Fungi Unlike bacteria and viruses, fungi are simple plant-like organisms which reproduce using spores. There are three types of fungal infections; ones which occur on the surface of the skin and hair; those which occur in the epidermis (such as ringworm and athlete's foot) and those which affect the deeper layers of skin – the dermis, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and fascia. Fungi may reach these layers as a result of penetrating wounds, or may be inhaled. Parasites Parasites differ from bacteria in that they need a living host to survive and reproduce, although not all parasites affect the host. Parasites can be acquired through contact with a contaminated surface, via infected water or food and through contact with contaminated bodily fluids such as blood, faecal matter and sexual contact.
Fungi :A Fungus is a spore producing organism and can live as a single celled yeast or as a larger multi-cellular mould. It will live by absorbing certain nutrients from any organic matter. Fungi include moulds, mildews, Mushrooms and yeast. The more common illnesses from fungi could be athlete’s foot, ringworm and thrush. Viruses: A virus needs a host cell to replicate.
1.1 Identify the differences between bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites Bacteria - a single cell micro-organism that gets its nutrition from its surroundings and can only be seen under a microscope. Viruses - are disease producing agents far smaller than bacteria. They are enclosed in a protein coating which makes them more difficult to destroy. Fungi – are included in the plant kingdom but are quite different from green plants. The basic unit of a fungus is a hypha which is a hollow tube.
The results showed that the increasing of the density leads to a decrease in the biomass of plants and that the experimental groups are not much different than the control groups. This shows that an environment can work to stabilize itself without human interruptions. Plants can ensure they don’t overpopulate an area by self-thinning and species can survive with predators using the environment they were given. Introduction Competition for resources is seen in all species and environments around the world. Since the Earth’s natural resources are limited, it necessary for species of all kingdoms to fight in order to gain enough nutrients in order to not only live but thrive and go on to produce future generations.
Agriculturally, plants can be genetically transformed to be resistant to pesticides, spoilage, and frost. In bioremediation bacteria can be transformed to be able to digest oil from oil spills. For medicinal purposes, gene therapy is being used to help people with diseases caused by defective genes. The GFP protein is a green fluorescent protein that is the source for bioluminescent jellyfish. This protein causes the jellyfish to glow in the dark.
Effect of ammonium nitrate on Ceratopteris richardii Abstract: Ceratopteris richardii, also known as C-fern, is commonly used in research studies as a model plant because of its short generation time. In this experiment, we aimed to observe the effects of ammonium nitrate on this species of ferns. To achieve this, we inoculated and evenly spread three drops of C. richardii spores into two separate and sterile petri dishes, one control group and one experimental group. The experimental treatment contained 1% ammonium nitrate on the medium and the control treatment was merely a normal nutrient-rich agar. Then, we performed an f-test and a t-test to determine if there was any germination difference between the treatments.
The roots have an outer layer of cells called root hair cells that have a specific shape that makes the uptake of water and mineral ions more efficient. They have a long, thin extension of the cell surface membrane that extends into the soil. This increases the surface area of the root dramatically, and the thin epithelial lining surrounding the root decreases the diffusion distance between the soil and inside of the cell, again
In mutualism both species benefit; in commensalism one species benefits and the other is not affected; and in parasitism the parasite benefits and harms the host. 2. Prokaryotes engage in all three types of symbiosis with eukaryotes, e.g., Rhizobium is mutualistic with plants, bacteria living within the intestines and on the skin of humans are mostly commensal but some are mutualistic, e.g., anaerobic, fermenting, bacteria living within the female vagina create an acidic environment hostile to yeast and other fungi. C. Pathogenic prokaryotes cause many human diseases 1. To be pathogenic, a parasite must invade the host, resist internal defenses long enough to begin growing, then harm the host in some way.
Although they are eukaryotes like plants and animals, the major difference is that fungal cells have cell walls that contain chitin, unlike the cell walls of plants, which contain cellulose. Fungi lack the chlorophyll necessary for photosynthesis and must therefore live as parasites or saprophytes Parasites: plant or animal that at some stage of its existence obtains its nourishment from another living organism called the host. Parasites may or may not harm the host, but they never benefit it. They include members of many plant and animal groups, and nearly all living things are at some time hosts to parasitic forms. Many bacteria are parasitic on external and internal body surfaces; some of these invade the inner tissues and cause disease.
The deep volcanic ash where he found the lupine held few nutrients. But lupines, like other plants in the pea family, are able to “fix” nitrogen, thus enriching the soil. Each lupine plant created a microhabitat that was hospitable to several other plant species. Besides enriching the soil with nitrogen, the lupines also physically trapped windblown debris and attracted insects. As the insects died on or around the plant, they enriched the soil with organic matter.