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Gegabine Trishia Gabrielle P. Microbial Ecology CAS 02 401 P Group 5 Microorganisms Superpowers to Recycle Nutrients in Environment: Just like water cycle, respiratory cycle and other cycles between the boundaries of life either plants, animals or humans. Some people may ask a question (well except in biology majors), How do microbes interact with other plants? What is the connection between us humans to microbes and to its environment? What kind of superpowers does microbes have to recycle its nutrients to its environment? Are there specific microbes that recycles nutrients? What is nutrient recycling? In this essay those questions have an answer to explain further a due what this topic is all about. But first, let us define what is microbes and their roles to their environment. Microbes are tiny microorganisms that can be found everywhere and anywhere including in humans’ skin, food animals and plants. They can’t be seen on naked eyed, but they can be seen through specialized microscopes. Microbes are the main reasons behind food spoilage, smell of soil during rain, decomposing and other kind of cycle. Microbes are important to us not only for humans but for all living things. To be clear, there are 3 main cycles that are in the environment. The nitrogen cycle is a biochemical process that changes or breakdowns nitrogen into multiple chemical that helps plant to grow. A water cycle where does rain starts and comes from. Lastly, the carbon cycle the flow or interaction of oxygen and carbon dioxide. And The reason why that microbes are in the recycling role use the organic matter as an energy source (food cycle or food chains) recycling frees up nitrogen, potassium, oxygen and other main components that
used in food chain and decomposing. They connect with the plant roots to provide free access to the freshly released nutrients. That we used for oxygen (we exhaled carbon dioxide and they inhale it) we used for food (for food chains) and for shelter. Also, microorganism is used as decomposers in animals and plant (mutualism). There are numerous bacteria that help to recycle nutrients they are called decomposers. Those single celled microorganisms help dead body to decomposed so that their nutrients recycle back and be utilized for the future. How does microbes connect with humans? There are bacteria called “gut bacteria” inside in our stomach which help us to digest well. And these are kinds of recycling bacteria and their cycles that helps every single living thing live. There are bad and good microbes which is they can harm us and help us. But we can’t deny that these microbes have an important and vital role in our ecosystem. Imagine the world without microbes everywhere and even that gut bacteria of yours are unknown. How can we survive? How do plants survive? and are particularly important in zones where light cannot approach (that is, where photosynthesis cannot be the basic means to collect energy). Microorganisms participate in a host of fundamental ecological processes including production, decomposition, and fixation. We can say that these microorganisms have indeed a superpower that helps ecosystem live.
need energy and growth from what they consume (ingest). All organic matter contains starches and carbohydrates, which they consume. Non-green plants are fungi. They are unable to produce their own food. They must rely on others for their food. The majority of fungi feed on decomposing organic matter. As parasites, certain parasites exist on other organisms. Green substances that float on the surface of a pond, lake, river, stagnant water, wet soil, or stones are known as algae. They prefer wet surfaces to grow on. As a result, they will create their own food. They can be found in water or in extremely damp environments. Protozoa are single-celled organisms. Some are parasites, and others are free-living. Humans, domestic animals, and plants are all affected by parasitic protozoans. Plasmodium, for example, is a protozoan that causes malaria. Microorganisms are used in the commercial manufacture of beer, wine, and acetic acid (vinegar), as well as for medicinal purposes. Microorganisms can also be toxic. Humans, plants, and animals are all affected by some of the microorganisms. Pathogens are pathogenic microorganisms that cause disease. Microorganisms wreak havoc on leather, food, and clothes. Viruses are microscopic organisms that are so simple (and small) that they aren't even known as cells and aren't considered living. Viruses are simply genetic material (DNA or RNA) covered in a protective protein coat. They can't live on their own, so they'll need a host to help them reproduce. A virus can take over a cell in your body and change its instructions, causing the cell to start producing copies of the virus instead of doing what
it was supposed to do. It eventually produces so many that the cell bursts open, releasing all of the viruses, which then infect a large number of other cells. Some viruses hibernate (go dormant) as they wait for the right circumstances to arise. Viruses come in a variety of sizes, including rods, spheres, and many-sided spheres. Some are even built to resemble a spaceship! While pathogenic viruses can be extremely dangerous, there are a few beneficial viruses that are not harmful. Researchers and scientists are attempting to discover new ways to use these viruses to combat bacterial infections. Vaccine is when a disease-carrying microbe enters our healthy body, antibodies are produced, and these antibodies battle and destroy the disease-carrying microbe. If the microbe enters again, the body remembers how to combat it. Antibodies last a long time in the body and protect us from disease-causing microbes. A vaccine is a drug that is administered into the body to cause the body to begin this whole process. Antibody is when disease-causing pathogens invade our bodies, our internal defence mechanisms create substances known as antibodies to combat them. The nitrogen cycle occurs as bacteria and blue green algae in the soil fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and turn it to nitrogen compounds. Plants may use nitrogen from the soil from their root system until it has been transformed into these functional compounds. When plants and animals die, however, bacteria and fungi in the soil turn nitrogenous wastes into nitrogenous compounds that plants can use again. As a result of the Nitrogen Cycle, the percentage of nitrogen in the atmosphere is maintained at a relatively constant level.
