STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What is the difference between species richness and species abundance?

2. How does an ecosystem differ from a habitat?
3. What are the characteristics of a microbial population
4. How does a microbial guild differ from a microbial community
5. What characteristics define the niche of a particular microorganism?
6. Why can many different physiological groups of organisms live in a single habitat?
7. Why might a biofilm be a good habitat for bacterial cells living in a flowing system?
8. Give an example of a medically relevant biofilm that forms in virtually all healthy
humans.
9. How do different intercellular and intracellular signaling molecules modulate biofilm
formation and dispersal?
10. How do microbial mats compare with biofilms in terms of dimensions and microbial
diversity?
11. The surface of a rock in a flowing stream will often contain a biofilm. What advantages
could be conferred on bacteria growing in a biofilm compared with growth within the
flowing stream?
12. How can biofilms complicate treatment of infectious diseases?
13. Describe some morphological adaptations of micro-organisms in the water environment
14. Define the following terms: Ecosystem Habitat Niche
15. What is the order of successions and colonization of exposed areas and on what basis is
this succession taking place?
16. To what extent is microbial community diversity and function resilient to short- and long-
term perturbations?
17. How are ecosystems organized?
18. What are the resources and environmental conditions that govern microbial growth in
nature
19. What spectrum of processes mediate the underlying mechanisms of adaptation of
microbes to their environments.
20. Mention and explain two examples of physiological mechanisms of microbial adaptation
to some environmental conditions