MICROORGANISMS

1. MICROORGANISMS
2. MONERA KINGDOM
3. PROTOCTIST KINGDOM
4. FUNGI KINGDOM
1. MICROORGANISMS
 Microorganisms are living things which can only be
seen by using a microscope. They all belong to
either the Monera, Protoctist or Fungus kingdoms.
 A microscope is an instrument which enables us to
observe microorganisms and samples of certain
other things, such as cells and tissue sections,
because it has a set of lenses which magnify the
image.
 Some people believe that the Dutchman Zacharias
Jansen (1590) invented the microscope. Others
believe that it was the Italian Galileo Galilei (1610).
 Modern-day microscopes can magnify samples up
to 2000 times.
Viruses:  Viruses are not cells, so they are not
really living things. They cannot carry
out any vital functions by themselves.
They are always obligate parasites:
they need to infect cells of living
things, and then they can reproduce.
 Structure of a virus:
A. Nucleic acid: contains genetic
information.
B. Capsid: an external protein layer
that envelops the nucleic acid.
C. Viral envelope: it covers the capsid.
Only some viruses have one.
QUESTIONS OF POINT 1:
1. What are microorganisms?
2. What is a microscope?
3. Which two scientists are considered inventors of the
microscope?
4. Which three kingdoms can the microorganisms belong to?
5. Do we consider viruses living things? Why?
6. Why are viruses parasites?
7. What are the parts of a virus? Describe them.
  The Monera kingdom contains unicellular
2. MONERA KINGDOM prokaryotic organisms, bacteria.
 They can live almost anywhere. They
sometimes form colonies, but each
individual cell remains independent.
 Bacteria can be classified into four groups
by their shape:
Bacteria nutrition:
 Most bacteria are heterotrophs: they do not produce their own food.
a) Parasites feed off living things, causing illnesses like
tuberculosis and cholera.
b) Saprophytes live on dead or decomposing matter, transforming
organic substances into inorganic substances (which are very
important for plants). Some saprophytes are useful: lactobacilo
is used to make yoghurt.
c) Symbionts live on the bodies of other living things providing
mutual benefit. For example, intestinal bacteria of mammals
help with digestion.
 Some bacteria are autotrophs. For example, cianobacteria make
their own food thorough photosynthesis.

Bacteria reproduction:
Bacteria generally reproduce by binary fission, producing two
daughter cells. Each daughter cell grows and then divides again.
QUESTIONS OF POINT 2:
1. What living things belong to the Moneran Kingdom?
2. What are the four shapes they can have? Describe them.
3. What are bacteria colonies?
4. What types of nutrition do bacteria have?
5. What are parasitic bacteria?
6. What are saprophytic bacteria?
7. What are symbiotic bacteria?
8. What is binary fission?
9. Why are saprophytic bacteria so important for plants?
10.Are all bacteria dangerous to us? Write some examples.
3. PROTOCTIST KINGDOM
The Protoctist kigdom
includes unicellular and
multicellular living things.
They are all eukaryotes and
have no tissues. Protozoa
and algae are found in this
kingdom.
Protozoa:
 Protozoa are unicellular and heterotrophic eukaryotic living things. They life in both salt water and
fresh water, or in very humid terrestrial environments, and some of them are parasites that cause
illnesses. Others float on water, zooplankton, and are food for aquatic animals.
 There are four groups of protozoa according to the way they move:
1. Ciliates: They move using cilia. Some are parasites. Example: Paramecium.
2. Flagellates: They move using a flagellum. Some are parasites. Example: Trypanosoma.
3. Rhizopods: They move using projections of cell cytoplasm called pseudopods. Some are
parasites. Example: Amoeba.
4. Sporozoa: They do not move. All are parasites. Example: Plasmodium.
Algae:
 Algae are eukaryotic, uni or multicellular, autotrophic
(photosynthetic) and aquatic organisms.
 Some unicellular algae float on water forming
phytoplankton, which provides oxygen in aquatic ecosystems
and is a source of food for aquatic animals.
 Many multicellular algae live fixed to the bottom of a body of
water and are called benthic algae. These algae have no
tissues because all the cells look the same and have the
same function, forming a structure called thallus.
 All algae contain chlorophyll and other pigments, and
depending on these pigments, algae can be green, brown or
red.
 Algae are useful for humans because they provide food,
fertilisers, cosmetics and medicines.
QUESTIONS OF POINT 3:
1. What types of living things are included in Protoctist Kingdom?
2. What are protozoa?
3. What is zooplankton?
4. What four types of protozoa are there, and how does each move?
5. Where do protozoa live?
6. What are algae?
7. What is phytoplankton and why is it so important?
8. What are benthic algae?
9. What does the structure called thallus consist of?
10. What three groups of algae are there according to their colour?
4. FUNGI KINGDOM
 Fungi can be uni or multicellular, and have eukaryotic cells with a
rigid cell wall made of chitin. All of them are heterotrophic, and
depending on how they get their food, fungi can be:
a) Saprophytes, which feed on the remains of other living things.
They digest organic matter externally and then absorb
nutrients.
b) Parasites, which feed from living organisms, causing diseases
such as athlete´s foot.
c) Symbiotic, which means they take nutrients from other
organism, and in return, provide some kind of benefit. Lichens
are unions between fungi and algae.
 The body of multicellular fungi is made up of hyphae which are
microscopic filaments. The hyphae group together to form the
mycelium, which grows underground.
 Fungi reproduce by spores.
 Three groups of fungi:
1. Yeasts: They are unicellular fungi that obtain energy
from nutrients in a process called fermentation.
This process is useful for making bread, beer and
wine.
2. Moulds: They are multicellular fungi and their
mycelium forms filaments. They are frequently
found on food such as fruit, bread or cheese.
3. Mushrooms: They are multicellular fungi and the
mushroom is the reproductive structure, but the
mycelium remains buried. Some are edible, and
others are poisonous.
QUESTIONS OF POINT 4:
1. What organisms are included in the Fungus Kingdom?
2. What three types of heterotrophic nutrition can they have (define each
one)?
3. How do fungi reproduce?
4. What are hyphae?
5. What is a mycelium?
6. What are the three groups of fungi?
7. What is a yeast and how does it get the energy it needs?
8. Where do moulds live?
9. What is a mushroom?