Understanding Microbial Diversity

• Microorganisms consist of primitive organisms existing in soil, water, and air.
• These organisms play an essential role in ecological and biotechnological processes.
• The organism's role is to aid in the maintenance of life, assisting with metabolic processes, and contributing to various biological systems.

The Microbial Diversity

• Microorganisms consist of: prokaryotic and eukaryotic.
• Prokaryotic organisms include: archaea and bacteria.
• The eukaryotic group include: fungi, algae, and protozoans.
• Viruses, viroids, and prions are also considered microorganisms.
• Microbial diversity varies structurally and functionally in morphology and adaptation.

Understanding Microbial Diversity

• Through the study of genetic material like DNA and RNA, billions of microbial species exist.
• Only 3% of all microorganisms have been identified, with only a few studied in depth.
• Microorganisms existed 3.3 billion years ago, colonizing Earth, using diverse fuels to survive.
• They colonize various environments, with bacteria and microorganisms growing in adverse environments.
• Some live alone, while others, like mycorrhizal fungi, live within plants' roots, coexisting symbiotically with other living beings.
• 30,800 species of protozoans, 70,000 species of fungi, and 45,000 bacteria species are described.
• Around 2 million fungi and 3 to 10 million bacterial species are predicted.
• Habitats like soil show great diversity of protozoans, cyanobacteria, bacteria, and fungi.
• One study estimates that soil has thousands of species in populations of 100 to 2,000 million individuals per gram of soil, with 35,000 species of bacteria and 1,500,000 species of fungi.

Importance of Microorganisms

• They are responsible for decomposing organic matter and cycling nutrients, like nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon, and sulfur.
• Microorganisms help regulate ecosystems and offer biotechnological advances for pharmaceutical, alimentary, and medical industries.
• Bacteria such as Rhizobium and Frankia are responsible for nitrogen fixation and cycling.
• Rhizobium etli gives nitrogen to bean plants, mycorrhizae aids in plant nutrient capture, and Burkholderia stimulates plant growth.

Industrial Biotechnology

• Within the sector, microorganisms yield important antibiotics like penicillin and cephalosporin.
• Bacteria like Lactobacillus are also essential in the food industry to produce vitamin B12 in yogurt.
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a yeast used in the beverage industry to produce beer, tequila, and wine.
• Species of Candida, Kloeckera, Picha, and Bacillus are used in fermentation, showing the ethnobiological potential of various cultures in traditional Mexican diets.
• Microorganisms are the least known, yet offer environmental services in megadiverse countries such as Mexico.

Advancement Through Bacteria

• Bacteria contributes to the advancement of research.
• F. Griffith contributed evidence that Pneumococcus, which induces pneumonia, contains genetic and structural properties.
• Griffith determined that a capsule surrounding bacterial cells is key to causing pneumonia.
• Results showed bacterial cells with inactive or active capsules are non-hazardous, but animals with a bacterial combination contracted pneumonia, proving transformation.

Mycorrhizae Symbiosis

• Symbiosis consists of a microorganism offers a host benefit for resources, and fungi establishes symbiosis, creating mycorrhiza with tree roots.
• Trees give fungi elements from photosynthesis, a process fungi cannot perform.
• Fungi is given water, nitrogen, and phosphorus, essential resources for plant existence in extreme environments.

Mycorrhizae Benefits

• Mycorrhizal arbuscular is the oldest which is within 97% of plants, while the fungal roots form minute arboreal structures, the site of resource exchange.
• Mycorrhizas enable plants to withstand environmental adversities, water and essential nutrient deficiency, and attack from diseases.
• Mycorrhiza improves plant size, weight, seed production, and drought resistance, making them thrive in disturbed environments.

Anthrax Influence

• Bacillus Anthracis is a causative agent behind anthrax, and influenced microbiology innovation in medicine.
• Anthrax presents within the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and lungs.
• If treated early, anthrax can be regulated; however, difficult diagnoses result to the infected's death in most cases.
• Pasteur proved diseases may appear through other microorganisms and found a way to remove them to prevent the spread.

Bacillus Thuringiensis Insecticide

• Bacillus Thuringiensis is the most widespread way to regulate plagues such as malaria/dengue spreading mosquitoes or larvae, where it is used in areas containing agriculture.
• The bacteria creates spores during its life and remains in the surrounding ecosystem where nutritional ingredients are absence.

Microorganism Consequences

• Pathogenic microorganisms can affect the status of human health which involves viruses and bacteria.
• Consuming the same nutrients involves microbes, since humans and microbes require the same substances.
• 9,000 parasite species within humans alter human health.
• The virus for hepatitis alters cell count and is an example of a consequence of virus' effects.

The Influence of Microbes

• In the biotic environment, microorganisms can influence both biotic and biotechnological fields.
• Using the wealth of the land through the use of microscopic biomes is important.
• Microbes are a key part in biosecurity for countries.
• Biosecurity is essential for preservation and use.
• The use of classic biochemical methodologies, membrane (fatty acid profiles) and microscopic technologies (DNA, RNA, metagenome) are crucial.