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There is considerable overlap between the specific branches of microbiology with each other and with other disciplines, and certain aspects of these branches can extend beyond the traditional scope of microbiology [2] [3] In general the field of microbiology can be divided in the more fundamental branch (pure microbiology) and the applied ...
The term microbiome describes either the collective genomes of the microbes that reside in an ecological niche or else the microbes themselves. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] The microbiome and host emerged during evolution as a synergistic unit from epigenetics and genetic characteristics, sometimes collectively referred to as a holobiont .
Microbes are important in human culture and health in many ways, serving to ferment foods and treat sewage, and to produce fuel, enzymes, and other bioactive compounds. Microbes are essential tools in biology as model organisms and have been put to use in biological warfare and bioterrorism. Microbes are a vital component of fertile soil.
The reason for this is the differences in species concepts between the bacteria and macro-organisms, the difficulties in growing/characterising in pure culture (a prerequisite to naming new species, vide supra) and extensive horizontal gene transfer blurring the distinction of species.
Scanning electron micrograph of Escherichia coli, a common human pathogen and research organism.. Bacteriology is the branch and specialty of biology that studies the morphology, ecology, genetics and biochemistry of bacteria as well as many other aspects related to them.
Microbes interact with one another, and these symbiotic interactions have diverse consequences for microbial fitness, population dynamics, and functional capacities within the microbiome. [82] The microbial interactions can either be between microorganisms of the same species or between different species, genera, families, and domains of life.
Bacteria are classified by their shape. Bacteria have been on this planet for approximately 3.5 billion years, and are classified by their shape. [9] Bacterial genetics studies the mechanisms of their heritable information, their chromosomes, plasmids, transposons, and phages.
At that time, biology was focused on macroorganisms. Later, with the advent of microscopy, the new discovered ubiquitous microorganisms were fit in this system. Then, Fauna included moving organisms (animals and protist as "micro-fauna") and Flora the organisms with apparent no movement (plants/fungi; and bacteria as "microflora").