Microorganisms in the environment

Microorganisms are living organisms which cannot be

viewed by naked eyes.
They can be viewed by using a special type of lab
instrument called as microscope.
These are unicellular(single cell behaves like a full body).
There are different kinds of microorganisms like bacteria,
fungi, viruses, protozoa, algae.
Bacteria:
These are much smaller than animal or a plant cell.
Most of the bacteria are harmful and beneficial.
They are available in different shapes- cocci[spherical],
bacili[rod shaped].
Infections caused by bacteria: Typhoid, tooth decay,
septic.
Useful bacteria: Lactobacillus in curds, bacteria in human
intestine help in digestion of food.
Fungi:
These are the group of microorganisms which exist both in
the form of single cell organisms and multi cellular
organisms.
Example: yeast is unicellular,
where as mushrooms and toad stools are multi cellular.
The fungal body is made up of thread like structure called
as hyphae, present both on the above and below ground.
They grow deep inside the dead log and take nutrition
from dead and decayed matter.
The fungal body if a single cell then they do not have
thread like structures.
They appear like white powdery substances on the
substance.
Virus:
These are considered to be a non living cell outside the
host cell.
They can be viewed only with the help of an electron
microscope.
They replicate and grow using a host cell food and
nutrients.
Protozoa:
These are tiny single celled organisms that live in moist
environment like ponds, marshy areas.
They live in a host cell and act as parasites causing
infections.
They appear as an animal cell in the microscope having
most of the parts which animal cell has.
Algae:
These are also called as tiny aquatic plants which carry
out photosynthesis in the water.
They appear as an plant cell in the microscope having
most of the parts which plant cell has mainly chlorophyll.
They are very important because they act as producers in
aquatic food chain and are the main source of food and
oxygen for aquatic animals.
Growing of microorganisms:
A single microorganism is difficult to watch because it is
very small. If this single cell is allowed to grow, the cell
divides multiple times to produce a colony.
The dish and the jelly substance have to be in sterile
conditions.
Bacterial colonies have smooth edges and fungal colonies
have rough edges.
Colony: A group of similar cells which are produced
when a single cell repeatedly divides. These group of cells
are called as colony.
Petri dish: A special type of transparent apparatus made
of glass or of plastic which can hold the culture media in
which the organisms grow and form colonies.
Agar jelly: It is a jelly substance which is used as a base
to grow micro organisms such as bacteria, fungi.
Sterile: The area which does not have any living
organisms alive on the surface.
Ecology: A study of organisms in their environment
Food chains and food web:
In food chain and food web the energy in the form of food
is transferred from one organisms to other.
The energy in the sun is taken up by plants to produce
food in the form of glucose by the process called as
photosynthesis. So plants are called as producers in the
food chain.
This food when it is taken up by the other species the food
energy is transferred from plants to animals. These level
organisms are called as herbivorous or primary
consumers.
These animals further when consumed by higher animals ,
they are called as carnivorous or secondary consumers.
These are also called as predators. The animals that they
eat are their prey.
Food Web:
It is a system which consists of all food chains in a single
ecosystem. It is a connection of multiple food chains. It
means energy gets transferred from one organism to other
through multiple pathways.
Microorganisms and decay:
As microorganisms are present everywhere in the
environment, they play a very important role in the
ecosystem.
Some of the microorganisms are present in the form of
white powdery spots on the surface of fruits and
vegetables. These spots are a type of fungus which grows
on the surface. They are called as moulds.
The presence of microorganisms on the surface changes
the structure of the fruit or vegetable. It further leads to
decay. This is also called as rotting.
If decomposers were not there then there would have
been heaps of waste rottten materials in the surrounding.
Decomposers:
These are organisms which carry out decay. It includes
few bacteria and few fungi.
These are the consumers in the food web.
They feed on the organic matter present in the living
organisms.
The process leads to breaking down of complex
substances in dead bodies of plant, animals and animal
and plant waste.
The nutrients are mixed in the soil which are further taken
up by plants for growth and development.
They are placed in the last level of the food web where
they feed on dead and decaying materials of all food chain
involved.

PHYTON

BAT PARROT DECOMPOSERS

BANANA