Global warming and bacteria - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages These paper seeks to discuss global warming in relation to environmental microbiology. In doing this, the paper will analyze the general characteristics of bacteria and relate them to the aspect of global warming to ascertain how they affect the environment of microbes Bacteria and archaea are significantly used in cycles of almost all essential elements. For example, in the nitrogen cycle, the nitrogen fixing bacteria such as rhizobium fix nitrogen, which insinuates that they convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into biological nitrogen that plants can use to build plant proteins. Photosynthetic algae and cyanobacteria form a major component of the marine plankton. They play a major role in the carbon cycle through photosynthesis and form the basis of food chains in the oceanic environments. Some species of bacteria are useful in the environment, and in the end can help in mitigating the problem of global warming. Prochlorococcus and synechococcus are single celled cyanobacteria, the smallest yet most abundant photosynthetic microbes in the oceanic ecosystems. Researchers have established that these microbes have the ability to remove about 10 billion tonnes of carbon from the air each year. With this information, scientists hope to find out reasons as to why these cyanobacteria are successful in their photosynthesis and the ability to harness such microbial power can slow down the increases of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases thereby mitigating global warming and reducing significantly the effects of climate change globally. ...Download file to see next pages Read More