Microorganism Definitions

5. – Decomposed organic material found in soil or water, providing nutrients for organisms.
8. – A rapid increase in algae population in aquatic environments, often due to excess nutrients.
10. – A microscopic infectious agent that requires a host cell to replicate.
12. – The silica shell of a diatom, consisting of two interlocking halves.
13. – The buildup of toxic substances in an organism over time, often through the food chain.
14. – A temporary, foot-like extension of a cell used for movement or engulfing food.
17. – Photosynthetic bacteria, often called blue-green algae, that can form harmful blooms.
18. – An organism, like a mosquito, that transmits pathogens between hosts.
19. – The process by which certain organisms produce energy using inorganic chemicals instead of sunlight.

1. – A genus of toxic dinoflagellates associated with fish kills and harmful algal blooms.
2. – A type of microscopic algae with a silica-based cell wall, found in aquatic environments.
3. – A form of asexual reproduction where a single cell divides into two identical daughter cells.
4. – Layered rock formations created by ancient cyanobacteria, among the earliest signs of life.
6. – One of the two halves of a diatom’s silica shell.
7. – Symbiotic algae that live inside coral tissues, providing them with nutrients through photosynthesis.
9. – Short, hair-like structures used for movement or feeding in microorganisms.
11. – Long, whip-like structures used by some cells for movement.
15. – A single-celled, often bioluminescent marine organism with two flagella.
16. – A protective shell or outer covering of certain microorganisms, like foraminifera.