2. 1 Introduction to Biological Processes ENVE 649

3. 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”

4. 3 The Kingdoms Monera Protista Fungi Plantae Animalia

5. 4 The Kingdoms

6. 5 Nutrition, Carbon Source Autotrophs –get carbon from carbon dioxide Heterotrophs –carbon from other than CO2

7. 6 Nutrition, Energy Source Chemotrophs –energy from breaking down nutrients –inorganic = lithotrophs –carbon from organic = organotrophs Phototrophs –energy from sunlight

8. 7

9. 8 Oxygen Aerobic –need oxygen Anaerobic –facultative, can tolerate oxygen –Obligate anaerobes, killed by oxygen

10. 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.

11. 10 Temperature Cryophilic 12 - 18 C Mesophilic 24 - 40 C Thermophilic 55 - 65 C

12. 11 pH Dependence Acidophiles pH < 3 Neutophiles 4 < pH < 9 Alkalophiles pH > 10

13. 12 Other Nutrients Minerals Nitrogen Source

14. 13 Heterotrophic Reactions

15. 14 Fermentation, two steps Organic acid, methanogenesis

16. 15 Batch Culture Growth Time Number of micro- organisms Lag Log Stationary Death