Biodiversity
&
The Domains of Life
The hunters are the prey too – Part 1
The hunters are the prey too – Part 2
Why is biodiversity so important?
Biodiversity
• The variety of life on Earth is commonly
referred to as biodiversity (biological
diversity).
• Biodiversity includes the variety of living
organisms, the genetic differences among
them, and the ecosystems in which they live.
• Scientists have identified about 1.8 million
species alive today. They are divided into the
six kingdoms of life. Scientists are still
discovering new species. Thus, they do not
know for sure how many species really exist
today. Most estimates range from 5 to 30
million species.
Types of Biodiversity
Species diversity Species diversity refers to the variety of different types of species found in a
particular area. It is the biodiversity at the most basic level. It includes all the species ranging
from plants to different microorganisms.
Genetic diversity It refers to the variations among the genetic resources of the organisms.
Every individual of a particular species differs from each other in their genetic constitution.
That is why every human looks different from each other.
Ecological diversity An ecosystem is a collection of living and non-living organisms and their
interaction with each other. It is the diversity observed among the different ecosystems in a
region. Diversity in different ecosystems like deserts, rainforests, oceans, rivers, mountains,
mangroves, etc., include ecological diversity.
Advantage of Biodiversity
• Biodiversity supports food security and sustained livelihoods through overall genetic diversity.
• A larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops
• Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms
• Healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters.
• In addition to the many medicinal benefits from biodiversity, human health can be positively
affected simply by spending time in outdoor environments, which has been linked to increases in
life satisfaction and happiness, and decreases in blood pressure, anxiety, and cardiovascular
disease symptoms.
• As humans put increasing pressure on the planet, using and consuming more resources than
ever before, we risk upsetting the balance of ecosystems and losing biodiversity.
• WWF’s 2020 Living Planet Report found an average 68% decline in global populations of
mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians since 1970.
Many human activities threat Biodiversity
• Many human activities can have a negative effect on biodiversity.
• The growing human population and land conversion and subsequent loss of other
species’ habitats
• Commercial fishing and game hunting, can greatly reduce species numbers, sometimes
to the extinction
• People can also harm biodiversity by putting stress on environments and species
through overuse. Outdoor recreation may be a positive, healthful activity for humans,
but high numbers of visitors to an area can damage plant life, stress local animal
populations.
• All forms of pollution, from chemicals to nutrient loading, can also pose serious threats
to aquatic and terrestrial species.
Massive Extinctions From Human Activity
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) notes that many species are threatened with
extinction.
• At threat of extinction are;
1 out of 8 birds
1 out of 4 mammals
1 out of 4 conifers
1 out of 3 amphibians
6 out of 7 marine turtles
• 75% of genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost
• 75% of the world’s fisheries are fully or over exploited
• Up to 70% of the world’s known species risk extinction if the global temperatures rise by more than 3.5°C
• 1/3rd of reef-building corals around the world are threatened with extinction
• Over 350 million people suffer from severe water scarcity
human activities threat Biodiversity -Christmas Island
By understanding threats to biodiversity, and how they play out in
context, we can be best prepared to manage conservation
challenges. The conservation efforts of the last decades have made
a significant difference in the state of biodiversity today.
Over 100,000 protected areas—including national parks, wildlife
refuges, game reserves, and marine protected areas, managed
both by governments and local communities—provide habitat for
wildlife, and help keep deforestation in check.
Species depend
on each other
• Each species depends on the
services provided by other
species to ensure survival.
• It is a type of cooperation
based on mutual survival and
is often what a balanced
ecosystem refers to.
What is Ecosystem
The Domains
and Kingdoms
of Organisms
Meet the TARDIGRADE, the toughest animal on Earth!
Prokaryotes vs. Eukaryotes
• All living organisms can be grouped
into two types based on their
fundamental cell structure. They
are prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and
the cells they possess are called
prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells.
• Prokaryotic cells: NO nucleus
• Eukaryotic cells: NUCLEUS and other
organelles
Basic terms about features of organisms
Organisms are placed into these categories based on similarities or common characteristics.
Nutrition. Autotrophic (makes its own food) or heterotrophic (feeds on other living things).
Cell organization. Unicellular (having only one cell) or multicellular (having two or more cells).
