Vishal Shangari

F2
F.2.1

Microbes and the environment

List the roles of microbes in ecosystems, including producers, nitrogen fixers and decomposers. Producers Blue-green algae produce a lot of food for marine ecosystems Also, are main producer of oxygen for world Nitrogen fixers Bacteria that remove nitrogen from the atmosphere and fix it into nitrates which are usable by producers Decomposers Break down detritus and release inorganic nutrients into atmosphere

F.2.2

Draw and label a diagram of the nitrogen cycle.

F.2.3

State the roles of Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter and Pseudomonas denitrificans in the nitrogen cycle. Rhizobium: nitrogen-fixing, lives on root nodules Azotobacter: nitrogen-fixing, free-living Nitrosomonas: nitrification, converts ammonia (NH3) to nitrite (NO2-) Nitrobacter: nitrification, changes nitrite to nitrate (NO3-) which is usable by plants Pseudodomonas denitrificans: denitrification, removes nitrates and nitrites and puts nitrogen gas back in atmosphere

Vishal Shangari
F.2.4 Outline the conditions that favour denitrification and nitrification. Conditions favouring denitrification No available oxygen/anaerobic soils (flooding or compacted soil) High nitrogen input Conditions favouring nitrification Available oxygen/aerated soils Neutral pH Warm temperature F.2.5 Explain the consequences of releasing raw sewage and nitrate fertilizer into rivers. Pathogens in drinking and bathing water E. Coli Cholera Eutrophication Increase in nitrogen provides huge amounts of nutrients for algae causing a bloom Algal blooms Algae (such as phytoplankton) blooms cause decomposers to use a lot of oxygen from the water to break down the dead algae, leading to a loss of oxygen for other organisms Deoxygenation The removal of molecular oxygen (O2) from a substance Increase in biochemical oxygen demands (BOD) F.2.6 Outline the role of saprotrophic bacteria in the treatment of sewage using trickling filter beds and reed bed systems. Trickling Filter System Bed of stones 2m deep Rocks covered by a biofilm of saprotrophs which feed on organic matter, and act on the sewage, which is trickled over (done to add oxygen to sewage), until it is broken down Cleaner water trickles out of the bottom Reed Bed System Decomposers break down organic matter to ammonia and mineral ions Nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia to nitrates and nitrites Plant roots absorb mineral ions and nitrates Remaining nitrates denitrified

Vishal Shangari
F.2.7 F.2.8 State that biomass can be used as raw material for the production of fuels such as methane and ethanol. Explain the principles involved in the generation of methane from biomass, including the conditions needed, organisms involved and the basic chemical reactions that occur. Three types of bacteria are involved: 1. Convert organic matter to organic acids and alcohol 2. Convert organic acids and alcohol into acetate, carbon dioxide and hydrogen 3. Methanogens convert carbon dioxide, hydrogen and acetate into methane