Simple and Useful Information:The Microbial World. The information given here are provided to make non-scientists and people not conversant with microbiology familiar with simple terms and concept about microorganisms. The microbial world consist of two major cell types, namely prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The former are usually simple and single-celled organisms, while the latter are usually complex and multi-celled organisms. All living organisms, including prokaryotes and eukaryotes, belong to one of the three domains (groups) of organisms, which are: The Bacteria, the Archea and the Eucarya. Most prokaryotic organisms belong to the first two groups, while eukaryotic organisms exclusively belong to the last group. The Bacteria are group of single-celled prokaryotes which have peptidoglycan (a chemical compound) in their cell wall, that gives them rigidity and shape. The Archea are also single-celled organisms which are identical to the Bacteria, but unrelated to them and lack peptidogycan. They are usually found in extreme environment such as hot springs and salt lakes. The Eucarya are eukaryotic organisms, and can either be single-celled or multi-celled. Microorganisms within this group can further be classified into: Algae, Fungi and Protozoa. Algae and Fungi have rigid cell walls and could either be single-celled organisms (e.g. yeast) or multicellular organisms (e.g. mushroom); Protozoa do not possess rigid cell walls and are exclusively single-celled organisms (e.g. paramecium). Algae use sunlight as source of energy, just like plants, while fungi and protozoa feed on organic matters as sources of energy. Primarily, algae live in water, fungi live on land, and protozoa live in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Viruses in most cases are not classified as living things, unlike the others mentioned above, primarily due to lack of cells and active metabolic activities. Viruses are agents consisting of nucleic acid and surrounded by a protective protein coat. They dont feed, but can infect all living things, including those in the groups Bacteria, Archea and Eucarya. And unlike other microbes, they cannot exist independently, prefering to multiply only within living cells
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 11:41:48 +0000
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