Key terms and concepts in cyanobacteria research, with pronunciations and visual aids.(7 terms)
7 terms found
The study of genetic material from all organisms in an environment.
A culture-independent approach that analyzes total community DNA to identify microbial diversity, metabolic potential, and functional genes within complex ecosystems.
A layered community of microorganisms growing together on a surface.
A structured, multi-species biofilm composed of bacteria and archaea that exhibit metabolic stratification driven by light, oxygen, and chemical gradients.
The process of converting nitrogen gas from the air into a form organisms can use.
A biochemical process mediated by the enzyme nitrogenase that reduces atmospheric N₂ to ammonia (NH₃), enabling biological assimilation of nitrogen.
An organism that uses sunlight to make its own food.
An organism that captures light energy to drive carbon fixation, typically via the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle, using CO₂ as a carbon source.
Pigments that help cyanobacteria capture light energy.
Water-soluble accessory pigments organized in phycobilisomes that efficiently transfer light energy to chlorophyll a, especially under low-light or extreme conditions.
Colored molecules that help organisms absorb light or protect from sunlight.
Light-absorbing compounds such as chlorophylls, carotenoids, and phycobiliproteins that enable photosynthesis and protect cells from photooxidative damage.
Cyanobacteria that grow best at high temperatures, such as those found in hot springs.
Photosynthetic prokaryotes adapted to elevated temperatures (typically 40-75 °C) with specialized proteins, membranes, and metabolic pathways that maintain cellular stability under thermal stress.