Cell type. Eukaryotes (the genetic material is surrounded by a membrane) or prokaryotes (lacking a
membrane).
Respiration. Aerobic (needs oxygen) or anaerobic (does not use oxygen).
Reproduction. Sexual, asexual or through spores.
Movement. Self-moving or static.
Organisms are classified into three domains and six kingdoms
• The domains are;
• Archaea
• Bacteria
• Eukarya
• The kingdoms are;
• Archaebacteria (ancient bacteria)
• Eubacteria (true bacteria)
• Protista
• Fungi
• Plantae
• Animalia
Animal kingdom
• All animals are members of the Kingdom Animalia (also
called Metazoa).
• The kingdom Animalia is the most evolved and is divided
into two large groups - vertebrates and invertebrates.
• Animals are multi-celled, heterotrophic eukaryotes
with aerobic respiration, sexual reproduction and
the ability to move.
• This kingdom is one of the most diverse and comprises
mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects,
molluscs and annelids, among others.
Huge diversity of animals
• It is estimated that around 9 or 10 million
species of animals inhabit the Earth. The
exact number is not known, and all
estimates are rough. If you also consider
extinct species and those only shown in
fossils, the number could be more.
Animals range in size from no more than a
few cells to the giants weighing several
tons, such as blue whales and giant squid.
By far, the most known species of animals
are insects (1 million).
Groundwater Fish Mudskipper (Karada yaşayan balık: Çamur Zıpzıpı)
Mudskippers: The Fish That Walk on Land | Life | BBC Earth (English version)
The hunters are the prey too – Part 2
Venus flytrap
Plant kingdom
• Trees, plants and other species of vegetation make up part of the Plantae kingdom one of the oldest, and characterized by
its immobile, autotrophic, multicellular and eukaryotic nature.
• These autotrophic things, whose cells contain cellulose and chlorophyll are essential
for life on Earth since they release oxygen through photosynthesis.
• Method of reproduction: may be either sexual or asexual.
• This diverse group contains vascular and nonvascular plants, flowering and
nonflowering plants, as well as seed-bearing and non-seed bearing plants.
Electrical experiments with plants that count and communicate
Fungi kingdom
• Fungi include both unicellular (yeast-maya and molds) and multicellular
(mushrooms) organisms. Unlike plants, fungi are not capable of photosynthesis.
• Fungi are important for the recycling of nutrients back into the environment.
They decompose organic matter and acquire nutrients through absorption.
• They have chitin in their cell walls, feed off other living things, and reproduce
through spores.
• While some fungal species contain toxins that are deadly to animals and humans,
others have beneficial uses, such as for the production of penicillin and
related antibiotics.
Protista kingdom
• This group is the most primitive of the eukaryotics and all the others are
descendants of it.
• it includes those eukaryotic organisms that are not deemed to be animals,
plants or fungi such as protozoa. As it is so heterogeneous it is difficult to categorise
it, since its members have very little in common. [Euglena (kamçılı hayvan), Amoeba
(amip), Paramecium (terliksi hayvan), algea (alg)]
• Some have characteristics of animals (protozoa), while others resemble plants
(algae) or fungi (slime molds).
• Some protists have organelles that are found in animal cells (mitochondria), while
others have organelles that are found in plant cells (chloroplasts).
Protists
Algea, moss, mold
Monera kingdom (now divided as archaea and eubacteria)
• This is the kingdom of microscopic living things and
groups together the prokaryotes (archaea and
eubacteria).
• This group is present in all habitats and is made
up of single-cell things with no defined nucleus.
• Most bacteria are aerobic and heterotrophic, while
the archaea are usually anaerobic and their
metabolism is chemosynthetic. Some of bacteria are
photosynthetic.
• On the tree of life, humans are
far closer to corn than two
common bacteria are to each
other.
The prokaryotes (archaea and eubacteria)
ARCHAEBACTERIA
The cell wall composition of these extreme
organisms allows them to live in some very
inhospitable places, such as hot springs and
hydrothermal vents. Archaea of the methanogen
species can also be found in the guts of animals
and humans.
Archaea reproduce by binary fission (asexual
reproduction), have one circular chromosome,
and use flagella to move
EUBACTERIA
These organisms are considered to be true bacteria.
