CHAPTER 8

BIODIVERSITY
 8.3
Microorganisms
and viruses
 MICROORGANISMS
 microscopicorganisms that cannot
be seen by the naked eye
 canonly be observed under the
microscope
 Most are unicellular.
 canbe divided into a few types;
bacteria, protozoa, algae, fungi and
viruses.
The Main Characteristics of Microorganisms and Viruses
1. BACTERIA
 Do not have nucleus due to
the lack of nuclear
membranes.
 Genetic materials exist in
the form of chromosomal
threads (DNA) free-floating
inside the cytoplasm.
 Known as the nucleoid.
 Some bacteria have
plasmid, which is small
DNA molecules that carry
extra genes.
 Range from 1 to 10 µm long
A can exist as a single cell, a
diploid (a pair), in filaments,
chains or clusters.
 Canexist in a few basic shapes
such as the coccus (sphere), vibrio
(comma), bacillus (rod/cylinder)
and spirillum (spiral).
 Examples of bacteria include
Lactobacillus sp., Streptococcus
sp. and Staphylococcus aureus
 2. PROTOZOA
 Animal-like unicellular
microorganisms
 Move around using pseudopodia
(false feet), cilia or flagellum
 Usually found in aquatic
habitats.
 Heterotrophs or autotrophs.
 Euglena sp. is an autotrophic
protozoa with chloroplasts that
can undergo photosynthesis.
 Can be free-living or parasitic
 3. ALGAE
 Consist of unicellular
microorganisms like
Chlamydomonas sp. and
multicellular organisms such as
the brown algae, Fucus sp.
 Some algae have flagellum to
move in water.
 Algae have chloroplasts and are
therefore autotrophs.
 However, algae do not have
leaves, stems, or roots like
plants do.
 Algae live in ponds, lakes and
ocean
4. FUNGI
 Do not contain chlorophyll,
thus fungi are heterotrophs,
either parasites or
saprophytes.
 Do not contain roots, stems
and leaves.
 Have cell walls created by
chitin.
 Exist in the form of mycelium,
which is made up of a network
of threads called the hyphae
 Fungi are unicellular microorganisms
(Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast)) or
multicellular microorganisms
(Mucor sp.)
 Foundin dark or moist places and on
decomposing or dead organisms
5. VIRUS
 Not included in any of the
kingdoms because they
are not cellular
organisms.
 Does not carry out any life
process outside of a cell.
 Reproduce using living
cells by injecting their
genetic materials into
host cells.
 Made up of nucleic acid
(DNA or RNA) and capsids
made from protein.
 Size of a virus is too
small (20 nm to 400 nm),
therefore virus cannot
be seen using a light
microscope but can only
be seen using an
electron microscope.
 Examples :
tobacco mosaic virus, T4
bacteriophage and HIV
The Role of Microorganisms in the Nitrogen Cycle
 Plants require nitrogen to
synthesise protein in
plant tissues and this
nitrogen is obtained from
the soil in the form of
ammonium ions (NH4 +)
and nitrate ions (NO3 – ).
 Nitrogen gas from the
atmosphere be converted
into a form that can be
used by plants by
NITROGEN CYCLE
 Nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in the root nodules of legumes like Rhizobium
sp. and free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil such as Azotobacter sp.
fixes the nitrogen from the atmosphere and changes it to ammonium ions
(NH4+) via the nitrogen-fixing process.
 Lightning in a thunderstorm oxidises nitrogen to nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ) which
dissolves in rainwater to form nitrous acid and nitric acid. Both form nitrate
salts in the soil.
 Industrial fertilisers provide ammonium fertilisers and nitrates in the soil.
 When plants and animals die, decomposition is carried out by decomposers
such as bacteria and saprophytic fungi.
 Protein in body tissue will be broken down into ammonium ions (NH4 +) via
ammonification
 Ammonium ions are converted into nitrite ions (NO2 – ) via
nitrification by the nitrifying bacteria; Nitrosomonas sp.
 Nitrite ions will be converted to nitrate ions (NO3 – ) by the nitrifying
bacteria; Nitrobacter sp.
 The nitrates will then be absorbed by plant roots and used to synthesise proteins.
 When the plants are eaten by animals, nitrogen gets transferred to the animal’s
tissue.
 Denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates in the soil into nitrogen gas through the
denitrification process
 Microorganisms as producers
 Microorganisms as decomposers
 Microorganisms as parasites
 Microorganism as symbionts

THE ROLE OF MICROORGANISMS

1. Microorganisms as
producers

 Microorganisms like phytoplankton are

usually found floating on the surface of
the oceans, ponds or lakes.
 For instance, green algae, blue-green
algae (cyanobacteria), dinoflagellates
and diatoms
 As they have chlorophyll,
phytoplankton can undergo
photosynthesis.
 Important to aquatic ecosystem as
producers in food chains.
 2. Microorganisms as decomposers

 Saprophytic fungi and saprophytic

bacteria are important
microorganisms that decompose
organic materials from dead
organisms
 Saprophytic fungi and bacteria are
known as decomposers.
 Decomposers break down complex
organic materials such as animal
wastes, carcasses and rotting trees
into simple compounds such as
ammonium
 Decomposers secrete digestive
enzymes into the decaying
organic materials, then absorb
the products of the digestive
process.
 The products of this process
contain important elements
required by plants such as
carbon, nitrogen and sulphur
which are returned to the soil
 These materials are then
absorbed by plants
 Parasite benefits from the
relationship while the host is
harmed or sometimes die from the
negative effects caused by the
parasite.
 Continue to benefit for as long as
this interaction continues.
 Hence, most parasites try not to
kill their hosts

3. Microorganisms as parasites
 Examples of parasitic
microorganisms is
Plasmodium sp.
(Photograph 8.19).
 Livesinside the female
Anopheles mosquito
(Photograph 8.20)
 Transmits malaria to
anyone who is bitten by
the mosquito when the
parasite is transferred into
the blood circulation
system of the person
4. Microorganism as symbionts

Organism which has a close

relationship with another
organism (known as the host).
There are two types of
symbionts, ectosymbionts and
endosymbionts
 Definition of
Pathogens and
Vector
 1. Pathogens

 Can cause infectious disease such as virus,

bacteria, protozoa and fungi.
 Infection is caused when a pathogen such as
a enters the body, divides and multiplies
 The disease caused by pathogens will occur
when the cells inside the body are damage.
 This is caused by the infection and the
infected person shows the symptoms.
2. Vector
 Vectors are organisms which transmit
pathogens and cause certain disease.
 Examples :
Mosquito, flies and cockroch
 Thebacteria Vibrio cholerae is
spread amongst humans
through flies.
 When a person consumes food
that has been contaminated
by Vibrio cholerae, they might
get cholera.
 Thedengue virus is
transmitted to
humans through
Aedes aegypti
mosquito bites.
 Salmonella typhi
bacteria are
transmitted to humans
through food and
water that has been
contaminated by
cockroaches
 Pathogens disrupt the immunity
system in many ways.
 Virusesor bacteria cause sickness
when they disturb cell functions or
cause cell damage.
 Some pathogens release toxins that
could lead to paralysis or destroy
metabolic activities in the body

THE EFFECTS OF PATHOGENS ON HUMAN HEALTH

THE END