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Importance of studying biology
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A biofilm is a layer consisting of various combinations of many different organisms, autotrophic and heterotrophic. They are dense, organized communities of cells, encased in a self-produced slime. The bacteria grow together in water like atmospheres, attaching to a solid surface, forming a small ecosystem. Biofilms are known as a micro-environment, a micro-habitat, or a slime matrix. They help decompose dead organisms and recycle carbon and nutrients.
Biofilms are formed on almost any surface that is submerged in non sterile water. Even hot springs, and glaciers. Examples of common places where biofilms are found are pipes, hulls of ships, porcelain surface of toilet bowls, wood siding, shower tiles, plastics, wooden cutting boards, vases, marine and fresh water environments, soft tissue surfaces in living organisms, contact lenses, mascara brushes, eye care solutions, and artificial fingernails. A sufficient amount of moisture, nutrients, and a large smooth surface must be present for a biofilm to form. The more nutrients there are, chances are, the more rapid the development will be. These are the places where biofilms are formed.
Biofilms are formed by a six step process. First is a reversible process, when an organic monolayer(made of polysaccharides or glycoproteins) absorbs to the surface, altering the chemical and physical properties of the surface. This makes the surface more conditioned and increase the chance that planktonic bacteria will attach. Secondly, also a reversible step, is when the free-floating or planktonic bacteria encounter the conditioned surface, and some attachment of the bacteria may occur. The third step is when the bacteria is left attached too long, then an irreversible attachment occurs. F...
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...get once you've slipped on the rocks. Industries that are effected by this are medical factories that make Band-Aids and other useful things to cover cuts with. Also, doctors get money when children come in with an infection that they have in a cut from the river because they slipped on the biofilm on the rocks.
However, even though many biofilms are harmful, there are many helpful biofilms too. One of which is the biofilm that is used in sewage and is very effective at treating environmental wastes. People rely on these biofilms to remove contaminants from the water. Another example of a beneficial biofilm is one that can be used to produce a greatly diverse amount of biochemicals that are then purified and utilized for public good, including medicines, food additives, or chemical additives for cleaning products. These are two examples of helpful biofilms.
Bacteria can function and reproduce as single cells but often combine into multicellular colonies. Bacteria are also surrounded by a cell wall. Archaea differ from bacteria in their genetics and biochemistry. Their cell membranes are made with different material than bacteria.
There are numerous types of bacteria that can be found in every environment. Each bacterium has different morphology which includes shape, texture and pigment production. These bacteria also have different food requirements which are important in being able to identify a microorganism. Microorganisms are a diverse group containing all bacteria a single cell prokaryotic organism that is found in every type of environment, archea single cell microorganism that lacks nuclei and almost all microorganisms are protozoa a unicellular eukaryotic organism. By identifying the causative agent of a bacterium within an individual, an antibiotic can be developed to prevent health issues. Microorganisms are also used to make certain food products for human consumption. An example of this would be the production of yogurt. It has probiotics that help with digestive abnormalities amongst other things. Probiotics are microorganisms that are consumed to provide health benefits in the body. Probiotics work by replacing the disturbed microbe with ones that are useful to digest. With the methods that wer...
Biofilms are made up of a sessile, heterogeneous consortium of microbial cells that are irreversibly attached to a substratum or interface or to each other.(16) These microflora become embedded in a self-secreted complex exopolysaccharides (16,17)containing dead microorganisms, and inorganic materials derived from the supply water.
...ated danger due to the use of such products. The data supportive of antibacterial products’ beneficial effects is very weak, especially when compared to products without biocides. So while the data may not be good enough for a scientific conclusion, it is clear enough to draw the conclusion that the benefits do not outweigh the costs. Biocides such as triclosan need to be more closely monitored and controlled by the FDA, if not banned altogether. Even though they may be harmless at low concentrations, the long-term and abundant use without limit poses a risk that could harm people and nature alike on a global scale. Plain soaps and other products made of all natural ingredients accomplish the same objective as antibacterial products without the many adverse effects. Consumers should know the facts and use these products as has been safely done for generations.
Microorganism is a living thing that cannot be seen by naked eye and is so small in size. Microorganism usually can be seen through microscope because microscope have the ability to see small thing using various magnification. The examples of microorganism are bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae and virus. Among all of the microorganisms, bacteria have the greatest advantages in preserving food and beverages. Bacteria are generally harmless but can produce enzymes that can alter the structure the food. In extreme cases, bacteria can secrete toxic substances that can cause the food to spoil.
