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

O2 consumption

GROWTH - CELL DIVISION

INCREASE IN BIOMASS

2.0m

ORGANIC POLLUTANT
AND NUTRIENTS
(C,P,N,O,Fe,S)
SINGLE
BACTERIUM

CO2 evolved

Fermented
Organic matter

Acetic Acid
+
H2 CO2

Methanogenesis

CH4 CO2 H2O

Biogas production

Microorganisms

CHONP
Aerobic
Anaerobic
Mixed processes
Multiple microbes

CO2 + H2O

Oxidation Pond

CHONP
NH3 + CH4

Organic acid

CO2 + H2S +

 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