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Microbial World
MICROBIOLOGY CHAPTER 1 ( BSC BOTANY HONOURS)
(1ST SEMESTER)
Microbiology is the study of micro-organisms.
The term ‘micro-organisms’ is derived from two Greek words.
1) Microns – tiny
2) Organismos – Organisms
Micro-organisms are those living organisms which are smaller than 1 mm in size.
‘Microscope’ is an optical instrument used to see or study microorganisms which
are not visible to naked eyes.
Antony von Leeuwenhoek is universally recognised as father of microbiology.
Father of microbiology – A.V. Leeuwenhoek
He was the first person to see microorganism under the microscope developed by him
in 1677, while examining rainwater, sewage water and gum of teeth.
He observed various kind of protists and bacteria.
Initially he termed the organisms as ‘diarkens’ (in Dutch) which was later translated
into English as ‘Animal-Cules’ ( means tiny animals).
Microbiology includes Morphology, Cytology, Genetics, Physiology, Distribution and
other activities of Micro-organisms including bioremediation and bioprospecting.
Micro-organisms
The micro-organisms includes several protists, fungi,
archeria, antibiotics etc.
Biased that these microbiology also includes study of some
sub- microscopic acellular, infectious agents like insects,
viroids and prions etc.
World of microbes
The “World of microbes” or “Microbial World” is the most diversified phylogenetic group
of living organisms that includes bacteria, mycoplasma, cyanobacteria, archea, protozoa,
actinomyces, fungi and acellular infectious agents like viruses, viroids, prions etc.
These micro-organisms are Cosmo – Politan in habitat, and are distributed not only on
earth but also in space.
Current estimation suggested that there could not be atleast 1 billion different species of
microbes on earth.
Some of the major groups of microbes are discussed below 👇🏻
I. Prions
II. Viroids
III. Viruses
I. PRIONS
1. These are infectious proteins.
2. Discovered by Prussinen (1982) .
3. These are the only disease causing infectious agents which are devoid of nucleic
acids.
4. They cause neurodegenerative disorders in mammals.
5. Prion proteins are encoded by the host cells but show misfolding.
6. These are transmissible.
7. As per the report of NCBI ( National Centre for Biotechnological Information ) ,
there are 16 variants of prion diseases have been reported so far.
II. VIROIDS
1. These are infectious single stranded circular RNA.
2. Discovered by T.O. Diener in 1971.
3. The first viroids discovered was “Potato Spindle Tuber Viroids” (PSTVd).
4. Till date 8 viroids species and 30 variants have been reported.
5. Viroids are classified under two families. Such as 1) Pospiviroidae
2) Avsunviroidae
6. These are transmissible and replicable.
7. They mostly cause diseases in plants. ( More than 25 diseases reported so far) .
8. Hepatitis D in human beings is a viroid disease.
III. VIRUSES
1. These are sub-microscopic, acellular, non-protoplasmic, infectious nucleoproteins.
2. They maintain obligate endoparacytic mode of life in living host cell.
3. Discovered by M.W.Beijerinck in 1898.
4. Structurally a virion ( single virus particles) is composed of a central core of nucleic acids
(RNA/DNA) surrounded by a protein coat called Capsids.
5. These are transmissible and they multiply inside the host cell only .
6. These are host specific and the host may be bacteria, cyanobacteria, fungi, plants and
animals including human beings.
7. They multiply by lytic and lysogenic cycle.
IV. MYCOPLASMA
1. Smallest living organisms.
2. Unicellular and prokaryotic.
3. Cell wall is absent.
4. Also called as PPLO ( Pleuro pneumonia like Organisms)
5. Discovered by Nocard and Roux in 1898.
6. Well known as the causal agent of Mad Cow Disease, Witches broom in plants and
Urethritis in human .
7. Cells are pleomorphic. Hence called as “Jokers of Microbial World” .
8. “Fried egg” appearance is a characteristic features of mycoplasma.
9. They reproduce by binary fission mostly.
Fried egg appearance means Omelet like appearance.
Centre – black
Periphery - light
V. BACTERIA ( Eubacteria)
(Eu – True)
1. These are unicellular and prokaryotes.
2. Cell wall is present.
3. Cell wall is made up of ‘Peptidoglycan’ or ‘Murein’. (N-acetyl muramic acid + N-acetyl glucosamine)
4. Discovered by A.V.Leeuwnhoek in 1677.
5. Their cells may show coccus, bacillus, spirillum, vibrio or pleomorphic shape.
6. They are mostly heterotrophs but some are autotrophs also.
7. They mostly reproduce vegetatively by binary fission.
8. During unfavorable condition, they reproduce asexually by sporulation .
9. Although sexual reproduction is absent but they show Parasexuality in term of genetic recombination through
conjugation, transduction, and transformation.
VI. ARCHAEBACTERIA
1. These are the oldest form of living organisms on the earth.
2. Although theses were initially considered as bacteria but phylogenetically they
were evolved separately from bacteria and cyanobacteria.
3. They often live in extreme environmental conditions like high salt concentration,
high acidic condition, hot water streams etc.
HALOPHILES (High salt concentration)
THERMOPHILES ( High temperature)
ACIDOPHILES ( High acid concentration)
THERMOACIDOPHILES ( Hot acidic stream)
ARCHAEBACTERIA Cont.……..
4. Cells are covered by Slimy layer instead of cell wall.
5. Peptidoglycan and D-amino acids are absent.
6. Plasma membrane is mono layered and devoid of fatty acids.
VII. CYANOBACTERIA
1. These are also called blue-green algae.
2. These are aquatic photosynthetic prokaryotes.
3. They show characters intermediate between bacteria and algae .
4. They resembles with gram –ve bacteria in their cell structure.
5. However they may be vegetative and asexual method. Sexual reproduction is
absent.
6. They possess characteristics photosynthetic pigment like phycocyanin,
phycobilins, beta carotene, xanthophylls, and chlorophyll a (chlorophyll b is
absent).
7. These are well known as diazotrphs .(Biological N2 fixers )
VIII. PROCHLOROPHYTES
1. Prochlorophytes are also called oxy-chloro bacteria.
2. These are Oxygenic photosynthetic pro-karyotic phytoplanktons. (Algae that grows in
water bodies.)
3. Prochloron didemni was the first prochlorophytes discovered in 1975 by R.A.Lewin .
4. These are unicellular prokaryotes containing both chlorophyll a & b.
5. Phycobilin pigments are absent.
6. They maintain extra cellular obligate symbiont on Coral reets .( ପ୍ରବାଳ ପ୍ରାଚୀର)
7. Taxonomically they are placed under
• Domain – bacteria
• Phylum – cyanobacteria
• Class – cyanophyceae
• Order - synechococals
• Family - prochloracae
MICROBES
Acellular Cellular
VIROIDS VIRUSES UNICELLULA MULTICELLULAR
PRIONS R
PROTOZOANS
MYCOPLASMA (Eukaryotes) CYANOBACTERIA FUNGI
(Eukaryotes)
EUBACTERIA
PROCHLOROPHYTES
ARCHAEBACTERIA (Prochlorons)
THANKS FOR
WATCHING
