guide for studies to better understand the ecology of Aquatic microorganisms

1. ECOLOGY OF MICROBES
IN NATURAL HABITAT
Presented by
FUNDOH GOLORY UBA22SP167
BOGHEKE CILIA UBA22SP085
SWIRRI ERNESTINE CHI UBA22SP169
AGBORENU BENEDICT UBA22SP168

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Introduction
 Microbes and Ecological Theory
 Microbial Interactions
 Microflora in Humans
 Microflora in the Environment
 References.

3. ECOLOGY
 It is the scientific study of interactions among organisms and their
environment such as the interactions organisms have with each other
and with their abiotic environment.
 Microbial Ecology is the study of numerous interactions between
microbes and the world around them.
 How microbes interact with other microbes
 How microbes interact with organisms other than microbes.
 And how microbes interact with the non-living world around them.

4. SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS
INVOLVING MICROBES
 Symbiosis is defined as the living together in more or less intimate
association or close union of two dissimilar organisms.
 The organisms that live together in such a relationship are called
Symbionts.
 Neutralism is used to describe a relationship in which neither symbionts is
affected by the relationship.
 Reflects a situation in which different microbes occupy the same ecological
niche but have absolutely no effect on each other.

5. SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS
INVOLVING MICROBES
 Commensalism: An association between two organisms in which one
benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm.
 Example Human and indigenous Microflora
 Mutualism: A symbiotic relationship between two individuals of different
species in which both individuals benefit from the association. Here both
organisms of different species rely on one another for nutrients, protection and
other life functions. E.g Escherichia coli which obtains nutrients from nutrients
ingested by the host and produces vitamins which are used by the host.

6. SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS
INVOLVING MICROBES
Parasitism: A relationship in which one organism (parasites)
benefits at the expense of the other (host).
Synergism: The interaction or corporation of two or more
organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a
combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

8. INDIGENOUS MICROFLORA
 Normal flora
 Includes all the microbes (bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses) that
reside on or within that person or natural habitat.
 It has been estimated that our bodies alone compose of about 10
trillion cells, and that we have about 10 times that many microbes
that live on and within our bodies.
 It has also been estimated that our normal flora is composed of
between 500 to 1000 different species.

10. The Skin As A Natural Habitat
 The resident microflora of the skin consists primarily of bacteria and
fungi-approximately 30 different species.
 The most common bacteria on the skin are species of:
 Staphylococcus
 Micrococcus
 Corynebacterium
 Propionibacterium (P. acnes causes acne)
 Brevibacterium and Acinetobacter, etc

11. Factors
 Amount of moisture present
 pH level
 Temperature
 Salinity
 Presence of chemical wastes such as urea and fatty acids.
 Presence of other microbes which may be producing toxic
substances.

12. Microflora of The Eyes and Ears
 Eyes
 The conjunctiva of the eye has primarily S. aureus, S. epidermidis, C. diptheroids, S.
pneumoniae.
 Ears
 The middle and inner ear are usually sterile
 The outer ear and the auditory canal contain the same normal flora as the skin.
 When a person coughs or sneezes, or blows his/her nose, these microbes may move to
the middle ear and cause infection (ottis media)

13. Microflora In The Gastrointestinal Tract

15. Beneficial effects of Indigenous Flora
Microbial antagonism
Our indigenous flora serve a beneficial effect by preventing other
microbes from becoming established in or colonizing a particular
anatomic location.
Some produce toxic substances that inhibit the growth of
pathogens e.g Lactobacillus spp a normal flora in the vaginal
tract produces lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide that lowers the
vaginal pH and inhits pathogens from growing there.

16. Microbes and The Cycle of Elements of Life
 Microbes play a very vital role in the cycle of elements such as
Nitrogen, Carbon, Oxygen, Sulfur, etc
 They are important in Nitrogen fixation, release of oxygen during
photosynthesis and production of CO2 during fermentative
processes.

20. MICROFLORA OF SOIL
 Microbes make up a large biomass of the soil and these include
bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes.
 They play important role in the soil as decomposers, mycorrhizae
associations of fungi and plant roots, bioremediations by
decontaminating soils of heavy metals and toxins, aerate soils, fix
minerals, etc.
 Most common bacteria microflora of soil are Actinomyces, Bacillus,
Clostridium.

21. MICROFLORA OF SOIL
Fungi:
More numerous in surface layers of well aerated and cultivated
soils. Dominant in acid soils. Examples are Aspergillus, Mucor,
Penicillin, Trichoderma, Alternaria, Rhizopus, Algae.
 Protozoa: Abundant in upper layers of soil, serve in
regulating the biological equilibrium in the soil. Examples
flagellates, amoebae or ciliates that derive their nutrients
by feeding on bacteria.

22. Importance of Soil Microbes
 Involved in nutrient transformation processes.
 Decomposition of resistant components of plant and animal tissue.
 Role in microbial antagonism.
 Participate in humus formation.
 Predator to nematodes.
 Surface blooming reduces erosion losses.
 Improves soil structure.
 Maintenance of biological equilibrium.

23. References
 Advanced environmental microbiology vol 3
 Lippincots illustratred reviews advanced Microbial Ecology.

24. The end
Thank you!