What is microorganism and its main characteristics?
Microorganisms or microbes are microscopic organisms that exist as unicellular, multicellular, or cell clusters. Microorganims are widespread in nature and are beneficial to life, but some can cause serious harm. They can be divided into six major types: bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, algae, and viruses.
Microbial diversity is truly staggering, yet all these microbes can be grouped into five major types: Viruses, Bacteria, Archaea, Fungi, and Protists.
- Physical factors - temp, pH, water, oxygen, pressure.
- Nutrients - Cell constituents and energy sources.
(MY-kroh-OR-guh-NIH-zum) An organism that can be seen only through a microscope. Microorganisms include bacteria, protozoa, algae, and fungi. Although viruses are not considered living organisms, they are sometimes classified as microorganisms.
Solution : (a) Microorganisms are ubiquitous, i.e., they are present everywhere. <br> (b) Microorganisms are useful for production of medicine and alcohol. <br> (c) They are very small organisms which can not be seen with unaided eyes.
There are three notable common traits of bacteria, 1) lack of membrane-bound organelles, 2) unicellular and 3) small (usually microscopic) size.
The biological characteristics of microorganisms can be summarized under the following categories: morphology, nutrition, physiology, reproduction and growth, metabolism, pathogenesis, antigenicity, and genetic properties.
Microorganisms can be classified as prokaryotic or eukaryotic. The major groups of microorganisms are bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi, and viruses.
Microorganisms are classified into four major groups. These groups are bacteria, fungi, protozoa and some algae.
For example, each human body hosts 10 microorganisms for every human cell, and these microbes contribute to digestion, produce vitamin K, promote development of the immune system, and detoxify harmful chemicals. And, of course, microbes are essential to making many foods we enjoy, such as bread, cheese, and wine.
What are the 6 factors of microorganism growth?
- Nutrition concentration.
- Temperature.
- Gaseous concentration.
- pH.
- Ions and salt concentration.
- Available water.
In order to grow successfully, microorganisms must have a supply of water as well as numerous other substances including mineral elements, growth factors, and gas, such as oxygen. Virtually all chemical substances in microorganisms contain carbon in some form, whether they be proteins, fats, carbohydrates, or lipids.

There are six types of microorganisms (bacteria, archaea, protozoa, algae, fungi, and viruses) but we will focus on the main three: bacteria, fungi and viruses. Explain the differences between the three types. Helpful and harmful microorganisms.
...
What are Microbes?
- Bacteria.
- Fungi.
- Protists.
- Viruses.
- Archaea.
Microorganisms live in water, in soil, and on the skin and in the digestive tracts of animals. This is why all living things must have immune systems – while many microorganisms can be helpful to them, some can be harmful and cause disease.
- DNA sequencing – to identify bacteria, moulds and yeasts.
- Riboprinter analysis – for bacterial identification and characterisation.
- Repeat–based polymerase chain reaction – for assessing the similarity of microorganisms.
- Rapid pathogen confirmation by polymerase chain reaction.
...
- storing items in frig stops or slows down growth unless they are psychrophiles.
- freezing stops growth.
- eliminating the availability of oxygen prevents growth of aerobes adding oxygen prevents growth of anaerobes.
Many different morphological features are used in the classification and identification of microorganisms. Some of these features are cell size, cell shape, colonial morphology, ultrastructural characteristics, staining behavior, cilia and flagella, mechanism of motility, color etc.
Principle. When grown on a variety of media, microorganisms will exhibit the difference in the microscopic appearance of their broth. These differences are called cultural characteristics and are used as a basis for separating microorganism into taxonomic groups.
All living organisms share several key characteristics or functions: order, sensitivity or response to the environment, reproduction, growth and development, regulation, homeostasis, and energy processing. When viewed together, these eight characteristics serve to define life.
What are 3 things that microorganisms need to thrive?
Bacteria can live in hotter and colder temperatures than humans, but they do best in a warm, moist, protein-rich environment that is pH neutral or slightly acidic. There are exceptions, however.
