What I have learn
The first chapter of microbial ecology is The principles of ecology. When learning this chapter, I just realized that ecology is a big subject that has many principles and disciplines. I also learn about strategist microbes used that is r and k. r strategist has high reproductive rates while k strategist is more to adaptation. Another important aspect covered is homeostasis. Autotrophic succession happen when P:R> 1. P stands for photosynthesis, while R is respiration. Autotrophic succession cause accumulation of biomass. When P:R< 1, the situation is known as heterotrophic succession where consumption of organic matter is more than the production.
When studying next topic,Microbial Group and Microbial Nutrition Metabolism it is a bit repetition on what we have learn before this. In microbial group I discover few microbes on certain habitat based on their microbial group.While in Microbial Nutrition Metabolism I learn that their metabolism can be studied to be applied on on industrial uses. Microbes also have metabolism cycles that are involve in human.
The first habitat category studied is soil. What I learn in this chapter is different level of soil have different characteristic such as different temperature, oxygen present, Carbon:Nitrogen ,pH and soil textures. The soil habitat The soil habitat is quite related with the plant since plant is one of the source of nutrient. Root of plant exudes amino acid, alcohols, enzymes, polysaccharides and hormones. One of the microbes that use nutrient produce by plant is Mycorrhizae fungus. Mycorrhizae use carbohydrate produce by plant as energy source. They help in increasing plant nutrient intake. Plant also have different region. The most abundant microbes is in rhizosphere. The nutrient limited is in phyllosphere. I also know get information about molecular techniques used to study plant microbiome such as metagenomics, metaproteomics and metatranscriptomics.
Aquatic habitat can be divided into fresh water and marine habitat. Physichochemical factor affecting microbial factor are dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, light penetration, hydrostatic pressure and nutrient.
Another habitat is Atmosphere. The temperature in atmosphere decreases with increasing altitude. One of particles in atmosphere is bioaerosol. Bioaerosol is airborne particles that come from either human, animal or plant. Bioaerosol can be controlled by using one of the method is ventilation. Mixing of inside air and outside air to reduce contaminants concentration. This least effective method.
Human body is also habitat of microbes.Different part of the body have different collection of microbes. In this topic we are ask to do a presentation. Each group given different part of the body to present about the microbiome present. Our group were asked to present about auditory canal microbiome.One of the disease that occur in auditory canal is Otomycosis that caused by Candida sp.
In Water pollution and Waste Water Management the microorganism present in both waste water and used in water treatment. Two commonly used as indicator are coliforms and fecal streptococci use to test marine water. Zoogloea ramigera is one of the bacteria used in water treatment. It will form floc where the soluble organic matter being absorb. This will support microbes for growth. This floc will be pumped into settling tank.
http://america.pink/MyThumb.php?file=images/4/9/1/4/6/3/5/en/1-zoogloea.jpg&size=200Recalcitrant Molecules is the last topic for this subject. In this chapter I learn about Xenobiotic compound. Xenobiotic compound is chemical not normally produced or expected to be present.
I also learn about bioremediation. One of the example is utilization of hydrocarbon. Microbes involve are Pseudomonas spp., Mycobacterium and some yeast and molds.
