|
Oligotrophs
An oligotroph is an organism that can live in an environment that offers very low levels of nutrients. They may be contrasted with copiotrophs, which prefer nutritionally rich environments. Oligotrophs are characterized by slow growth, low rates of metabolism, and generally low population density. Oligotrophic environments are those that offer little to sustain life. These environments include deep oceanic sediments, caves, glacial and polar ice, deep subsurface soil, aquifers, ocean waters, and leached soils. Examples of oligotrophic organisms are the cave-dwelling olm; the bacterium " ''Candidatus'' Pelagibacter communis", which is the most abundant organism in the ocean (with an estimated 2 × 1028 individuals in total); and lichens, with their extremely low metabolic rate. Etymology Etymologically, the word "oligotroph" is a combination of the Greek adjective ''oligos'' (ὀλίγος) meaning "few" and the adjective ''trophikos'' (τροφικός) meaning "feeding". Plant ad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Copiotrophs
A copiotroph is an organism found in environments rich in nutrients, particularly carbon. They are the opposite to oligotrophs, which survive in much lower carbon concentrations. Copiotrophic organisms tend to grow in high organic substrate conditions. For example, copiotrophic organisms grow in Sewage lagoons. They grow in organic substrate conditions up to 100x higher than oligotrophs. Due to this substrate concentration inclination, copiotrophs are often found in nutrient rich waters near coastlines or estuaries. Classification and Identification The bacterial phyla can be differentiated into copiotrophic or oligotrophic categories that correspond and structure the functions of soil bacterial communities. Interaction with other organisms Copiotrophic relation between oligotrophic bacteria depends on the amount of concentration the soil has of C compounds. If the soil has large amounts of organic C, it would then favor the copiotrophic bacteria. Ecology Copiotrophic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Root Nodule
Root nodules are found on the roots of plants, primarily legumes, that form a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, capable plants form a symbiotic relationship with a host-specific strain of bacteria known as rhizobia. This process has evolved multiple times within the legumes, as well as in other species found within the Rosid clade. Legume crops include beans, peas, and soybeans. Within legume root nodules, nitrogen gas (N2) from the atmosphere is converted into ammonia (NH3), which is then assimilated into amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA and RNA as well as the important energy molecule ATP), and other cellular constituents such as vitamins, flavones, and hormones. Their ability to fix gaseous nitrogen makes legumes an ideal agricultural organism as their requirement for nitrogen fertilizer is reduced. Indeed, high nitrogen content blocks nodule development as there is no benefit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza (; , mycorrhiza, or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant's rhizosphere, the plant root system and its surroundings. Mycorrhizae play important roles in plant nutrition, soil biology, and soil chemistry. In a mycorrhizal association, the fungus colonizes the host plant's root tissues, either intracellularly as in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, or extracellularly as in ectomycorrhizal fungi. The association is normally mutualistic. In particular species, or in particular circumstances, mycorrhizae may have a parasitic association with host plants. Definition A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a green plant and a fungus. The plant makes organic molecules by photosynthesis and supplies them to the fungus in the form of sugars or lipids, while the fungus supplies the plant with water and mineral nutrients, such as phosphorus, taken from the soil. Myco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Candidatus Pelagibacter Communis
"''Candidatus'' Pelagibacter", with the single species "''Ca.'' P. communis", was isolated in 2002 and given a specific name, although it has not yet been described as required by the bacteriological code. It is an abundant member of the SAR11 clade in the phylum ''Alphaproteobacteria''. SAR11 members are highly dominant organisms found in both salt and fresh water worldwide and were originally known only from their rRNA genes, first identified in the Sargasso Sea in 1990 by Stephen Giovannoni's laboratory at Oregon State University and later found in oceans worldwide. "''Ca.'' P. communis" and its relatives may be the most abundant organisms in the ocean, and quite possibly the most abundant bacteria in the entire world. It can make up about 25% of all microbial plankton cells, and in the summer they may account for approximately half the cells present in temperate ocean surface water. The total abundance of "''Ca.'' P. communis" and relatives is estimated to be about 2 ×& ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a hybrid colony (biology), colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically among hypha, filaments of multiple fungus species, along with yeasts and bacteria embedded in the cortex or "skin", in a mutualism (biology), mutualistic relationship.Introduction to Lichens – An Alliance between Kingdoms . University of California Museum of Paleontology. . Lichens are the lifeform that first brought the term symbiosis (as ''Symbiotismus'') into biological context. Lichens have since been recognized as important actors in nutrient cycling and producers which many higher trophic feeders feed on, such as reindeer, gastropods, nematodes, mites, and springtails. Lichens have properties different from those of their component organisms. They come in man ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chlamydomonas
''Chlamydomonas'' ( ) is a genus of green algae consisting of about 150 species of unicellular organism, unicellular flagellates, found in stagnant water and on damp soil, in freshwater, seawater, and even in snow as "snow algae". ''Chlamydomonas'' is used as a model organism for molecular biology, especially studies of flagellum, flagellar motility and chloroplast dynamics, biogenesis, and genetics. One of the many striking features of ''Chlamydomonas'' is that it contains ion channels (channelrhodopsins) that are directly activated by light. Some FLU (plant gene), regulatory systems of ''Chlamydomonas'' are more complex than their Homology (biology), homologs in Gymnosperms, with evolutionarily related Regulation of gene expression, regulatory proteins being larger and containing additional Protein domain, domains. Molecular phylogeny studies indicated that the traditional genus ''Chlamydomonas'' as defined using morphological data, was polyphyletic within Volvocales. Many s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scourfieldia
