Microbes

Microbes

1. Nutrition

   • a process by which chemical substances called nutrients are acquired from the environment and use in cellular activity such as metabolism and growth
   • Essential Nutrients:
     • elemental or molecular substance that must be provided to an organism
     • Microbes Essential Nutrients: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus (CHONPS)
       • Categorize
         • what if I type something here
         • Macronutrients
           •  - required large quantities, -play a principal role in cell structure and metabolism (eg. carbon, hydrogen, oxygen)
         • Micronutrients
           • - trace elements (eg. manganese, zinc, nickle)  - required in smaller amounts  - involved in enzyme function and maintaining of protein structure
         • Carbon Content
           • Organic
             • - contain carbon and hydrogen atoms and a are a product of living things (eg. methane, large polym. carbohydrates, lipids, nuclaic acid
           • Inorganic
             • - atoms of molecules that contain a combination of atoms other than carbon and hydrogen - natural resevoirs of inorganic; mineral deposits, bodies of water, atmosphere -eg. metals and their salts (magnesium, sulfate, ferric nitrate, sodium phosphate) gasses (oxyten, carbon dioxide) and water
   • Nutritional requiremnts
     •  -cell composition      -water (70%)      -proteins next most prevelant      - Dry cell weight organic components (97%)      - Dry cell weignt (96%) composed of CHONPS      - Chemical elements needed come in compounds not pure elements
   • Source of Nutrients
     • Carbon Source
       • Heterotroph
         • Organism that must obtain carbon in organic form
       • Autotroph
         • organism that uses inorganic carbon dioxide as its carbon source -not dependant on living things
     • Nitrogen Source
       • - gas (N2) 79% of atmosphere - indespensible to the structure of proteins, DNA, RNA, ATP - Primary for heterotrophs, but first must degrad to building blocks (proteins into amino acids, nuclaic acids into nucleotides) - some bacteria and algea utilize inorganic (NO3-, NO2-, NH3)
     • Oxygen Source
       • Free gaseous oxygen  makes up 20% of atmosphere
     • Hydrogen Source
       • - Water, salts, naturally occuring gases - Performs: 1. maintaining pH 2. forming H bonds between molecules 3. source of free energy in oxidation reducing reactions of respiration
     • Phosphorus Source
       • - Phospate (PO4 5-) derived form phostphoric acid (H3PO4) rocks, oceanic mineral deposits - phosphate key component of nuclaic acid; essential to genetics in cells and viruses
     • Sulfur Source
       • - mineral form; rocks and sediments - essential for some vitamins (B1) and amino acid, methonine and cytecine (helps determine shape and structure stability of proteins by forming unique disulfide bonds)
     • Other
       • - mineral ions: potassium for protein synthesis and membrane function - sodium for cell transport - calcium - stabalize cell wall and endospores of bacteria - magnesium - chlorophy and stable membrane and ribosomes - iron - cytocome proteins for cell respiration - zinc - regulatory celements for eukaryotic genetics -needed in small amount for some microbes: copper, cobalt, nickle, manganese, silicone, iodine, baron
   • Parasites capable of invading a living body derive all essential nutrients from the host's tissue, tissue fluids, secretions and waste

2. Environmental Factors

3. Microbial Growth