Department of Chemical and

Environmental Engineering

H83BCE BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Lecture 1
Microorganisms

Introduction What are microorganisms?

Too small to be seen by

the naked eyes
Interacts in numerous
ways
with
human
activities

Play primary role in the

capture of energy from the
sun
Responsible
for
many
human, animal and plant
diseases
Most use carbon sources as
energy
and
building
materials
One of the first forms of life
on Earth
Important in Biodiversity

Classification of Microorganisms
Based on their carbon source:
From organic material: Heterotrophic
From CO2: Autotrophic

Based on their energy source:

From light: Phototrophic
From organic materials: Chemotrophic

Example: Photoheterotroph

Protists
Living things with very simple biological organisation
Unicellular organisms
Organisms containing multiple cells which are all of the same
type
Two-word Latinised name:
First: genus (generic name)
Second: specific name
E.g. Escherichia (generic name) Coli (specific name) or simply E. Coli

Protists
Prokaryotes

Eukaryotes

Blue-green
algae

Bacteria

Yeasts

Fungi

Algae

Protozoa

Moulds

Classifications show differences in:

Energy and nutritional requirements

Growth and product release rates
Methods of reproduction
Capability and means of motion

Prokaryotes (Before-nucleus)
Do not contain a membrane-enclosed nucleus
Small (0.5 3 m) and simple cells (10-12 g/cell
or 10-12 ml/cell)
Usually exist alone (not associated with other
cells)
50 80% of cell is water
Grow rapidly!
Can double size, mass and number in 20 minutes

Adaptable to wide range of environments

Accept a wide variety of nutrients
Capable of selecting the best nutrient from
several available in the environment

Single DNA molecule (plasmid)

Classes of prokaryotes
Eubacteria
most common in bio-treatment methods

Archaebacteria
Methanogens
Produce methane in anaerobic conditions

Halophiles
Live in highly chlorinated environments

Thermophiles
Survive at temperatures > 80 C

Thermohalophiles
pH >2 and temperature > 55 C

Eukaryotes (True-nucleus)
Multicellular
Consists of numerous cells with varied functions
E.g. Plants & animals

Unicellular
All cells have the same range of functions
E.g. protozoa, algae, and fungi

More eukaryotes than prokaryotes

103 104 times larger

All cells of higher organisms and many microbial species

belong to eukaryotes
They coexist and interact in a cooperative manner
Eukaryotes (of different forms) can avoid the necessity of biochemical
flexibility and adaptability essential to Prokaryotes

Internal components of Eukaryotes

Nucleus!
Membrane bound organelles:
Plasma Membrane - covered by cell wall
Thin for animal cells
Thick for plant cells

Cytoplasm
Semi-fluid

Cytoskeleton
Microfilaments and microtubules that:
suspend organelles
give shape, and,
allow motion

Presence of characteristic membrane enclosed subcellular organelles.

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Internal component of Eukaryote cells

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Internal compartment of Eukaryote cells

Plasma membrane
Lipid/ protein/ carbohydrate complex
Provides a barrier, contains support and signalling systems

Nucleus
Double membrane surrounding the chromosomes and the
nucleolus
Pores allow specific communication
Nucleolus: Site for synthesis of RNA making up the ribosome
Controls catalytic activity at ribosomes
DNA kept inside the nucleus for protection

Damage results in death or mutations

Mitochondria
Surrounded by a double membrane with a series of folds cristae
Functions in energy production through metabolism (utilises
oxygen)
Contains its own DNA, and is believed to have originated as a
captured bacterium.

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Internal compartment of
Eukaryote cells
Chloroplasts (plastids)
Surrounded by a double membrane, containing
stacked thylakoid membranes
Responsible for:
Photosynthesis
Trapping of light energy for the synthesis of sugars

Contains DNA
Like mitochondria believed to have originated as a
captured bacterium

Found in phototrophic cells (not in animals)

Lysosymes
A membrane bound organelle responsible for:
Degrading proteins and membranes in the cell
Degrading materials ingested by the cell

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Internal compartment
of Eukaryote cells
Ribosomes
Small organelles that synthesise protein

Vacuoles
Membrane-surrounded bags that
contain water and storage materials
in plant cells

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Internal compartment of Eukaryote cells

