Download Plate 10 - Spectrum of Microorganisms

Plate 10
The Spectrum of Microorganisms
Cell Size
► The
smallest objects visible to the unaided
eye are about 0.1 mm long
 Amoeba
 Human egg
 Paramecium
Centimeter
► cm
= centimeter
► 1 cm = 1/100 meter
► About the width of
your pinky finger
Millimeter
► mm
= millimeter
► 1 mm = 1/1000 meter
► About the width of a
dime
Micrometer
Human hair
► μm
= micrometer
► Known as a “micron”
► 1 μm = 1/1,000,000 meter
Red blood cell
6-10 microns
40-50 microns
Nanometer
► nm
= nanometer
► 1 nm = 1/1,000,000,000 meter
2.5 nm
30-50 nm
Dimensional Analysis
Convert 33.2 cm into m
33.2 cm x
1m
100 cm
Dimensional Analysis
Convert 33.2 cm into m
33.2 cm x
1m
100 cm
= 0.332 m
You Try!
Broad Range of Microorganisms
► Can
be as small as a virus
 50 nm
be as large as Armillaria ostoyae (the
“humongous fungus”)
► Can
 8.9 km2 (2,200 acres)
“Micro”organisms
► In
order for an organism to be a
“microorganism”, a microscope must be
used to see the details of its structure
Viruses
► Viruses
are primarily made from 2 types of
molecules:
 A protective protein coating (capsid)
 DNA or RNA inside
Viruses
►3
basic virus shapes:
Helical
Icosahedron
Complex
Viruses
► Characteristics
of viruses similar to other
living organisms:
 Can reproduce (only inside other living cells)
 Can evolve (mutate)
Viruses
► Diseases





caused by viruses:
HIV (AIDS)
Influenza
Chicken pox
Hepatitis
Small pox
Bacteria
► Bacteria
are the most abundant organisms
in the world, both in number and mass
► Bacteria have the greatest diversity of
species
► No one knows for sure how many species
there are
Bacteria
► Bacteria
can be 100 to 1000 times the size
of a virus
Bacteria
►3
main shapes:
 Coccus (spherical)
 Bacillus (rod)
 Spirochete & spirillum
(spiral)
Bacteria
Bacteria
► Roles
that bacteria play:
 Decomposers – recycle large organic molecules
and important elements (C & N)
 Relatively few actually cause disease
 Help make food and other materials
Cyanobacteria
► Prokaryotic
► Commonly
called “blue-green
algae”, but they’re more closely
related to bacteria than algae
► Original producers of oxygen
(O2) on earth
 Produce O2 more than plants!
Cyanobacteria
► In
warm, nutrient-rich environments,
cyanobacteria can grow very quickly
► Algal blooms can use up oxygen in water,
block sunlight, and release toxins
Microscopic Algae
► Two
main types:
 Dinoflagellates (spinning whips)
 Diatoms
Protozoa
► Proto
(first), zoa (animals)
► “Animalcules” first seen by Anton von
Leeuwenhoek
► Thought to be simplest form of animal and
first to appear
Protozoa
► Amoeba
feet”)
– move by pseudopods (“false
Protozoa
► Flagellates
– move by flagella
Protozoa
► Ciliates
– move by cilia
Protozoa
► Sporozoa
– no locomotion, parasitic
Protozoa
► Diseases




caused by protozoa:
Malaria
Sleeping sickness
Giardia
Toxoplasma
Fungi
► Two
main types:
 Molds – sometimes macroscopic
 Yeasts – single-celled
Fungi
► Hyphae
– single chain of cells
Fungi
► Mycelium
– mass of hyphae
Fungi
► Spore
– reproductive structure
 Can resist most environmental damage (UV
light, temperature extremes, desiccation, etc.)