Confused in the world of microbiology? Lost in the dictionary of scientific terms? Buried under the details concerning these minute beings? Welcome to the club; we have t-shirts.

Each paragraph is followed by links that helped supply information, and have more information, on that particular topic. Image links are at the very bottom of the page. Definitions and quotes are given through out.

Dear Mrs. Cannon, the Netscopia page has locked me out; it no longer recognizes my email address, which, therefore, means it can no longer give me a password, or access to your page. The first part of this assignment was done with the information from your page, but the second part was scraped together from information either a) gleaned in class, or b) learnt through trial and error off various webpages. Much of this blog is defining and clarify important terms in microbiology. I though that was important, as I can't understand paragraphs written in "biologist", unless I can speak "bioligist" too. And, alas, the shift-key trick in Yearbook does not work in biology. My pictures stretch and pull all over the place.

Sincerely, Emily Z.

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The Simplified Student Study Sheet for Clarified Comprehension:

by Emily Z

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To begin: Wikipedia defines microbiology as:

the study of microrganisms, which are unicellular or cell-cluster microscopic organisms. This includes eukaryote such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes, which are bacteria and archaea. Viruses, though not strictly classed as living organisms, are also studied. In short; microbiology refers to the study of life and organisms that are too small to be seen with the naked eye.

Micro, meaning small, biology, meaning life. "Small Life".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microbiology

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PROTISTS:

protist: a collective term for organisms (with nucleated cells) that are not considered true animals, plants, fungi; includes algae

www.bigelow.org/edhab/glossary.html

The above definition MEANS: the term "protist" is a generalized term for all organisims with a nucleus that can not be catagorized as animals, plants, or fungi. For example, take kelp. Kelp is not a plant. "What?!?" you say. I know, I know; its hard to believe. But trust me. (Also trust me when I say kelp is used in eggnog and shampoo) Kelp is in fact an eucaryotic algae.

Kelp has:

-no seeds

-no roots; instead, they cling to rocks with "anchors"

http://www.oceansforyouth.org/whats-that/wt1004.html

http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/about/ecosystems/kelpdesc.html

The image shows the different types and shapes of protists. They're rather simple creatures. They're kind of set up like the plant cells we studied in science last year. Generally, protists have simple forms and basic life functions.

Protozoa can be catagorized loosely, or more specifically.

Some examples of protista:

• algae
• amoeba
• ciliates
• flagellates
• protozoa
• water molds
• Euglena
  

Protista may be uni-cellular, multi-cellular, or dependent on one-another (they live in colonies).

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080608112951AAUM7xY

If the protist is autotrophic, they make their own food. Plant-like protists who use photosynthesis fall in this catagory.

If the protist is heterotrophic, they must find their own food. Animal-like protists that are parasites fall into this catagory. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_protista_get_there_food

What are algae? Algae is a term for microrganisms that perform photosynthesis. They're not all green. Many green algae form long "filaments", which are "slender, thread-like structures". These help them stick together. There are many interesting pictures of them; they are very cool looking.

Algae is very important for a variety of ecosystems and animal life, especially in lakes. Alage creates oxygen needed for creatures like fish. Dead algae also drift to the ocean, and support a whole other ecosystem there.

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wimsmall/smal1.html

http://www.nhptv.org/NatureWorks/nwepecosystems.htm

What is an amoeba? The first two lines of Wikipedia say: Amoeboids are unicellular lifeforms that mainly consist of contractile vacuoles, a nucleus, and cytoplasm as their basic structure. They move and feed by means of temporary cytoplasmic projections, called pseudopods (false feet).

That basically says that an amoeba is alive, but only has one cell. It is made up of vacuoles (which help control the water levels in a cell), a nucleus (which is pretty much the brain of a cell), and cytoplasm. They move and eat via flagella and cilia. They do not look nearly as lovely as the algae (see the lovely image above). As they are often desicribed, amoebas look like blobs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amoebae

What are ciliates?

ciliates: A class of protozoans distinguished by short hairs on all or part of their bodies. http://www.alken-murray.com/glossarybug.html

Ciliates are very important and very common. They live in a variety of water-environments. Ciliates are on the larger side for protozoa. The term ciliate comes from cilia, referring to the hair-like structure that aids in movement. Ciliates are special in the sense that they have two nuclei. They have a feathery look to them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciliate

What are flagellates?

flagellates: These are organisms which have at least one flagellum. A flagellum is a whip-like structure used for locomotion. Flagellates may be plant-like, animal-like, or have characteristics of both. http://www.livingclassrooms.org/lbo/biofilm/glossary.html

What are protozoa? They're more animal-like creatures, like amoebas. Some sources even claim it is in fact a one-celled animal. Protozoa are important for the role they play as parasites, and according to one site, they are the most abundant animal in the world. http://www-biol.paisley.ac.uk/Courses/Tatner/biomedia/units/prot1.htm

What are water molds? Water molds are ALWAYS found in wet environments. Their real name is "Oomycota", which sounds like a woman who loves her new jacket. Water molds are not necessarily the friends of humans; they are the cause of the Great Potato Famine in Ireland. Water molds can also cause disease in fish. For a long time, they were considered fungi because they have phytae and feed off of rotting substances (like mulch). However, they do not have a cell wall made of chitin, and also contain a chemical found in kelps and diatoms. Water molds play an important role in decomposition because they absorb food from their surrounding environment (like dirt or water). http://www.microbeworld.org/microbes/protista/watermolds.aspx

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/chromista/oomycota.html

What are Euglena? Euglena are unicellular, with cholorplast to photosynthesize. However, they can also absorb food, so they are both autotrophic and heterotrophic. Euglena use flagella for movement, and have an eyespot to detect light and dark. They cannot see with their eyespot, but they can "see" the difference between light and dark... or the top of the puddle versus the bottom... or the path to safety versus the mouth of a predator! Actually, it helps the euglena find light spots for photosynthesis. Without an eyespot, they would not be able to find sources of energy. Euglena also have a pellicle for protection.

http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/euglenacolor.htm

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Image One: http://www.pinkmonkey.com/studyguides/subjects/biology-edited/chap14/14_13.gif

Image Two: http://www.vattenkikaren.gu.se/fakta/arter/algae/mikroalg/halospp/halopa.jpeg

Image Three: http://paramecium.cgm.cnrs-gif.fr/images/paramecium/paramecium.jpg

Image Four: http://students.ncwc.edu/bio101/protista/Defaul9.jpg