Taxonomy Is Defined As the Science of Biological Classification

—Taxonomy is defined as the science of biological classification

—Nomenclature deals with the assignment of names

Binomial system- established by Linnaeus, two names given to organisms- genus and species

Archaea

Phylum Crenarchaeota

—Depend on sulfur for growth

—Are frequently acidophiles

Phylum Euryarchaeota

—Methanogens- obligated anaerobes that can obtain energy by making (synthesizing) methane

—Halobacteria- aerobic chemoheterotrophs that require salt (NaCl 1.5M) for growth. Found in salt lakes, salterns and salted fish

—Thermoplasms- lack cell walls and can live in hot acidic coal refuse piles.

—Extremely thermophilic sulfur reducers- live in hot environments and can reduce sulfur to sulfide (S0 to S-2)

Sulfate-reducing archaea- extreme thermophiles

Bacteria

—Aquificae and Thermotogae- oldest phylogenetic branch of Bacteria. Are hyperthermophilic gram-negative rods.

—Deinococcus- extremely resistant to desiccation and radiation. Include aerobic cocci and rods.

Deinococcus radiodurans, nicknamed Conan the Bacterium, can withstand 1.5 million rads. Its extrordinary tolerance makes it useful at nuclear waste sites, where it consumes nuclear waste and transforms it into more disposable derivatives. Can withstand dehydration. Found in North Pole. May have come from Mars.

Phylum Cyanobacteria- require oxygen to carry out photosynthesis. Many

Are nitrogen fixing bacteria for plants

•Phylum Chlamydiae- non-motile- coccoid, gram negative bacteria that lack

peptidoglycan and must reproduce within the cytoplasmic vacuoles of host

cells.

–Chlamydial infections include inclusion conjunctivitis, chlamydia pneumonia, gonococcal urethritis, lymphogranuloma venereum, and trachoma.

Phylum Spirochaetes- slender, long, helical, gram-negative bacteria that are motile

-can cause Syphilis and Lyme disease

Phylum Proteobacteria– largest group of bacteria with over 500 known genera.

Class Alpha-Proteobacteria

Rickettsias- obligate intracellular parasites responsible for many diseases including typhus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis.

Ehrlichiosis is a bacterial illness transmitted by ticks that causes flu-like symptoms.

Class Beta-Proteobacteria

Genus Neisseria contain non-motile, aerobic, gram-negative

Cocci that colonize mucous membranes causing disease such

As meningitis and gonorrhea

Class Gamma-Proteobacteria- largest group of proteobacteria

•Purple sulfur bacteria are anaerobes and usually photolithoautotrophs that oxidize hydrogen sulfide to sulfur

•Methylococcaceae are methylotrophs, which means that they use methane, methanol and other reduced one carbon compounds as their energy source.

•Pseudomonas contain straight or slightly curved, gram-negative, aerobic rods that are motile by one or several polar flagella

–Can cause many diseases, and often spoil refrigerated food.

–Enterobacteriaceae also known as enteric bacteria are gram-negative and include human pathogens such as, Salmonella, Shigellas, and some strains of E. coli

Class Delta-Proteobacteria- important in recycling sulfur within ecosystem

Bdellovibrio attacks other gram-negative bacteria by colliding with them, then creates holes in membrane and enters periplasmic space.

Class Epsilon-Proteobacteria include disease causing;

–Campylobacter

–Helicobacter

Phylum Firmicutes

Class Clostridia- genera Clostridium causes botulism, tetanus, and gas gangrene

Class Bacilli- includes Staphylococcus that produce enzymes and toxins, and genera Lactobacillus used for the fermentation of some food and dairy industry. Also include Listeria, which causes food poisoning, and Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Lactococcus.

Phylum Actinomycetes

•Include the genera and species Corynebacterium diphtheriae which causes diphteria

•Include the genera Micrococcus

—Include Mycobaterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis, and Mycobacterium africanus all of which cause tuberculosis

—Mycobacterium leprae cause leprosy

—Streptomyces important in the making of the drug first used against tuberculosis

Fungi

•Fungi are important decomposers that break down organic matter; live as parasites on animals, humans, and plants.

•Fungi secrete enzymes outside their body structure to digest their food and then absorb it.

•Most fungi are saprophytes (feed off dead matter) and need lots of water and prefer the dark.

•Cell wall of funguses is made up of chitin

•Have no chlorophyll

•Made up of eukaryotic cells

•Hyphae- branching filaments or tubes that make up the fungi

•Septa- walls that divide hyphae into separate compartments

•Mycelium- tangled network of hyphae that can spread over large areas. Many times found under the soil.

Fungi reproduce by producing spores

Phylum Zygomycota- include molds and blights

Rhizopus stolonifer- mold that grows on bread

Phylum Ascomycota- includes some disease causing fungi such as candidiasis, aspergillosis, and pneumocystis pneumonia

–Include yeast, mildew, truffles and morel mushrooms

Phylum Basidiomycota- mushrooms, puffballs, bracket fungi

Protista

•Have properties of animals and plants.

•Many are free living although some are parasites

•Most are unicellular. Some may live in colonies

•They all are eukaryotic cells

Super Group Excavata

•Group Fornicata- most primitive eukaryotes

–Giardia microorganism found in water and can cause diarrhea and vomiting if ingested by humans

•Group Parabasalia- flagellated endosymbionts of animals.

–Include the obligate mutualists of wood-eating insects such as Triconympha

Include the human disease causing Trichomonas

•Trichomonas is a one-celled parasite that can live in the vagina, the cervix, or in the male lower genital tract.

Group Euglenozoa- Most are photoautotrophs but some are chemoorganotrophs

–Important human pathogen include Trypanosoma. Members of this genus cause diseases such as leishmaniasis, Chagas’ disease, and African sleeping sickness

Super Group Amoebozoa

–Amoeboid form, use pseudopodia for movement.

-Entamoeba histolytica a major cause of parasitic death worldwide

•Group Eumycetozoa includes the acellular and cellular slime molds.

Super Group Rhizaria

•Include Radiolaria and foraminifera which bear netlike reticulopodia and hard parts or plates called tests

–Radiolaria have internal skeleton made of siliceous material. Can have symbiotic relationships with algae to enhance nutrient intake.

–Foraminifera are benthic (marine in the deep areas) an their tests accumulate on the ocean floor, where they are useful in oil exploration.

Super Group Chromalveolata

Include the dinoglagellates – plankton, food for fish.

Include Paramecium caudatum

Apicomplexans- are parasitic with life cycles involving various stages and intermediate hosts.

-genera Plasmodium- cause of malaria transmitted by mosquito Anopheles, which is its vector (any organism that transmits a disease causing agent)

Oomycota- white rust and mildew. Once thought to be a fungus but has cellulose in their cell wall

Super Group Archaeplastida- include Chlorophyta- Volvox

Parasites are organisms that live in (endoparasites) or on (ectoparasites) a host

Cryptosporidium- protista that is obtained through contaminated water. Affected Milwaukee population in 1983.

Giardia- can cause nausea, diarrhea, cramps. Can survive chlorination