9/21/2016 NPTEL::BiotechnologyMicrobiology

Butbacteriarecombinetheirgeneticmaterialsbythreeways:

1)ConjugationoccurswhenabacteriumpassesDNAtoasecondbacteriumthroughatube(sexpilus)thattemporarily
joinstwocellsthisoccursonlybetweenbacteriainthesameorcloselyrelatedspecies.

2)TransformationinvolvesbacteriatakingupfreepiecesofDNAsecretedbylivebacteriaorreleasedbydeadbacteria.

3)Transduction:BacteriophagestransferportionsofbacterialDNAfromonecelltoanother.

Thebacteriaareclassifiedbasedontheirsourceofenergy,carbonandhydrogen/electronsourceareoffollowingtype:

Based on carbon source: Autotrophs whose main carbon source is carbon dioxide and heterotrophs whose carbon
sourceisreducedorganicmolecules.

Based on energy source: Phototrophs: the light is their energy source and chemotrophs who get their energy by
oxidationoforganicandinorganiccompounds.

Based on hydrogen and electron source: Lithotrophs: the electron source is reduced inorganic molecule and
organotrophswhoseelectronsourceisorganicmolecules.

Thebacterialgrowthmainlyinvolvesincreaseincellmassandcelldivision.Underfavorableconditionbacteriagrowin
geometricprogressioni.e.doublesatregularintervals.Thisgrowthiscalledexponentialgrowth(Fig.10).Thebacterial
growthcanbedividedintofourphasesas:

Lagphase:Thepopulationremainstemporarilyunchangedandnoapparentcelldivisionthoughcellmaybegrowingin
volumeandmass.

Log phase: Where the cells are dividing regularly by binary fission and growing by geometric progression. The cells
divideatconstantratebasedongrowthmedium.

Stationaryphase:Thepopulationgrowthislimitedduetonutrientsexhaustion,accumulationofinhibitorymetabolites
orendproductsandlimitationofbiologicalspaces.

Deathphase:Duetolimitationofnutrientsbacteriadieandnomorecelldivisions.

The generation time of bacteria and growth rate can be calculated from the growth curve by the equation: G
(generationtime)=(time,inminutesorhours)/n(numberofgenerations).

G=t/nwheret=timeintervalinhoursorminutes

B=numberofbacteriaatthebeginningofatimeinterval.

b=numberofbacteriaattheendofthetimeinterval.n=numberofgenerations.

b=Bx2n(Thisequationisanexpressionofgrowthbybinaryfission).

Solvingforn:logb=logB+nlog2.

wheren=numberofgenerations.

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Algae
9/21/2016 NPTEL::BiotechnologyMicrobiology

Theyarephotosyntheticeukaryotes.Theyhavedifferenttypesofphotosyntheticpigmentsi.e.chlorophyllsuchasblue,
red,brownandgreen.Theyaremostlyfoundinmoistenvironment.Theyaremicroscopicandfloatinsurfacewaters
(phytoplankton)andliveattachedtorockycoasts(seaweeds).Sizerangesfrom0.5umtoover50mlongLackvascular
tissuesnotrueroots,stems,orleaves.Theymainlyreproducedbybothsexualandasexualmodesofreproductionand
havenomulticellularreproductiveorgans.Theyaremanydifferenttypesofalgaesuchas:

Red algae: Their size and complexity vary from thin films growing on rocks to complex filaments.Their accessory
pigmentscalledphycobilinsmaskthechlorophyllaandgivethemtheirredcolor.Duetothesespecializedpigments,red
algaeareoftenabletophotosynthesizeindeeperwaterthanotheralgae.Redalgaedonothaveflagella.Theyhavemany
benefitssuchusedasfoodandlaboratoryproducti.e.agarusedtogrowbacteriaandfungiisderivedfromredalgae.

Green algae: They are found mostly in fresh waters and on land. Most species float in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and
creeks.Theycanalsoliveonrocks,soil,andtreebark.Greenalgaeareorganismswithavarietyofbodyformsincluding
single cells, filaments, colonies, and thalli. They possess the same photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and b) and
somegreenalgaehavestiffcellwallscomposedofcellulose,asdoplants.

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