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Essay Microorganisms and the Great Potato Famine in Ireland

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Microorganism means small organism which is often referred to as a microbe. A microbe is a single-cell organism which is so tiny that millions can fit into the eye of a needle. Microbes are known to be the oldest form of live on Earth, they can live individually or cluster together in communities. Microbes live everywhere. Anywhere you can think of, microbes live. They can be found in the air, soil, water and are present in and on our own body. Microbes are also known to live at temperatures less than -20 degrees Celsius to temperatures hotter than the boiling point.
These tiny organisms include Bacteria, Archaea, Fungi and Protists. Bacteria and Fungi are a commonly known form of microbe unlike Archaea which are similar to bacteria but …show more content…

Hyphae are very tiny and grow at the tip, dividing repeatedly along their length which create long, branching chains. The Hyphae will keep growing until a network of threads is formed. This is called a mycelium. It is less common yet still possible for fungi to produce spores sexually. Two mating cells from hyphae of different strains of fungi can fuse together and form a spore stalk, this is mating. The spores eventually burst causing the spores to drop in the same area or be carried by wind or rain to a new area. They will then germinate like seeds.
There are three things which subdivide fungi, one this is basis of their life cycles, another is the presence or structure of their fruiting body, and finally, the arrangement of and type of spores they produce. The three main groups of fungi are:
1) Multicellular filamentous moulds
2) Macroscopic filamentous fungi that form large fruiting bodies. This group is often referred to as “mushrooms” however, this is just a small part of the fungus we see above the ground.
3) Single celled microscopic yeasts
Mould, is a common type of fungus being known all around the world, it is the little dusty spots found spreading over food and other things in a person’s home. Moulds are microscopic organisms, they too are alike plant organisms. They are composed of long filaments called hyphae. Mould collects its food from its surroundings as well as displays themselves in a variety of

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