogen cycle would not be completed,
and life on earth would be threatened.
Soils make up a very thin layer of material on the earth’s surface. Soil depth and the physical and
chemical properties of soil vary with location, but in general there are five major components:
 Inorganic Mineral Particles – These particles, primarily of aluminum, silica, and lesser amounts of other
minerals, range in size from very small clay particles to sand grains and pebbles. Inorganic soils (those
consisting chiefly of mineral particles) are the most common soils.
 Organic Residues – Plant and animal remain that make up the organic component of the soil through
various stages of decomposition to a fairly stable substance known as humus. Organic soils (those
formed mostly of organic residue) are found in peat bogs and marshes.
 Water – Water is necessary for microbial activity. The amount of water in soil depends on a number of
factors, including precipitation, soil structure, and microbial population. Water is contained in the pore
spaces between particles of soil. Various nutrients are dissolved in the water and are therefore available
to microorganisms.
 Gases – Gases, principally nitrogen and oxygen, but also carbon dioxide fill the spaces not filled by
water.
 Biological Systems – Plant root systems, small animals, and microorganisms make up the fifth
component of soil. One gram of rich agricultural soil may contain 2.5 billion bacteria, 500,000 fungi,
50,000 algae, and 30,000 protozoa. Bacteria and fungi constitute the largest group of microorganisms in
soils.
Water And Wastewater Microbiology
All water derives from precipitation in the form of rain, snow, hail, or sleet which, as they fall, remove
particles of dust from the air. However, after the first few minutes of precipitation, the dust, along with the few
microorganisms it contains, is washed out of the air and the rainfall thereafter is relatively free of these
contaminants. After reaching the ground, the water not taken up by vegetation either percolates into the
ground to become ground water or runs over the ground into streams, rivers, and lakes.
Because of filtering action of the soil, groundwaters are normally free of organisms. However, in some
rocky areas, especially in limestone formations, surface water reaching the groundwater system through cracks
or tunnels can cause microbial contamination of the groundwater.
Many forms of microbial life can exist in water provided that the appropriate physical and nutritional
requirements for growth are met. Dissolved oxygen is necessary for the growth of aerobic bacteria and
protozoa. Nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as light, are essential to algae. The number and types of
microorganisms present give an indication of water quality. As the nutrient content increases, the number of
microorganisms increases.
Atmospheric Microbiology
Because of its lack of moisture, the atmosphere is not an environment where microorganisms can live
and grow. They can survive, however, in their vegetative state to varying degrees, depending mainly on their
resistance to drying and, to a lesser extent, on their resistance to ultraviolet radiations. Those bacteria and fungi
that form spores can exist for a very long time in the atmosphere.
Air is important in microbiology because it provides a mechanism of transfer for microorganisms that is
much wider ranging than that of water. Microorganisms make up a portion of the particulate matter in the
atmosphere. Other particles include dust particles and liquid aerosols, or fine droplets. Of course, the smaller
the particle, the longer it will remain airborne. The cysts formed by protozoa are relatively heavy, settling out of
the air in a matter of minutes. On the other hand, spores of bacteria and fungi are very small and have been
found miles above the earth’s surface.
Particles in the atmosphere stem from both natural causes and human activities. Examples of natural
sources are forest fires, volcanic eruptions, aerosols from ocean spray and dust picked up by the wind from open
fields and vegetations. Human sources are mostly energy related, such as particles from the combustion of fuel
for power and transportation as well as dust created by industrial and agricultural processes. Smoke particles,
industrial dust, and dust from volcanic eruptions make up the bulk of particulate matter in the air, but few
microorganisms are attached to these particles.
Of particular concern are the pathogenic microorganisms that cause respiratory diseases. The cough or
sneeze or even the conversation of an infected person may release pathogenic organisms into the air and spread
the infections.