TITLE: MICROBIAL ECOSYSTEM

NAME OF THE REPORTER: JAYCHEL KETH J. OBADO

Microbes are the tiniest creatures on Earth, yet despite their small size, they
have a huge impact on us and on our environment. One example of an ecosystem is
a forest. Every forest has a mix of living things, like plants and animals, and non-
living things, like air, sunlight, rocks, and water. The mix of living and non-living
things in each forest is unique. It is different from the mix of living and non-living
things in any other ecosystem.

According to Isme Microbes Organization, microbial ecology the study of

microbes in the environment and their interactions with each other. It is the
relationship of microorganisms with one another and with their environment. An
ecosystem is a community of living things. The living things in an ecosystem interact
each other and with the non-living things around them.

You are an ecosystem; the human body is also an ecosystem. There are
trillions tiny organisms living in and on it. These organisms are known as microbes
and include bacteria, viruses, and fungi. There are more of them living on just your
skin right now than there are people on Earth. These communities are part of the
ecosystem of the human body. Together, all these communities are known as the
human microbiome (American Museum of Natural History, 2016). No two human
microbiomes are the same. Because of this, you are a unique ecosystem. There is
no other ecosystem like your body.

Most types of microbes remain unknown. It is estimated that we know fewer

than 1% of the microbial species on Earth. Yet microbes surround us everywhere --
air, water, soil. An average gram of soil contains one billion (1,000,000,000) microbes
representing probably several thousand species. As they have changed over time,
microbes and humans have formed complex relationships with each other. Humans
need microbes to stay healthy, and microbes need the environments provided by the
human body to survive. Just like the plants and animals in a forest, the different
kinds of microbes in and on your body interact with each other. They need these
interactions to eat, grow, and reproduce (American Museum of Natural History,
2016).

MICROBIAL INTERACTION

Mutualism it is defined as the relationship in which each organism in

interaction gets benefits from association. It is an obligatory relationship in which
mutualist and host are metabolically dependent on each other (Supriya N, 2012).
Examples of mutualism protozoan-termite relationship and Lichens. In mutualism
both species benefit with each other, and they have obligatory relationship which
they both dependent with each other. Commensalism the word “commensalism” is
derived from the word “commensal” meaning “eating at the same table”. In
commensalism, one interacting organism derives benefit from the association while
the other partner remains unaffected. It is unidirectional association and if the
commensal is separated from the host, they can survive. Commensalism relationship
one species can benefit while the other species remain unaffected.ss

Protocooperation a positive (not obligate) symbiosis which involves

syntrophic (one organism lives off the byproducts of another) relationships. Benefits
both organisms in relationship. Differs from mutualism because cooperative
relationship is not obligatory. Protocooperation relationship they both benefit with
each other, but they don’t have obligatory relationship unlike to the mutualism, in
protocooperation they can survive without the presence of other species.

Amensalism is an ecological interaction between two species, but in this

association among organisms of two different species, one is destroyed or inhibited,
and the other remains unaffected (Lang and Benbow, 2013). A classic example of
amensalism is the production of antibiotics that can inhibit or kill a susceptible
microorganism. Ex. - the destructive effect of the bread mold Penicillium on certain
bacteria by the secretion of penicillin. Amensalism is a negative relationship between
two species, one species is destroyed or inhibit while the other species remain
unaffected. Predation when one organism, the predator, engulfs and digests another
organism, the prey. The prey can be larger or smaller than the predator, and this
normally results in the death of the prey. The prey-predator relationships where
predator (hunter) feeds on its prey (hunted). Predation Relationship one organism
(predator) will engulf and digest the other organism (prey). Parasitism It is a
relationship in which one population (parasite) get benefited and derive its nutrition
from other population (host) in the association which is harmed. The host-parasite
relationship is characterized by a relatively a long period of contact which may be
physical or metabolic. In parasitism one species (parasite) benefit to other species
the host is harmed by the parasite. Competition represents a negative relationship
between two microbial population in which both the population are adversely affected
with respect to their survival and growth. Competition occurs when both population
uses same resources such as same space or same nutrition, so, the microbial
population achieve lower maximum density or growth rate. Microbial population
competes for any growth limiting resources such as carbon source, nitrogen source,
phosphorus, vitamins, growth factors etc. Competition is a negative relationship to
both species they both receive negative effect.

https://www.onlinebiologynotes.com/microbial-interaction-and-
types-mutualism-syntropism-proto-cooperation-commensalism-
antagonism-parasitism-predation-competition/
https://biologyreader.com/microbial-interaction.html
https://www.amnh.org/content/download/131241/2201972/file/
human_microbiome_your_body_is_an_ecosystem_stepread1.p
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