Biofilms are complex communities of microorganism that can adhere to living or non-living surfaces. In the environment, biofilms divide by attaching and growing on surfaces. They are found in soil, aquatic system, medical devices, living tissues such as tooth, heart valves, ears and lungs. Biofilm formation is a process where the planktonic bacteria comes in contact with a surface, and producing the extracellular polymeric matrix to protect themselves against immune cells and antimicrobials (Chauchan et al., 2009). There is a difference between a planktonic bacteria, and a bacterial biofilm. The planktonic bacteria, moves around freely, and it is single celled organism; is responsible for acute bacterial infections. It can not change genetic activity. The bacterial biofilms are multi-cellular organisms, it can initiate a change in genetic activity. Biofilms are very important, because they can create energy loses, equipment damage, contamination,
Multiplication of attached organisms leads to confluent growth and biofilm formation. Adherent bacteria synthesise extracellular polymers.
Bacterial cells, like plant cells, are surrounded by a cell wall. However, bacterial cell walls are made up of polysaccharide chains linked to amino acids, while plant cell walls are made up of cellulose, which contains no amino acids. Many bacteria secrete a slimy capsule around the outside of the cell wall. The capsule provides additional protection for the cell. Many of the bacteria that cause diseases in animals are surrounded by a capsule. The capsule prevents the white blood cells and antibodies from destroying the invading bacterium. Inside the capsule and the cell wall is the cell membrane. In aerobic bacteria, the reactions of cellular respiration take place on fingerlike infoldings of the cell membrane. Ribosomes are scattered throughout the cytoplasm, and the DNA is generally found in the center of the cell. Many bacilli and spirilla have flagella, which are used for locomotion in water. A few types of bacteria that lack flagella move by gliding on a surface. However, the mechanism of this gliding motion is unknown. Most bacteria are aerobic, they require free oxygen to carry on cellular respiration. Some bacteria, called facultatibe anaerobes can live in either the presence or absence of free oxygen. They obtain energy either by aerobic respiration when oxygen is present or by fermentation when oxygen is absent. Still other bacteria cannot live in the presence of oxygen. These are called obligate anaerobes. Such bacteria obtain energy only fermentation. Through fermentation, different groups of bacteria produce a wide variety of organic compounds. Besides ethyl alcohol and lactic acid, bacterial fermentation can produce acetic acid, acetone, butyl alcohol, glycol, butyric acid, propionic acid, and methane, the main component of natural gas. Most bacteria are heterotrophic bacteria are either saprophytes or parasites. Saprophytes feed on the remains of dead plants and animals, and ordinarily do not cause disease. They release digestive enzymes onto the organic matter. The enzymes breakdown the large food molecules into smaller molecules, which are absorbed by the bacterial cells. Parasites live on or in living organisms, and may cause disease. A few types of bacteria are Autotrophic, they can synthesize the organic nutrients they require from inorganic substances. Autotrophic bacteria are either photosynthetic or Chemosynthetic. The photosynthetic bacteria contain chlorophyll that are different from the plant chlorophyll. In bacterial photosynthesis, hydrogen is obtained by the splitting of compounds other than water.
Biofilms are defined as complex aggregates of microorganisms which are interlinked and secrete extracellular slime, which forms the matrix for the films. The extracellular slime is chiefly made up of polysaccharides. Biofilms are usually irreversibly attached to a surface, in that once a biofilm is attached to a surface, it is quite difficult to remove. Mineral salt crystals, clay and silt particles etc. are also sometimes present within the biofilm matrix (depending upon the surroundings). The majority of biofilms found in the environment are either phytoplanktonic or bacterial (Donlan, Sept 2002).
Addition of air and mechanical mixing to enchance the growth of bacteria and ficilitate subsequent waste reduction
In this assignment I am going to explain the 5 different social benefits of micro-organisms. The areas I am going to talk about are as follows;
“Recreational water illnesses (RWIs) are caused by germs spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or aerosols of, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, water play areas, interactive fountains, lakes, rivers, or oceans. RWIs can also be caused by chemicals in the water or chemicals that evaporate from the water and cause indoor air quality problems. RWIs may include a wide variety of infections, including gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic and wound infections. Many RWIs (skin, ear, eye, respiratory, neurologic, wound, and other infections) are caused by germs that live naturally in the environment (for example, in water and soil)” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
ECOSYSTEMS: Microbes obtain energy from their environment. Like humans, many microbes do this by eating plant and animal material. A typical microbe buffet consists of waste from humans and other animals, dead plants and animals, and food scraps. Bacteria, fungi and algae all take part in decomposing — or breaking down — this waste material. Without them, the world would quickly be overrun with discarded food scraps, raw sewage and dead organisms.
It is a single-celled organism that is not visible to the human eye, which means it can only be seen with a microscope. Bacteria are classified as Prokaryotes. They make their own food from the sunlight and can absorb food from the materials that they live on.
Microbes are utilized or manipulated to create numerous good that people around the world consume.