Chapter Overview

Microbes exist in every known natural habitat on earth.
Microbes show enormous capacity to adapt to environmental factors.
Factors that have the greatest impact on microbes are nutrients, temperature, pH, amount of available water, atmospheric gases, light, pressure, and other organisms.
Nutrition involves absorbing required chemicals from the environment for use in metabolism.
Autotrophs can exist solely on inorganic nutrients, while heterotrophs require both inorganic and organic nutrients.
Energy sources for microbes may come from light or chemicals.
Temperature adaptations may be at cold, moderate, and hot temperatures.
Oxygen and carbon dioxide are primary gases used in metabolism.
Transport of materials by cells involves movement by passive or active mechanisms across the cell membrane.
The water content of the cell versus its environment dictates the osmotic adaptations of cells.
Microbes interact in a variety of ways with one another and with other organisms that share their habitats.
The pattern of population growth in simple microbes is to double the number of cells in each generation.
Growth rate is limited by lack of nutrients and buildup of waste products.

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