There are seven main taxonomic ranks: kingdom, phylum or division, class, order, family, genus, and species.
Linnaeus' hierarchical system of classification includes seven levels called taxa. They are, from largest to smallest, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
Linnaeus' hierarchical system of classification includes seven levels. They are, from largest to smallest, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. 2. In taxonomic nomenclature, each level is called a taxon (plural: taxa) or taxonomic category.
Microorganisms are found in each of the three domains of life: Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. Microbes within the domains Bacteria and Archaea are all prokaryotes (their cells lack a nucleus), whereas microbes in the domain Eukarya are eukaryotes (their cells have a nucleus).
Microorganisms are divided into seven types: bacteria, archaea, protozoa, algae, fungi, viruses, and multicellular animal parasites ( helminths ).
Microorganisms have several vital roles in ecosystems: decomposition, oxygen production, evolution, and symbiotic relationships. Decomposition is where dead animal or plant matter is broken down into more basic molecules. This process only happens because of the microorganisms that find their way into the dead matter.
They are used in winemaking, baking, pickling and other food-making processes. Alcoholic fermentation by yeast is widely used in the preparation of wine and bread. A bacterium Lactobacillus promotes the formation of curd. Microbes are used to reduce pollution.
Moisture – Bacteria need moisture in order to grow. This is why they grow on foods with high moisture content such as chicken. Foods that are dehydrated or freeze-dried can be stored for much longer as the moisture has been removed. Food – Food provides energy and nutrients for bacteria to grow.
It has been determined that in a closed system or batch culture (no food added, no wastes removed) bacteria will grow in a predictable pattern, resulting in a growth curve composed of four distinct phases of growth: the lag phase, the exponential or log phase, the stationary phase, and the death or decline phase.
What do microorganisms need to spread?
Five common ways germs are spread:
Nose, mouth, or eyes to hands to others: Germs can spread to the hands by sneezing, coughing, or rubbing the eyes and then can be transferred to other family members or friends. Simply washing your hands can help prevent such illnesses as the common cold or eye infections.
Cellular microbes replicate asexually and/or sexually. In asexual reproduction, a single microbe produces two identical offspring (clones) without the help of a partner. In sexual reproduction, two microbes mix their genetic information and so their offspring are genetically different.
In any human body there are around 30 trillion human cells, but our microbiome is an estimated 39 trillion microbial cells including bacteria, viruses and fungi that live on and in us.
Microorganisms can be unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). They include bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, algae, and viruses. Bacteria are single celled microbes that lack a nucleus. Archaea are like bacteria, but they have different structures and properties.
Technically a microorganism or microbe is an organism that is microscopic. The study of microorganisms is called microbiology. Microorganisms can be bacteria, fungi, archaea or protists. The term microorganisms does not include viruses and prions, which are generally classified as non-living.
Many different morphological features are used in the classification and identification of microorganisms. Some of these features are cell size, cell shape, colonial morphology, ultrastructural characteristics, staining behavior, cilia and flagella, mechanism of motility, color etc.
Technically a microorganism or microbe is an organism that is microscopic. The study of microorganisms is called microbiology. Microorganisms can be bacteria, fungi, archaea or protists. The term microorganisms does not include viruses and prions, which are generally classified as non-living.
There are six types of microorganisms (bacteria, archaea, protozoa, algae, fungi, and viruses) but we will focus on the main three: bacteria, fungi and viruses. Explain the differences between the three types. Helpful and harmful microorganisms.
- Identifying Microbes Using PCR. PCR, including Real-Time PCR, is probably the most widely used molecular technique for identifying microbes. ...
- Microarray-Based Identification. ...
- Immunological Identification. ...
- Chemical/Analytical Identification.
- bacterium.
- microbe.
- pathogen.
- virus.
- bug.
- disease.
- disease-causing agent.
- parasite.
What are examples of types of microorganisms?
Examples of microorganisms include bacteria, archaea, algae, protozoa, and microscopic animals such as the dust mite. These microorganisms have been often under-appreciated and under-studied.
- Bacteria.
- Fungi.
- Protozoa.
- Algae.
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