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Running head: MICROBIOLOGY 100 MODULE 2 Microbiology 100 Module 2 July 18, 2009 Microbiology 100 Module 2 Characteristics of Bacteria Bacteria are very small, microscopic organisms whose single cells have neither membrane-bounded organelles nor membrane-bounded nucleus. Bacteria are unicellular microorganisms, usually few micrometers in lengths (Croddy, 2004). These microorganisms vary in shapes, as they may range from spirals to rods and spheres. Basically, bacteria are found everywhere on the Earth, as they grow in acidic hot springs, soil, water, radioactive waste, in organic matter, in the live bodies of animals and plants, etc.
Although bacteria have mostly the same generic, metabolic, and structural characteristics, there are few significant biochemical differences existing among various species of bacteria. Due to these differences in biochemical characteristics, bacteria are able to survive in various (also extreme) environments and can constitute a threat to the Earth and living organisms, and become a viable bio terrorist weapon. For example, such characteristics as spore forming (e. g. , anthrax) may serve to make it a viable bio terrorist weapon.
Bacteria Bacillus anthracis produces a toxin, and smallpox, very infectious viral disease. There are two forms: cutaneous spore-forming bacteria and a more deadly, pulmonary one (Biological Warfare). Anthrax bacteria produce spores resembling shells; these spores allow bacteria to survive in a dormant state in the soil. When these bacteria are used as a bacteriological weapon, they enter the lungs and then they are carried into immune systems and blood. Shell-like spores of anthrax bacteria become active and quickly reproduce in extremely large numbers, releasing a highly toxic devastating toxin lethal to human cells.
When bacteria reproduce enough spores, it can become a lethal bacteriological weapon and kills. Characteristics of Viruses Similar to bacteria, viruses can constitute a significant threat to human health. Viruses are very small infectious agents possessing both nonliving and living characteristics. Similar to bacteria, they range in shape as they vary from filaments, polyhedrons, crystals to rods, helices, and spheres. Viruses can infect humans, plants, animals, and microorganisms. The major characteristics of viruses are as follows: they are very small and visible only under microscope, ranging in size from 250 to 20 nm of parvovirus es (Wagner & Hewlett, 2003).
Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites and are significantly smaller than bacteria (10 to 1, 000 times smaller in size), therefore, they can constitute more serious threat, as they can pass through filtering pores from which, for example, bacteria fail to pass through. Viruses can be reproduced only in plant and animal cells, where they can be reproduced by the process of replication. They are dependent on the host cell to carry our such vital functions as synthesis of protein and nucleic acid, because they lack metabolic machinery to carry out these functions (Want, 1998). As viruses are reproduced in host cells, they can cause a disease. The most important thing is that viruses in general are highly resistant to a wide range of effective antibiotics (e. g. , streptomycin, penicillin, etc), therefore, they can constitute significant threat and can become a viable bio terrorist weapon.
Characteristics of Fungi Fungi are very primitive plants; they do not use photosynthesis, and have the capability of anaerobic growth. They develop from spores, as there is no embryonic stage for fungi. Fungi can draw nutrition from decaying vegetable matter. As far as they draw nutrition from decaying vegetable matter, they can utilize hydrolytic enzymes in order to break down biopolymers and to recycle nutrients through ecosystem (Kayser, 2004). Fungi utilize exoenzyme's to digest food before ingesting it. Fungi are non-vascular, eukaryotic organisms.
In general, they are non-motile but some of their forms have motile phases (for example, chytrids) (Gladwin & Trattler, 2008). There are three categories of fungi: saprophytes that are getting nourishment from the surroundings, parasites that cause serious sometimes fatal threat to their hosts, and mutualist's. The spores of mycotoxins-producing fungi can be used as a potential biological weapon because of their ease of manufacture, stability and ease of dissemination in aerosol form. Some fungi species can also be very effective biological weapons against a wide range of animals (e. g. , rinderpest is used against cattle, and Newcastle Diseases and aspergillosis are used against poultry) (Gladwin & Trattler, 2008). Although most genetically modified anti-crops fungi forms can be used as an environmentally friendly way to eliminate illegal crops (e.
g. , coca plants, marijuana, etc), and some forms of fungi like stem rust, rice blast, tobacco mosaic virus, sugar beet curly top virus, and others can be used to protect legal crops, due to ease of manufacture and modification some forms of fungi can constitute a very serious threat to humans and, therefore, can be considered a serious biological weapon. Works Cited Biological Warfare. (n. d. ). Retrieved July 18, 2009, from web Croddy, E. (2004).
Weapons of Mass Destruction: An Encyclopedia of Worldwide Policy, Technology, and History. ABC-CLIO, Incorporated. Gladwin, M. , & Trattler, B. (2008). Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple. Med Master Inc.
Kayser, F. (2004). Medical microbiology. Georg Thieme Verlag. Wagner, E. , & Hewlett, M. (2003). Basic virology.
Blackwell Publishers. Want, C. (1998). Biological Weapons: What Role Should Environmental Health Specialists Take in Protecting Our Communities? Journal of Environmental Health, 60.
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Research essay sample on Running Head Microbiology 100 Module 2
