MICROORGANISMS

Microorganisms

 Microorganism is the term given to organisms

having a single celled body that can not be seen
with naked eye.
 Most of the microorganisms grow in large number
and their colonies can be seen by naked eye.
The Fungi Kingdom (Mushroom)

 Mushroom in their stage of life cycle when the phase

reproduction begins is called spore stage.
 In the spore stage they can’t be seen by naked eye.
 Fungal spores are carried by air and water currents.
 Spores have protective coat that helps them survive in heat,
cold and dry conditions.
 Spores germinate in favourable conditions to produce a thin
thread called hypha (pl = hyphae). A collection of hyphae form
a larger structure called mycelium.
The Fungi Kingdom (Mushroom)

 Asthe mycelium develop fruiting bodies are

produced. Mushrooms are examples of fruiting
bodies.
 Some fungi that grow on bread produce fruiting
bodies called sporangia. The sporangia contain
spores, which germinate in favourable conditions
to produce hyphae.
Life cycle of Mushroom
Sporangia on Bread
Yeast
 Yeast are microorganisms in all stages of life cycle.
 They do not produce hyphae but when fully grown they
produce copies of themselves that stick to their bodies and
are called buds.
Research work

 Why is yeast used in Baking Industry?

 Why does the dough rise even more in a warm
oven?
 List of few diseases caused by Fungi
Monera Kingdom

 The living organisms in the Monera Kingdom have

microscopic bodies made from one cell.
 Livingorganisms in the Monera Kingdom do not
have a well defined nucleus.
 There are two groups in this kingdom: Bacteria
and Blue Green Algae
 Monera Kingdom Labelling of diagram

A plasmid is a small, circular, double-stranded DNA molecule that is distinct from a cell's
chromosomal DNA. Plasmids naturally exist in bacterial cells, and they also occur in some
eukaryotes. Often, the genes carried in plasmids provide bacteria with genetic advantages,
such as antibiotic resistance.
 Bacteria

Bacteria usually reproduce by the process of fission in which one bacterium divides into two.
If there is enough of food, warmth and moisture then fission can take place once every twenty minutes.
When favourable conditions are not available bacteria form spores.
Diphtheria, whooping cough, cholera, tuberculosis, food poisoning and typhoid are caused by bacteria.
Blue Green Algae

 They live in seas, oceans and lakes.

 They are called photosynthetic
bacteria
The Protoctista Kingdom
 The living organisms under Protoctista kingdom have one
cell which contains nucleus.
 They live in aquatic habitat and damp places in soil.
 Somemembers of the family make their food by the
process of photosynthesis. They are called Protophyta.
 Some members of the group feed as animals. They are
called Protozoa.
 The outside of the body have single long hair called
flagellum or many small hairs called cilia. Flagella and
cilia help in locomotion.
The Protoctista Kingdom
 Amoeba is a Protozoan. It does not have a fixed shape and
can constantly keep changing it’s shape. Amoeba also does
not have any flagella or cilia. Instead it has the ability to
make projections from its body. This projection is called
pseudopodium (false foot). Plural is pseudopodia. With the
help of pseudopodia Amoeba is able to move (locomotion)
from one place to another to find food.
 Some Protoctista members live in the body of other animals
and cause disease in them. Malaria, Sleeping sickness and
amoebic dysentery are some diseases in humans caused by
organisms from Protoctista.
Labelling of these diagrams
must be learnt
Viruses
 They don’t have proper cell structure.
 They can be stored for many years like minerals. During this time
they do not feed, respire or excrete.
 They are able to reproduce only when they are in a living
organism.
 Once in the body cells they destroy the cells in the body.
 Viruses don’t have cell wall and cell membrane, they only have a
protein coat.
 Common cold, influenza, chicken pox, measles and AIDS are some
diseases caused by viruses.
 Q: Are viruses living or non-living? Explain your choice.
Decomposers
 Allmicroorganisms are not harmful. We have good
bacteria in our digestive system. Decomposers are
another set of microorganisms that are useful.
 The microorganisms that feed on the bodies of
dead remains of plants and animals to break them
into simpler substance are called decomposers.
 Decomposers allow the minerals in the living
bodies to be returned back to the environment
(for plants to take in). Thus decomposers help in
recycling of minerals in an ecosystem.
 LouisPasteurs experiments on Pages 63 and 64 of
CheckPoint 1.