In the environment context, microorganisms form as the backbone of every ecological system by controlling the biogeochemical cycling of elements that are necessary for life. But what is biogeochemical cycling anyway? It is the process by which a chemical element (such as carbon or nitrogen) moves through an ecosystem's biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) influences. These biogeochemical processes also move elements, chemical compounds, and other types of matter from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another. The elements are were moved through different factors of an ecosystem are not lost but rather recycled and placed on reservoirs that can be set aside for a long time or use it later on. But why do microbes important for our environment to help living organism to survive? It is because even though the biogeochemical are coordinated by living organisms and abiotic factors that compose the system, microbes helps regulate the cycle in all of our global environment. This includes extreme or difficult environments such as hydrothermal vents or acidic lakes. Another example of biogeochemical cycle that is controlled by microbes is the nitrogen cycle, as it is required for synthesis of basic building block of life. It is carried out by a bacteria that have enzyme nitrogenase that combines N 2 with hydrogen to produce a useful form of nitrogen thus, microbes are crucial for plant and animal life forms. In conclusion, microorganism is the foundation for all life forms on earth. It uses it genetic structure as superpower. Their huge biomass, versatility and ability to recycle the chemical elements make them an important component of ecosystems.
Manalo, Marco O. Microbial Ecology CAS-02-401P May 09, 2021 Topic: Microorganisms Have Superpowers to Recycle Nutrients in the Environment Microbes are vital to every ecosystem on Earth and are particularly important in zones where light cannot approach (that is, where photosynthesis cannot be the basic means to collect energy). Microorganisms participate in a host of fundamental ecological processes including production, decomposition, and fixation. They can also have additional indirect effects on the ecosystem through symbiotic relationships with other organisms. In addition, microbial processes can be co-opted for biodegradation or bioremediation of domestic, agricultural, and industrial wastes, making the study of microbial ecology particularly important for biotechnological and environmental applications. Each species in an ecosystem is thought to occupy a separate, unique niche. The ecological niche of a microorganism describes how it responds to the distribution of resources and competing species, as well as the ways in which it alters those same factors in turn. In essence, the niche is a complex description of the ways in which a microbial species uses its environment. The precise ecological niche of a microbe is primarily determined by the specific metabolic properties of that organism. For example, microbial organisms that can obtain
Soil is rich with biological diversity and complexity that is not immediately apparent to the un-aided eye. Without a strong microscope, you wouldn’t know that there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of organisms in a handful of soil. Bacteria, archaea, algae, and fungi play critical roles in the growth and well-being of plants. I like to think about these millions of microbes under our feet as workers at recycling plants, mining operations, and refineries. They all have specific jobs helping make nutrients available for plants. The microbes that work in the recycling role use the organic carbon in the organic matter as an energy source (food). Recycling frees up nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus that are important to plant health. The importance of these recycling microbes cannot be overstated; they turn the world’s refuse into the building blocks of life. The maintenance of plant-life would be nearly impossible without these hard-working organisms. The soil microorganisms that fill the “miner” role work on nearby rocks and minerals, not organic matter like the recyclers. Miner microbes make a kind of “bacterial goo” – scientifically called an “exudate”. The goo has a special pH and other key characteristics specially formulated to bind and extract nutrients like phosphorus, calcium, and potassium. All of these minerals are needed for healthy plants and good crop yields. Generally, refiners only live on special root formations called “nodules” of legume plants. Peanuts, alfalfa, clover, beans, and lentils, are all legumes. They can all form this symbiotic relationships with Rhizobia. The legumes house the Rhizobia and provide them with energy-rich compounds for food. Due to this special symbiotic relationship, legumes make for great cover-crops in agricultural settings. The dead
tissues of legumes (re-introduced to the soil for future plant use by the recyclers!) are nitrogen-rich. This nitrogen-rich plant material can provide nitrogen to the next planted crop. This means that the farmer is not required to spend as much time, money, and energy applying nitrogen fertilizers. So how do you make your soil hospitable to these microbes that have the potential to enrich your garden? In simple terms, you must “feed” the microbial communities in your soil. Recyclers use organic carbon in dead matter as an energy source. Cover crop residue, compost, or mulch are good sources of organic matter. To help the nitrogen- fixing “refiners”, plant some legumes, like clover or alfalfa,^1 as a cover-crop. The Rhizobia will make the legume and surrounding soil nitrogen rich. Leave this cover crop on the soil after it dies to provide nitrogen-rich organic material, and start the cycle over.
