Tag Archives: microbes

Flagella Most prokaryotes are motile by swimming, and this function is typically due to a structure called the flagellum. The plural form of this word is flagella which means whip. Bacterial flagellum is a threadlike locomotor appendages extending outgrowth from the plasma membrane and cell wall. Bacterial flagella are thin, …

Generation Time The time required for a cell to divide or a population to divide is known as the generation time. For bacteria it is the time, required for a complete fission cycle. Generation time depends on nutrient media, pH, temperature etc. The generation time “g” can be determined from …

Isolation In Microbiology, the term isolation refers to the speration of a strain from a natural, mixed population of living microbes, as presents in the environment, in order to identify the microbes of interest. Isolation can be done from, for example water or soil flora or from living beings with …

Direct microscopic count The direct total cell count involves counting the number of cells in a simple microscopically. This technique is very similar to that used in blood cell counts. Scientists perform a direct microscopic count using a specially designed slide called a Petroff-Hausser cell counter/ counting chamber/ cytometer/ hemacytometer …

Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. Food contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins or minerals. Food is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organisms cells to provide energy, maintain life or stimulate growth. Classifications of food According to Martin …

Water pollution is any undesirable changes in physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water that may harmfully affect the life or create a potential health hazard for living organisms. When the pollutant is undesirable microorganisms, the phenomenon is called microbial water pollution. Through ordinary exposure to air, soil and effluent …

Milk is a highly nutritious food that can be obtained from a variety of animal sources such as cows, goats, sheep, and buffalo, as well as humans, for human consumption. However, the high nutrient content of these milk, which includes proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids all …

The word “Life” refers to the process of organisms which grow by a metabolic system. Generally, organisms are metabolized, have an ability to grow, react, reproduce, move, adjust and evolve . The Earth is 4.6 billion years old and microbial life is thought to have first appeared between 3.8 and …

Mycoplasma, also known as PPLO- are the simplest prokaryotic cell.    Mycoplasma is a group of small parasitic bacteria that lacks cell walls and can survive without oxygen and generally resistant to antibiotics and can cause pneumonia and urinary tract infections in animals and humans.  Few common species of mycoplasma …

The sulfur cycle is the collection of processes by which sulfur moves between rocks, waterways and living systems. Such biogeochemical cycles are important in geology because they affect many minerals. Biochemical cycles are also important for life because sulfur is an essential element, being a constituent of many proteins and cofactors, and sulfur compounds can be used as oxidants or reductants in …