introduction to water microbiology

1. Water Microbiology

2. Importance of water
 Water is the medium of life.
 All organisms are composed primarily of water.
 Liquid water is the medium in which all cellular chemical reaction occur.
 Essential for survival and growth of organism.

3. Types of water
 Natural water
Atmospheric water- water in clouds, air.
Surface water- lakes, streams, rivers oceans
Ground water – beneath the surface of earth.
 Fresh water habitat .. Lakes ,ponds, rivers
 Marine habitat : oceans
 Estuarine habitat: the region b/w fresh water and oceans (coastal body of
water).
 Microorganism and chemicals are present in all types of water.
 Aquatic microbiology

4. Water Microbiology
 Study of microorganism and their communities in water
environment is called Aquatic microbiology.
 The scope of Aquatic microbiology is wide and includes the
habitats like planktons, benthos, microbial mats and biofilms
which may be found in lakes, rivers, streams, seas,
groundwater, rain, snow.

5. Viruses
 Sub microscopic entity consisting of a single nucleic acid surrounded by a
protein coat and capable of replication only within the living cells of
bacteria ,animals or plants.
A) Enteritis, diarrhea and dysentery
1) Rotavirus
2) Norwalk
B) Liver damaging
1) Hepatitis A
2) hepatitis E
c) Paralysis
1) polio virus

6. Bacteria
 Most abundant organism on earth ,it live everywhere in soil, water plants and
animals. Bacteria damaged human tissue by producing toxins and cause
disease e.g. food poisoning
 1) Enteritis, diarrhea and dysentery
A) Campylobacter
B) cholera
c) E.coli
D) Salmonella
 2) Enteric fever
A) Typhoid
B) Paratyphoid
 Eye , ear and skin infections
A) Miscellaneous bacteria

7. Protozoa
 These are unicellular organisms with protoplasm into nucleus and
cytoplasm.
 Most important groups of medical protozoa are:
A) Amoeba:
Entamoeba species
B) Flagellates :
gastrointestinal flagellates: Giardia intestinalis
C) Ciliaphora : motile by cilia
E.g. Plasmodium that cause Malaria

8. FUNGI
 Fungi are a diverse group of eularyotes that are plant like but that cannot
carry on photosynthesis.
 Serve as decomposers , absorbing nuterients from dead leaves or other
organic matter in soil and water.
 Fungi are found in very less quantity in water. This is due to their
competition with other heterotrophic organism like some bacteria and
archaea for food make their low abundance is an indicator for their loss
during competiton.
 Fungi produce spores during the reproductive process.

9. HELMINTHES
 Helminths are parasitic worms that feed on a living host to gain
nourishment and protection, while causing poor nutrient absorption,
weakness and disease in the host. These worms and larvae live in the small
bowel and are referred to as intestinal parasites.
 1) Round worm
 2) Tape worm
 3) Hook worm
 4) whip worm

10. Water-associated diseases can be classified
under 4 different categories
 1) Water- borne disease(produced by ingestion of contaminated water
and they are enteric disease)
 2) Water- washed disease (caused by poor personal hygiene)
 3) Water-based disease(caused by pathogens that have a complex life
cycle which involves an intermediate aquatic host.)
 4) Water- related disease(caused by pathogens carries by insects that live
near water and act as mechanical vectors and difficult to control)