Javar, Edgie Junela I. CAS-02-401P MICROORGANISMS: FRIEND OR FOE Microorganisms are microscopic organisms that live in the soil. Microorganisms (also known as microbes) are microscopic organisms that can only be seen under a microscope. Bacteria, microscopic fungi (moulds), and protoctists are examples. Viruses, which are much smaller than bacteria, are usually considered non-living organisms, but they are essential disease-causing agents and may be included here. In every ecosystem, microorganisms are the most numerous organisms. There are about 159,000 recognized organisms, which is estimated to be less than 5% of the overall number of species on the planet. Microorganisms have a lot of genetic variation, which isn't surprising given that they evolved over a billion years ago land plants. This, along with their small size and ability to reproduce, explains why bacteria, in fact, are the most commonly spread forms of life on the earth. Inside our bodies, in our cells, bacteria replicate rapidly. Cells are tiny living matter units that help us stay alive and expand. Our cells, bone cells, digestive cells, skin cells, and muscle cells are all made up of cells. There are trillions of cells within of us, each with a vital role to play in maintaining our wellbeing. An unwanted invasion of microbes may disrupt the activities of our cells, and some may even cause disease. Protozoa, algae, fungi, bacteria, and viruses are the most common microorganisms found in and on our bodies. Bacteria, bacteria are unavoidable. They are all over the place! The good news is that they are generally harmless, but pathogenic bacteria can
cause illness. They flourish in unsanitary environments and can develop very easily by splitting in half, then growing the two halves, then dividing again, and so on. There are more types of bacteria than there are types of any other organisms on earth. One type of good bacteria lives in our intestines. It helps breakdown and digest the food we eat. Food poisoning can make us very sick, as well. It’s usually caused by harmful bacteria that live on, or in, many uncooked foods. Viruses, viruses are microorganisms that are so simple (and small) that they do not even have cells and are not considered as living. Viruses are simply genetic material (DNA or RNA) bound in a protein "coat." They cannot live on their own, so they need a host that will allow them to multiply. A virus has the ability to mutate, or change its identity, to avoid being noticed. This ability to change makes it more difficult to find the virus and stop it. The SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus or COVID-19), flu, chicken pox, HIV, and the common cold are each caused by a virus. Scientists are now investigating how to use viruses to help humans get healthier. Viruses enter cells and take hold of them, instructing them about what to do. If a cell were to replicate uncontrollably, a scientist could be able to use a virus to convince the cell to slow down its development. This therapy is being researched as a means of combating cancer, a condition in which cells proliferate uncontrollably. Fungi, Fungi come in a variety of forms. Some, like fungi, resemble plants. However, the microscopic fungi that enter our bodies cause irritating, common infections such as ringworm and athlete's foot. Ringworm appears on the skin as a wormlike, itchy, red ring. Athlete's foot spores infect the bottoms of the feet and between the toes, causing sore skin to scratch, crack, and peel. Protozoa, protozoa are single-celled species that dwell in lakes, wetlands, and polluted water. We must be cautious about the water we drink. Protozoa