Bacteria live in almost every type of environment
and are often associated with disease.
Most bacteria, however, do not cause disease.
Bacteria are the main microscopic organisms that
compose the human microbiota. There are more
bacteria in the human gut, for instance, than there
are body cells. Bacteria ensure that our bodies
function normally.
We Are Not Alone: Living with the Human Microbiota
We are not alone - How Bacteria Rule Over Our Body
We Are Never Alone: Living with the Human Microbiota
• The human body is inhabited by millions of tiny living organisms (bacteria, fungi,
viruses), which, all together, are called the human microbiota.
• Bacteria are microbes found on the skin, in the nose, mouth, and especially in the gut.
• We acquire these bacteria during birth and the first years of life, and they live with us
throughout our lives.
• The human microbiota is involved in healthy growth, in protecting the body from
invaders, in helping digestion, and in regulating moods.
• Some changes in the microbiota may occur during our growth, depending on the foods
we eat, the environment in which we live, the people and animals that interact with us,
or medicines that we take, such as antibiotics.
Factors affecting microbiata
Human
Microbiata
• the disruption of microbiata —
known as dysbiosis — can trigger
a range of ailments like obesity,
irritable bowel syndrome,
dermatitis and neurological
imbalance.
• Some of these diseases can be
cured by the use of probiotics
and prebiotics designed to
adjust microbial imbalance.
The benefits of microbiata
How Gut Bacteria affect the body
• it can increase the occurrence of obesity, mental disorders
(depression, anxiety, and autism), and gut disorders
(Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, etc),
autoimmune disorders (rheumatoid arthritis), and so much
more.
• a review of 15 studies involving 163,796 births found that,
compared with babies delivered vaginally, Cesarean
deliveried babies were 26% more likely to be overweight
and 22% more likely to be obese as adults.
• there are also major differences in the microorganisms living
in the guts of normal-weight people and obese people.
Although we don’t know which came first — the weight
problem or the altered microbiota — studies show that the
but bacteria of obese mice extract more calories from food.
Microbiota
&
Diseases
Location-specific functions of microbiota
• Microorganisms living on the surface of the skin guard against invasion from opportunistic
bacteria and pathogens. These Microorganisms also help in healing wounds, fortifying the
immune system and producing volatile signaling molecules essential for communication within
the body and the nervous system.
• The gut, which harbors the highest amount of Microorganisms, would not be able to carry
out its digestive duty without microbial assistance. Microbes in the gut possess a variety of
enzymes dedicated to the digestion of complex carbohydrates and the extraction of nutrients
from the foods we consume.
• Intestinal Microorganisms also produce vitamins like K2 and B12 (pivotal for metabolic activity),
hormones, neurotransmitters and a plethora of metabolites integral to normal bodily processes.
They also play an active role in the fate of medications we ingest. In fact, drugs taken orally
interact with the gut microbiome first before reaching their intended targets.
• short-chain fatty acids, derived from the microbiome are part of our normal development
process.
Where do we get microbiota
• Babies get microorganisms from their moms during delivery, when they pass through the
vagina, or from contact with the mom’s skin, if the delivery is by cesarean section.
Lactobacilli, a type of bacteria considered to be one of the “good guys,” live in the mother’s
vagina and they colonize the baby’s intestines to help in the digestion of milk, which contains
a sugar called lactose. If the baby is delivered by cesarean section, Lactobacilli will not
immediately become part of the baby’s microbiota, which will be made up mostly by bacteria
from the mom’s skin and the baby’s environment.
• After babies begin to eat, they get microbes from their diet. In the first days of life, the type of
the microorganisms that colonize their intestines will be different, depending whether the
baby is breast feeding or drinking formula. Breast feeding is healthy for the baby, because it
helps the baby to acquire bacteria from the mother’s skin that will then colonize the baby’s
intestines, and there are also other components of the mother’s milk that protect the baby
from disease.
• As babies grow, they get microorganisms from the solid food they eat, from crawling on the
floor, from putting their hands in their mouths, from licking toys, and from many other
sources!
Bacterial
Quorum
Sensing
We are not alone - How Bacteria Rule Over Our Body
(Highly Recommended to learn more!!!)