Biol 473

Interaction of all biotic and abiotic factors

Abiotic factors include air, water, soil, minerals, sunlight, rain

Biotic factors include animals, plants, microorganisms, human beings

Biosphere is the living part of the planet Earth.

All areas or ecosystems

Ecosystem can live without us, we cannot

Techniques for utilizing living organisms or their parts for making products.

Transgenic animals, plants, microorganisms

Treatment of contaminated ecosystems. Solid wastes, contaminated air, liquid wastes

It includes use of microorganisms.

Examples are bacteria, yeast and even unicelluar protists.

Growth of Biotech Companies in Germany

Industries that are making different products in Germany

Found everywhere

Specific to specific environments

We can get a solution out of the problem

Example salinity tolerance in the organisms living in saline areas

Microorganisms play very important roles

These make the resources available for the plants

If we exhausted our land for some nutrients then microorganisms can help.

Microorganisms are the natural decomposers

We can use this property to clean up almost every kind of wastes

Microorganisms are used for cleaning solid wastes, liquid wastes and even have potential for cleaning nuclear wastes

SINGLE BACTERIUM

2.0mORGANIC POLLUTANTAND NUTRIENTS(C,P,N,O,Fe,S)

GROWTH - CELL DIVISIONINCREASE IN BIOMASS

CO2 evolved

O2 consumption

Organic matterFermented Acetic Acid

H2 CO2

+

CH4 CO2 H2O

Methanogenesis

Biogas production

CHONP CO2 + H2O

Aerobic Anaerobic Mixed processes Multiple microbes

Microorganisms

Oxidation Pond

CHONP Organic acid CO2 + H2S + NH3 + CH4

E. coli

Thresholds of various bacteria

Pseudomonas in hospitals

Solid wastes could not only be degraded by bacteria but we can convert it to useful products like

biogas

Gulf oil and gas spill

Methane utilized by bacteria, about 200,000 tons

Oil also used by bacteria

But problem is anoxic zones in sea leading to disturbed ecosystem

Deinococcus Have pigments and absorption mechanisms Other as well The bacteria, calledGeobacter sulfurreducens, transfer

electrons via the pilus to the metals that they feed off of. Transferring the electrons gives the bacteria energy. It also changes the ionization state of the metal, changing it to a form that precipitates out of water. A colony ofGeobacterliving near a pile of nuclear waste would extract the uranium, making it easier to handle and remove.

Microorganisms can provide useful solutions for dealing with many

environmental problems