List Characteristics of a Microbial Population.
What comes to mind initially regarding a microbial population are the species’ sources of Energy and Carbon. For example, a population which derives its Energy and Carbon from organic sources would be termed a “Chemoheterotroph”. Breaking this down, Chemo signifies the organisms receive their energy from chemicals, while Heterotroph indicates that the organism must consume others to fulfill its nutritional requirements. Conversely, a Population could be designated as a Photoautotroph. The components of this name are broken down into “Photo” which means they capture energy from the suns light (photons) to produce necessary organic compounds and “Auto” which means they are able to synthesize their own food from simple organic substances. All variations of these arrangements exist, as organisms, especially microbes, show incredible diversity. Some are even categorized as “mixotrophs” and are able to take advantage of a range of metabolic options depending on the most advantageous in their current environment.
While these categories are helpful, their classification still leaves many questions. Further characteristic determinants of microbials include environmental aspects such as: pH range, temperature, prevalent gasses, osmotic pressure, nutrient availability, water availability, etc. It is important to note, however, that each population has varying acceptable ranges for each of these and some are more “sensitive” to changes than others. These environmental characteristics are valuable to researchers in many ways. Collecting this information allows them to make generalized assumptions as to the various populations which are likely present in a given environment.
How does this differ from a Microbial Community?
As mentioned, the previous environmental characteristics can be very helpful in making assumptions regarding the populations likely present. However, when discussing communities the focus is larger and encompasses many populations, their interactions and the environmental influence. According to Nature Research, a microbial community is simply defined as the groups of microorganisms which share a living space and interact (Nature 2021). The analysis of a community brings important new questions to the table. One such question, how do these various populations interact, is vital in understanding the dynamics of the community, For example, some populations may be predators of another, or conversely, one community may be reliant on the byproducts of another. Interactions from parasitism to symbiosis are present and important factors of all communities.
Analysis of the communities characteristics through various means has proven to be pivotal in bettering our understanding of the natural world, as well as increasing our ability to manipulate it to better our needs. A great example of this is soil microbiology research and its contribution to farming. Without working to better understand populations interactions and beneficial species preferred conditions, progressing our farming practices would likely not have proven to be so successful.
Citation:
Springer Nature Limited. Microbial Communities. Nature Research, 2021. Retrieved From:
https://www.nature.com/subjects/communities
