1 Introduction to Biological Processes ENVE 649

2 Taxonomy Life could be divided into: –Prokaryotes (“pro care ee oats”, roughly “bacteria” that is, a single cell without a nucleus) –Eukaryotes (“you care ee oats”) a cell or cells with a nucleus. Another common division of life is into five “kingdoms”

3 The Kingdoms Monera Protista Fungi Plantae Animalia

4 The Kingdoms

5 Nutrition, Carbon Source Autotrophs –get carbon from carbon dioxide Heterotrophs –carbon from other than CO2

6 Nutrition, Energy Source Chemotrophs –energy from breaking down nutrients –inorganic = lithotrophs –carbon from organic = organotrophs Phototrophs –energy from sunlight

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8 Oxygen Aerobic –need oxygen Anaerobic –facultative, can tolerate oxygen –Obligate anaerobes, killed by oxygen

9 Next two slides give some numbers, which you don’t have to know, but the principle is important: most microorganisms will thrive only in certain environments.

10 Temperature Cryophilic C Mesophilic C Thermophilic C

11 pH Dependence Acidophiles pH < 3 Neutophiles 4 < pH < 9 Alkalophiles pH > 10

12 Other Nutrients Minerals Nitrogen Source

13 Heterotrophic Reactions

14 Fermentation, two steps Organic acid, methanogenesis

15 Batch Culture Growth Time Number of micro- organisms Lag Log Stationary Death