Chapter 1, Problem 8RQ

Summary Introduction

To review:

Historical developments in microbial taxonomy and challenges faced in classifying microbes.

Introduction:

Microorganisms make up much of the living material of Earth and play a key role in sustaining Earth’s ecosystems. There are seven types of microorganisms, Archaea, bacteria, fungi, algae, helminths, and viruses. Each type has its cellular structure, physiology, locomotion, and reproductive characteristics. Historically, classification of microbes was a task because of the difficulties faced in detection of distinguishing features of different categories.