Ari Salzberg, Cameron Brenner, Lital Avnor, Naomi Mayman, Rachel Butler, and Talia Silverstone
About Microbiology
What is a microbe? A microbe is a microscopic organism. Microbes live everywhere- including millions inside our body. Without microbes, we wouldn't be able to eat or breathe. Some types of microbes include fungi, algae, and bacteria.
Where do they live? Microbes live everywhere. Our own bodies are home to trillions-- in fact, a large part of our body is bacteria. In 1 teaspoon of soil, there are a billion bacteria, 120 thousand fungi, and 25 thousand algae. Some microbes prefer heat and others like colder environments. Scientists believe that microbes may even live on Mars.
Types of microbes
Archea
The three types of archea are crenarchaeota which are characterized by their ability to survive in temperature and acidity, euryarchaeota include methane producers and salt-lovers, and korarchaeota, but very little is known about this type.
The subtypes of archea are methanogens which produce methane from their waste (digestion), halophiles which live in salt environments, thermophiles which live at extremely hot temperatures and psychrophilies which live in unusually cold temperatures.
Some archea have strong outer cell walls made up of different kinds of amino acids and sugar. Archeans are single-celled creatures that join bacteria to form prokaryotes. They have genes that are not found in anything else. They are more closely related to humans than bacteria and some of them look like rods or tiny balls. Some of them have long hair in order to get to their destination faster. They have a true nucleus and one DNA molecule in their membrane. Archeans are found in extreme environments and in the human gut. They can produce special enzymes to keep cells in place. Archeans that live in salty areas can keep the fluids from coming in and pull the acid from the outside. They eat hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, and sulfur. They have a light-harvesting pigment in the membrane which allows it to react with the sun and make ATP (energy molecule).
Fungi
Fungi are eukaryotic organisms which do not make their own food like plants do. They break down dead plants and animals so that the world is cleaner. Fungi reproduce asexually. They come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and types and can stretch for miles. Fungi can spread by forming reproductive spores or by growing their hyphae. Hyphae are like tubes in order to let fluids in. Visible fungi are multicellular. The divider between each fungal cell allows fluids, proteins, and nuclei to flow from one cell to another. Some fungal have no space in between each other. Fungi are found mostly on decomposed non-living things but sometimes on crops, animals or people. Fungi can cause diseases like the Potato Famine They grow best in slightly acidic places and eat nutrients from living or dead organisms that they are on. They eat tiny protozoa and worm like creatures called nematodes. They also eat from carbons left by algae and bacteria. Fungi protect algae and or bacteria.
Viruses vs. Bacteria
Although viruses are often confused with bacteria, they are not the same. Some differences include their size, structure, and method of reproduction. Reproduction is the main difference. Viruses are much, much smaller than bacteria. Also, bacteria look more like cells, whereas viruses are pieces of protein-coated DNA with "tails" to attach to cells with. Bacteria reproduce by binary fission (dividing themselves); viruses reproduce by attaching to cells and making the cell create more viruses. Viruses cannot actually do anything on their own.
Protista
Protists are eukaryotes. Some protista include slime molds, water molds, algae, and protozoa. They are not plants, animals or fungi, but scientists believe they paved the way for later microorganisms. They are divided in four subgroups:
Water molds are always found in wet environments. They are considered fungi and are also known as white rust.
Slime molds have traits like fungi and animals. They live as independent cells and have complex life cycles. They are capable of moving.
Protozoa, or "first animals", are the grazers and hunters of the microbial world. They are an important food source for other animals on the food chain. They can be found in almost any kind of soil environment.
Algae are the foundation of the aquatic food chain. 75% of the oxygen in the atmosphere is produced by algae and cyanobacteria. They are plant-like microorganisms which live in water or moist soil.
Microbial Mergers
Microbial mergers are collaborations between microbes and other organisms, such as plants, animals, or humans. This is also called symbiosis. In our bodies, microbes in our intestines break down things that enzymes can't dissolve. Microbes also produce vitamins. Some mergers include rhizobia, mycorrhizae, zooxanthelle, and lichens, but scientists believe they paved the way for other microorganisms.
Types of Mergers
Rhizobia are found in legumes and supply the legumes with nitrogen. In return, the rhizobia get carbohydrates from the legume. Mycorrhizae are found in plants and help supply nutrients like water and phosphorus, and in return get carbohydrates from the plants.
