MICRO-

ORGANISMS
DR. Ribha Tariq
Assistant lecturer
OPTOMETRY
MICRO ORGANISMS
Microorganisms are very small organisms which cannot be
seen with the unaided eye. They can be seen only with a
magnifying glass or microscope.
Microorganisms may be unicellular or multicellular.
 Microorganisms may be single-celled like bacteria, some
algae and protozoa, or multicellular, such as many algae and
fungi.
 Microorganisms may exist alone or in colonies .

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 WHERE DO
MICROORGANISMS
LIVE..??

•.  Microorganisms live in all types

of environment, ranging from ice
cold climate to hot springs; and
deserts to marshy lands.
•  They are also found inside the
bodies of animals including
humans.
•  Some microorganisms grow on
other organisms while others exist
freely.

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TYPES OF MICR
OORGANISMS
• .  There are four main types of
microorganisms. They are:  Bacteria
(Examples- Streptococcus, Staphylococcus
etc.);
•  Fungi (Examples- Penicillium, Yeast etc.);
•  Algae (Examples- Nostoc, Volvox etc.);
•  Protozoa (Examples- Amoeba,
Paramecium etc.)
•  Viruses are also considered as
microorganisms. Eg. of virus- Coronavirus,
Hepatitis etc. Penicillium

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 TYPES OF MICRO ORGANISMS
HERE ARE TWO MAIN CLASSES OF MICRO ORGANISMS WHICH ARE FURTHER CLASSIFIED INTO
DIFFERENT TYPES:
PROKARYOTES:
• Prokaryotes are organisms whose cells lack
a nucleus and other organelles. Prokaryotes
are divided into two distinct groups: the
bacteria and the archaea
EUKARYOTES:
• The eukaryotes constitute the domain of
Eukarya, organisms whose cells have a
membrane-bound nucleus. All animals,
plants, fungi, and many unicellular
organisms are eukaryotes
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 BACTERIA

• Bacteria are unicellular organisms The cells

are described as prokaryotic because they lack
a nucleus. They exist in four major shapes:
bacillus (rod shape), coccus (spherical shape),
spirilla (spiral shape), and vibrio (curved
shape).Bacteria can be further divided based
on their response to gaseous oxygen into the
following groups: aerobic (living in the
presence of oxygen), anaerobic (living
without oxygen), and facultative anaerobes
(can live in both environments).

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ALCHAEA

• Archaea differ from true bacteria in their

cell wall structure and lack peptidoglycans.
They are prokaryotic cells with avidity to
extreme environmental conditions. Based on
their habitat, all Archaeans can be divided into
the following groups: methanogens (methane-
producing organisms), halophiles (archaeans
that live in salty environments), thermophiles
(archaeans that live at extremely hot
temperatures), and psychrophiles (cold-
temperature Archaeans).

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 ALGAE

• Algae, also called cyanobacteria or blue-green

algae, are unicellular or multicellular
eukaryotes that obtain nourishment by
photosynthesis. They live in water, damp soil,
and rocks and produce oxygen and
carbohydrates used by other organisms. Algae
fuel or algal biofuel is an alternative to liquid
fossil fuels that uses algae as its source of
energy-rich oils.Several companies and
government agencies are funding efforts to
reduce capital and operating costs and make
algae fuel production commercially viable.

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 FUNGUS

• A fungus is any member of the group of

eukaryotic organisms that includes unicellular
microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as
well as multicellular fungi that produce
familiar fruiting forms known as mushrooms.
These organisms are classified as a kingdom,
Fungi, which is separate from the other
eukaryotic life kingdoms of plants and
animals. They obtain nutrients by absorbing
organic material from their environment
(decomposers), through symbiotic
relationships with plants (symbionts), or
harmful relationships with a host (parasites).

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PROTOZOA

• Protozoa are unicellular aerobic eukaryotes. They

have a nucleus, complex organelles, and obtain
nourishment by absorption or ingestion through
specialized structures. They make up the largest
group of organisms in the world in terms of
numbers, biomass, and diversity. Their cell walls
are made up of cellulose. Protozoa have been
traditionally divided based on their mode of
locomotion: flagellates produce their own food and
use their whip- like structure to propel forward,
ciliates have tiny hair that beat to produce
movement,

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GROWTH OF MICRO ORGANISMS:
• The growth of microorganisms is a highly
complex and coordinated process, ultimately
expressed by increase in cell number or cell
mass. The process of growth depends on the
availability of requisite nutrients and their
transport into the cells, and the environmental
factors such as aeration, O2 supply,
temperature and pH.
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• to the time period required for doubling the
weight of the biomass while generation time
represents the period for doubling the cell
numbers. Doubling times normally increase
with increasing cell size and complicity as
given below. Bacteria 0.30 – 1 hour Yeasts 1
– 2 hours Animal cells 25 -48 hours Plant
cells 20 -70 hours In general, when all other
conditions are kept ideal, growth of the
microorganisms is dependent on the substrate
(nutrient) supply. The microorganisms can be
grown in batch, fed-batch, semi- continuous
or continuous culture systems in a bioreactor.
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THANK YOU!