Endoplasmic reticulum (E.R.)
A complex network of membranes that
provides a transport system within the cell
Two types rough and smooth
Smooth site of lipid (fat and oil) formation,
site where cells detoxify poisons (liver cells)
Rough Site of protein formation and
transport, rough because it studded with
ribosomes

Golgi body
Modify and transport molecules made in the
E.R. into vacuoles for transport to the outside

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Nutritional characteristics of bacteria

Photoautotrophic organisms
Blue-green algae, higher plants

Photoheterotrophic organisms
Purple non-sulphur bacteria

Chemoautotrophic organisms
Restricted to bacteria

Chemoheterotrophic organisms
Large diverse group

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Shape of bacteria cells

Rod
Spheres
Spirals

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Bacillus Subtilis
Surrounded by rigid wall
Cell membrane/ plasma membrane:
determines material transfer and the rate
of transfer between

Nuclear zone:
A large, ill-defined region within the cell

Ribosomes:
Sites of important biochemical reactions
for protein synthesis

Cytoplasm:
Fluid material occupying the remainder of
the cell

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Bacteria
Small organism enclosed by a rigid wall
In many cases covered by a coating called capsule or slime layer

Typically unicellular and cannot utilise light energy

Capable of motion (motile)
Only in two directions, and at one speed (30 mph). Further, it cannot stop.

Has the ability to form endospores under adverse conditions.

Spores are inactive form of cell, capable of resisting heat, radiation and
poisonous chemicals.
Spores restores to normal, functional cells when returned to surroundings
suitable for cell function (vegetative form).
Some bacteria can form spores which survive boiling in water for several
hours. Therefore, in heat sterilisation, boiling would be done under
pressure to give T >120 C

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Bacteria (2)

Usually facilitated with:

Pili

Flagella

Energy generating mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Used as a tool in to understand genetics.

Aerobic (require oxygen)

Anaerobic (does not require oxygen)

Eukaryotes enslaves some bacteria to use as:

10-20 mm long, allows movement for the motile species

away from undesirable environments.

Bacteria are divided into:

Single strands of proteins in the cell membrane

extending 10 mm out of the cell wall.
Allows bacterial cell to attach to substrate.

The method of recombinant DNA is designed to

exploit them.

Example of bacteria in Biotechnology

E-coli bacterium
Very simple prokaryote, mapped out for gene
sequencing and used as a host for DNA recombinant
technology.
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Yeasts

Sub-group of Fungi

Unable to extract energy from sunlight

Fungi, like bacteria, are widespread although they usually live in

soils and regions of lower relative humidity than bacteria.

Unlike most fungi, yeasts exist as single, small cells (5-30mm long
and 1-5mm wide).

Reproduction of yeasts:

Asexual (budding and fission)

Budding:

Fission:

Small offspring cell begins to grow on the side of an original cell.

Physical separation of matured offspings may not be immediate, and
clumps of yeast involving several generation may be formed.
Division of cells into two new cells.

Sexual

Occurs by conjugation of two haploid cells (one set of chromosomes)

to form diploid (zygote) cell (two chromosomes)
The diploid nucleus divides several times to form ascospores, which
becomes haploid.

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Moulds
Higher fungi with vegetative structure called
mycelium (a highly branched system of tubes)
A mobile mass of cytoplasm containing many nuclei
are found within the tubes.
Moulds like yeasts do not contain chlorophyll and are
generally not motile.
Reproduction is sexual and asexual using spores.

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Algae
Immotile large eukaryotes with
highly sophisticated and organised
structure.
Use CO2 or HCO3 as a carbon
source.
Light as energy passes through
photosynthetic pigments which
produce oxygen as a bi-product.
More prevalent in aquatic
environments.

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Protozoa
Can be motile or immotile.
Unicellular
Lacks cell walls.
Cannot exploit sunlights energy.
Feed on bacteria or yeasts, and fungal
spores - hence higher up the food
chain than bacteria or fungi.
Particularly useful in biological waste
treatment.

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Viruses

NOT bacteria
Non-living particles
E.g. a strand of DNA or RNA in a protein

Coat with no cellular structure, metabolism

or reproduction
Reproduction occurs by invading a living
host cell
Metabolism of the host is redirected to
replicate the viral genetic code and protein
coat

Most viruses are host specific

E.g. bacteriophage is a virus that attacks
bacteria

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