Algae and Fungi Mergers In algae, microbes called dinoflagellates help coral polyps convert energy while the coral gives a stable environment to the dinoflagellate. Fungi and bacteria give the plants to which they are attached nitrogen (which they harvest from the air) and the plants give the microbes carbohydrates.
Ant Fungi Gardens
Ants nurture gardens of fungi underground. Ants don’t have enzymes to digest leaves, so they give them to fungi, which break up cellulose. Ants make nests, clean them, and produce special antibiotics to kill infectious organisms. Fungi produce nutrients that ants eat. The fungi that grow in gardens now are the same as 25 million years ago.
Lichens
Lichens are fungi and algae merged. There are 20 thousand different kinds of lichen, which live on rocks, tundra, deserts, bark, and the sides of buildings. The fungi provide shelter and stability, while the algae, or cyanobacteria, provide food and nutrients. The filaments of the fungi surrounds the cells and make up the shape of the lichen. The algae or bacteria create carbon using photosynthesis. Lichens absorb moisture from fog, dew, and humid air. Lichens can take 35 times their weight in water and dry out very slowly.
Mitochondria and Chloroplasts
Mitochondria convert molecules into energy for cells. Chloroplasts are part of a plant cell which perform photosynthesis. This conversion of energy suggests that mitochondria and chloroplasts may have been a prokaryote or bacterium originally which invaded the cell.
Mouthless, Gutless Worms
Tubeworms are mouthless, gutless worms. Billions of bacteria inside the worms digest food and transport the nutrients inside the tubeworm's body. In return, the tubeworm gives the bacteria a stable environment to live in. Because the bacteria digest food so well, the tubeworms don't need intestines like we do.
Photos
Cyanobacteria
Methanopyrus (archaea)
Vorticella (protista)
Virus
Anatomy of a virus
Anatomy of a bacterium (a bit hard to see the inside)
E. coli bacterium at 10000x magnification
Videos
Video- binary fission
Video- virus infecting a bacterium
Binary fission song
Links
Microbe World- Has lots of information about microbes, this is where we got our information Click here for a similar binary fission video to the first one
Click here for our page on viruses.
About Microbes
Ari Salzberg, Cameron Brenner, Lital Avnor, Naomi Mayman, Rachel Butler, and Talia SilverstoneAbout Microbiology
What is a microbe? A microbe is a microscopic organism. Microbes live everywhere- including millions inside our body. Without microbes, we wouldn't be able to eat or breathe. Some types of microbes include fungi, algae, and bacteria.
Where do they live? Microbes live everywhere. Our own bodies are home to trillions-- in fact, a large part of our body is bacteria. In 1 teaspoon of soil, there are a billion bacteria, 120 thousand fungi, and 25 thousand algae. Some microbes prefer heat and others like colder environments. Scientists believe that microbes may even live on Mars.
Types of microbes
Archea
The three types of archea are crenarchaeota which are characterized by their ability to survive in temperature and acidity, euryarchaeota include methane producers and salt-lovers, and korarchaeota, but very little is known about this type.
The subtypes of archea are methanogens which produce methane from their waste (digestion), halophiles which live in salt environments, thermophiles which live at extremely hot temperatures and psychrophilies which live in unusually cold temperatures.
Some archea have strong outer cell walls made up of different kinds of amino acids and sugar. Archeans are single-celled creatures that join bacteria to form prokaryotes. They have genes that are not found in anything else. They are more closely related to humans than bacteria and some of them look like rods or tiny balls. Some of them have long hair in order to get to their destination faster. They have a true nucleus and one DNA molecule in their membrane. Archeans are found in extreme environments and in the human gut. They can produce special enzymes to keep cells in place. Archeans that live in salty areas can keep the fluids from coming in and pull the acid from the outside. They eat hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, and sulfur. They have a light-harvesting pigment in the membrane which allows it to react with the sun and make ATP (energy molecule).
