Article
Article
Microbial ecology
Article By:
Atlas, Ronald M. Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
Last reviewed:April 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.422050
Show previous versions
- Microbial ecology, published June 2014:Download PDF
Get Adobe Acrobat Reader
The study of interrelationships between microorganisms and their environments. Microbial ecology is a scientific discipline concerned with how microorganisms (microbes) interact with each other and the environment. Microbial populations are able to tolerate varying environmental conditions. Some microorganisms, referred to as extremophiles, grow only under conditions usually considered hostile to life, including hot springs (Fig. 1), salt lakes, and deep-sea thermal vents. Understanding the environmental factors that control microbial growth and survival offers insight into the distribution of microorganisms in nature, and many studies in microbial ecology examine the adaptive features that permit particular microbial species to function in particular habitats. See also: Ecology; Environment; Extremophiles; Hydrothermal vent; Microbiology; Spring (hydrology); Thermal ecology
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
