Prof. Cornelius W Sullivan● from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania● worked in DC for 4 years bringing people to Antarctica● 26 expeditions in Arctic● 13 expeditions in AntarcticaLecture Topics Today● Bio/geo/chemical● Bio = biological● Geo = to do with earth● Chemical = chemicals● biogeochemical cycles of carbon (c), nitrogen (N), and phosphorous (P)● these are some of the key chemical nutrients required for growth of organisms● ex: when eating vitamins, too much/imbalance can be just as damaging● important to note when dealing with nutrients/micronutrients● life depends on recycling chemical elemtns● nutrient circuits in ecosystems involve biotic & abiotic components and area called biogeochemical cycles● how available elements are, where they cycle, and how they cycle● gaseous forms of carbon, oxygen, sulfur, & nitrogen occur in the atmosphere & cycle globally● less mobile elements include phosphorous, potassium, & calcium● cycle locally in terrestrial systems, but more broadly when dissolved in aquatic systems● LA > NYC > Atlantic Ocean > London*most ecosystems receive overabundant solar energyBacteria & Archaea● Q: who are the recyclers?● A: Prokaryotes - are bacteria or resemble bacteria● the first living organisms to inhabit Earth for 1 billion years● today live in Earth’s habitats and define boundaries of the biosphere● many developed to be photosynthetically activeConcept of Scale● Earth’s microbes have estimated # of 4-6 * 10^30 more than all known stars in the universe!● Cycrophiles = love cold● Thermophiles = love heat● Extremophiles = love extremes● small size = key to success! (micrometers) surface to volume is very large● Separated from environment by a cell wall & cellular membrane only 8 nm thick (8,000/page of paper)● Human cells are Eukaryotic 10^13 (10 trillion cells make up our body)● human microbiota 10^14● Prokaryotes / baclnic & apchaea○ most numerous○ cement molecules most effectively through respiration & decomposition to support themselves○ spherical (strep throat), rod-shaped (e.coli), spiral (ring bacteria)● TEM of plasma mebrane w/ outside vs inside of cell● Hydrophilic Region, hydrophobic region, and hydrophilic region - separated by a structure of plasma membranes from phospholipid bilayer with proteins that transport between
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