Friday, 31st october 2014, "Algae And Fungi"

Since Dr Wan couldn't find the time to teach us Algae and Fungi on Monday nor Tuesday. Today we had a 4 hours long class. It was fun actually. I must admit that I'm starting to love Microbiology more. It's a good thing! Not that I hate it before but the fondness towards the subject is subtle before this. In my opinion, it's important to love what you're doing/learning. Same goes for your career in the future, just saying. x'D (Self reflection section haha) 

Since last week I have hmm somehow talked about algae. So for this week's entry, I will do the "New Things That I Learned Today" section! ^^ 

New Thing That I Learned Today

ALGAE

• Algae is the first producer of the marine food chain.

• Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta and Phaephyta are in the kingdom of Plantae.

• Microbes that lives on neustonic region (at water-atmosphere interface) are autotrophic or photoautotrophic microbes because they need sun to produce food for themselves. 

• Microbes that lives on benthic region (at the bottom of water) are anaerobes because at the bottom of water, there are low concentration of oxygen. 

• Endosymbionts : Any organisms that lives in the cell of other organisms and interacting with each other by mutualism. 

• Algal bloom : Although we often say things like "Wow! The lake is green! So pretty!" The green lakes are actually cause by algal bloom. It is toxic and can kill fish. (I will never think about green lakes the same way anymore...) （・⊝・）

• Secondary product : Product that is produced by metabolism of algae or any other microbes. (Such as alginic acid, carrageenan etc) 

• Algal bloom occurs when the lake is high in nutrition that will stimulate excessive plant growth (for example : algae). Also known as "eutrophication". 

• The summarise consequences of algal bloom is that the excessive growth of algae will prevent the sunlight to penetrate the algae and into the water. This will lower the level of oxygen inside the lake. This will also highly stimulate the growth of anaerobes. The anaerobes will release toxic gases due to chemical changes and lastly kill marine organisms. 

• Dinoflagellates produce brevetoxins which can cause red tides. 

• The most studied mold is "slime molds". 

FUNGI

• An example on the uses of fungi is it can be used as antibiotic. For example, cortisone which is a type of steroid that can treat a variety of skin condition such as rash, allergies, prevent swelling or redness due to insect bites and prevent inflammation. 

• Anamorphic fungi produce asexual spores ONLY. 

• Ascomycota, a type of fungi, reproduce asexually by conidia (asexually produced spores) called conidiospores. 

• Stachybotrys cause "sick building syndrome" where usually we can see it on the ceiling or the walls.   

• The fungus that looks like an ear here is called Auricularia auricula-judae. 

• Microspodia is an obligate intracellular fungal parasites which means that they need host to survive. 

• Mycorrhizae helps to absorb nutrient. The hyphae of fungi will form a sheath around the roots of plant, using its mycelium. The fungal-root coating is called "mycorrhizae". They can absorb water and mineral deeper into the soil that the plant's root cannot reach. 

• Lichens can act as pollution indicators because they are sensitive to air pollution or environmental toxins. Thus, when there is lichens, it is free from pollutant. 

• Algae is a photobiont while fungi is a mycobiont.  

• Facultative : with or without oxygen, can still survive. 

• Dimorphic fungi can form two types of growth which is mold-like or yeast-like. And it depends on the temperature and carbon dioxide.