Fungi
Fungi are eukaryotic organisms which do not make their own food like plants do. They break down dead plants and animals so that the world is cleaner. Fungi reproduce asexually. They come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and types and can stretch for miles. Fungi can spread by forming reproductive spores or by growing their hyphae. Hyphae are like tubes in order to let fluids in. Visible fungi are multicellular. The divider between each fungal cell allows fluids, proteins, and nuclei to flow from one cell to another. Some fungal have no space in between each other. Fungi are found mostly on decomposed non-living things but sometimes on crops, animals or people. Fungi can cause diseases like the Potato Famine They grow best in slightly acidic places and eat nutrients from living or dead organisms that they are on. They eat tiny protozoa and worm like creatures called nematodes. They also eat from carbons left by algae and bacteria. Fungi protect algae and or bacteria.
Viruses vs. Bacteria
Although viruses are often confused with bacteria, they are not the same. Some differences include their size, structure, and method of reproduction. Reproduction is the main difference. Viruses are much, much smaller than bacteria. Also, bacteria look more like cells, whereas viruses are pieces of protein-coated DNA with "tails" to attach to cells with. Bacteria reproduce by binary fission (dividing themselves); viruses reproduce by attaching to cells and making the cell create more viruses. Viruses cannot actually do anything on their own.
Protista
Protists are eukaryotes. Some protista include slime molds, water molds, algae, and protozoa. They are not plants, animals or fungi, but scientists believe they paved the way for later microorganisms. They are divided in four subgroups:
Water molds are always found in wet environments. They are considered fungi and are also known as white rust.
Slime molds have traits like fungi and animals. They live as independent cells and have complex life cycles. They are capable of moving.
Protozoa, or "first animals", are the grazers and hunters of the microbial world. They are an important food source for other animals on the food chain. They can be found in almost any kind of soil environment.
Algae are the foundation of the aquatic food chain. 75% of the oxygen in the atmosphere is produced by algae and cyanobacteria. They are plant-like microorganisms which live in water or moist soil.
Microbial Mergers
Microbial mergers are collaborations between microbes and other organisms, such as plants, animals, or humans. This is also called symbiosis. In our bodies, microbes in our intestines break down things that enzymes can't dissolve. Microbes also produce vitamins. Some mergers include rhizobia, mycorrhizae, zooxanthelle, and lichens, but scientists believe they paved the way for other microorganisms.
Types of Mergers
Rhizobia are found in legumes and supply the legumes with nitrogen. In return, the rhizobia get carbohydrates from the legume. Mycorrhizae are found in plants and help supply nutrients like water and phosphorus, and in return get carbohydrates from the plants.
Algae and Fungi Mergers In algae, microbes called dinoflagellates help coral polyps convert energy while the coral gives a stable environment to the dinoflagellate. Fungi and bacteria give the plants to which they are attached nitrogen (which they harvest from the air) and the plants give the microbes carbohydrates.
Ant Fungi Gardens
Ants nurture gardens of fungi underground. Ants don’t have enzymes to digest leaves, so they give them to fungi, which break up cellulose. Ants make nests, clean them, and produce special antibiotics to kill infectious organisms. Fungi produce nutrients that ants eat. The fungi that grow in gardens now are the same as 25 million years ago.
Lichens
Lichens are fungi and algae merged. There are 20 thousand different kinds of lichen, which live on rocks, tundra, deserts, bark, and the sides of buildings. The fungi provide shelter and stability, while the algae, or cyanobacteria, provide food and nutrients. The filaments of the fungi surrounds the cells and make up the shape of the lichen. The algae or bacteria create carbon using photosynthesis. Lichens absorb moisture from fog, dew, and humid air. Lichens can take 35 times their weight in water and dry out very slowly.
Mitochondria and Chloroplasts
Mitochondria convert molecules into energy for cells. Chloroplasts are part of a plant cell which perform photosynthesis. This conversion of energy suggests that mitochondria and chloroplasts may have been a prokaryote or bacterium originally which invaded the cell.
Mouthless, Gutless Worms
Tubeworms are mouthless, gutless worms. Billions of bacteria inside the worms digest food and transport the nutrients inside the tubeworm's body. In return, the tubeworm gives the bacteria a stable environment to live in. Because the bacteria digest food so well, the tubeworms don't need intestines like we do.
Photos
Videos
Video- binary fission
Video- virus infecting a bacterium
Binary fission song
Links
Microbe World- Has lots of information about microbes, this is where we got our informationClick here for a similar binary fission video to the first one