''Scourfieldia'' is a genus of green algae in the family Scourfieldiaceae. ''Cardiomonas'' Korshikov is an invalid synonym. The genus was circumscribed by George Stephen West in J. Bot. vol.50 on page 326 in 1912. The genus name of ''Scourfieldia'' is in honour of David Joseph Scourfield FLS FRMS ISO (1866–1949), who was a British civil servant and biologist known as an authority on the Cladocera. Species ''Scourfieldia'' contains the following species:John, David M., Whitton, Brian A., & Brook, Alan J. (Eds). ''The Freshwater Algal Flora of the British Isles: An Identification Guide to Freshwater and Terrestrial Algae.'' Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 286. * '' Scourfieldia caeca'' (Korshikov) J.H.Belcher & Swale, 1963 * ''Scourfieldia complanata'' G. S. West, 1912 * '' Scourfieldia cordiformis'' Takeda, 1916 WoRMS also accepts; * '' Scourfieldia chlorolateralis'' * '' Scourfieldia conica'' * '' Scourfieldia ovata'' * '' Scourfieldia quadrata'' F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cryptomonas
''Cryptomonas'' is the name-giving genus of the Cryptomonads established by German biologist Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1831. The algae are common in freshwater habitats and brackish water worldwide and often form blooms in greater depths of lakes. The cells are usually brownish or greenish in color and are characteristic of having a slit-like furrow at the anterior. They are not known to produce any toxins. They are used to feed small zooplankton, which is the food source for small fish in fish farms. Many species of ''Cryptomonas'' can only be identified by DNA sequencing. ''Cryptomonas'' can be found in several marine ecosystems in Australia and South Korea. Etymology ''Cryptomonas'' has the meaning of hidden small flagellates from “crypto” and “monas”. Genome structure Species within ''Cryptomonas'' contain four genomes: the nuclear, the nucleomorph, the plastid, and mitochondrial genomes. The plastid genome contains 118 kilobase pairs and is a result of o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ankistrodesmus
''Ankistrodesmus'' is a genus of green algae in the family Selenastraceae. It is one of the most common types of phytoplankton in freshwater habitats around the world. The name ''Ankistrodesmus'' comes from the Greek roots ''ankistron'', meaning "cross", and ''desmos'', meaning "bond". Description ''Ankistrodesmus'' forms colonies of cells, usually found as loose bundles or tufts of cells. Sometimes the cells may twist around each other in the colony. Cells are many times longer than wide, and are variously needle-shaped, sickle-shaped, or sigmoid in outline. They contain a single chloroplast; the chloroplast usually contains a single pyrenoid, but may contain none or several pyrenoids. Life cycle Reproduction occurs asexually; sexual reproduction is unknown in ''Ankistrodesmus''. It exclusively forms autospores, and does not appear to have a flagellated stage in its life cycle. Some strains of ''Ankistrodesmus'' have been observed to undergo programmed cell death. The evolu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daphniopsis Studeri
''Daphnia studeri'' is a species of microcrustacean in the genus ''Daphnia''. ''D. studeri'' lives in oligotrophic freshwater and slightly brackish lakes in Antarctica and sub-Antarctic islands. Adult ''Daphnia studeri'' are typically and colorless or slightly pink. Taxonomy ''Daphnia studeri'' was originally described in the genus '' Daphniopsis'', but later morphological and DNA studies have placed it and the 9 other ''Daphniopsis'' species in the genus ''Daphnia'' and subgenus ''Ctenodaphnia''. Distribution ''D. studeri'' lives in freshwater and slightly saline lakes in Antarctica and sub-Antarctic islands. It is the only cladoceran in Antarctic lakes, but one of two microcrustaceans, alongside '' Acanthocyclops mirnyi''. Other species in ''Daphnia'' mostly live in salt lakes, and it is likely ''D. studeri'' historically migrated from saltwater back to freshwater. Adult females remain active year round, despite many Antarctic lakes being extremely oligotrophic and i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Organism
An organism is any life, living thing that functions as an individual. Such a definition raises more problems than it solves, not least because the concept of an individual is also difficult. Many criteria, few of them widely accepted, have been proposed to define what an organism is. Among the most common is that an organism has autonomous reproduction, Cell growth, growth, and metabolism. This would exclude viruses, despite the fact that they evolution, evolve like organisms. Other problematic cases include colonial organisms; a colony of eusocial insects is organised adaptively, and has Germ-Soma Differentiation, germ-soma specialisation, with some insects reproducing, others not, like cells in an animal's body. The body of a siphonophore, a jelly-like marine animal, is composed of organism-like zooids, but the whole structure looks and functions much like an animal such as a jellyfish, the parts collaborating to provide the functions of the colonial organism. The evolutiona ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laterite
Laterite is a soil type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. They develop by intensive and prolonged weathering of the underlying parent rock, usually when there are conditions of high temperatures and heavy rainfall with alternate wet and dry periods. The process of formation is called laterization. Tropical weathering is a prolonged process of chemical weathering which produces a wide variety in the thickness, grade, chemistry and ore mineralogy of the resulting soils. The majority of the land area containing laterites is between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Laterite has commonly been referred to as a soil type as well as being a rock type. This, and further variation in the modes of conceptualizing about laterite (e.g. also as a complete weathering profile or theory about weathering), has led to calls for the term to be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
