In addition, this means that the text may be used for a course in Environmental Microbiology, Food Microbiology with the addition of material on yeast , or other special topic in Microbiology. I would find the text useful for those looking for a basic text upon which they can customize examples and explore the relevance of each topic through classroom activities and facilitated discussions. This is a very concisely written, comprehensive textbook that covers most of the major topics usually found in a General Microbiology course.
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less. However, there is little mention of other fungal or helminth infections. Additionally, the key words are set in eye-catching bold type throughout the text. The chapters are surprisingly short in length given what is usually seen in the average lengthy textbook for this complex course. But the author has chosen to convey the critical information that a student needs without all of the wordiness that is more common in other texts.
Within each chapter, the topic is covered in a conversational way that engages the reader because of the friendly, modern and often humorous way it is written.
It reads like what an engaging lecturer would be saying in an actual classroom. There are also pertinent figures and illustrations to help understanding of critical concepts. So, there are no glaring errors that could be detected. Instead, the details are very straightforward and presented in a readable and conversational language.
In the one chapter on Genomics that contains very detailed technological explanations, there were no errors detected. Because Microbiology is a field of biology that is always undergoing change like the Covid Pandemic! The abbreviated format of this text skirts this issue by providing minimal but accurate information on more recent technologies and these are found in the chapter on Genomics, where only one or two paragraphs is used to describe them along with helpful diagrams and figures where needed.
Instructors using this text would find it easy to supplement more recent material as necessary. This text is written in a conversational type of prose which normally might not lend itself to scientific technical jargon, but that is not of concern here because topics are described concisely. Complicated information is explained clearly for ease in understanding.
This 1st Edition of this text is very consistent as to its framework and level of terminology used. There is an evenness to the entire text.
This text exhibits its modularity in the chapters themselves, rather than in parts or sections, because the chapters are so concise. These chapters can easily be arranged to complement the organization of a particular course.
With 22 different chapters on specific aspects of microbial life available in compact units of information, many different sequences can be chosen by an instructor. An example of the concentration of information in the individual chapters is the one on Genomics that is like a miniature encyclopedia of biotechnology involving microbes.
This concise text on what can be the overpowering topic of General Microbiology demonstrates good organization in the ordering of the chapter topics. There are no apparent issues with the interface between sections of this text. All figures and diagrams were clearly visible and it was very easy to navigate between individual chapters as well as find them in the content section.
Because the entire text is about microorganisms and there is little or no reference to humans, there are no problems with any cultural aspects. There is nothing in the subject matter that could be construed as being either insensitive or offensive to any students using it.
This is a very good General Microbiology text that covers all the bases. It is based on sound scientific facts about the wide range of microorganisms on our planet. The only thing it lacks is the history of Microbiology and any real mention of the scientists who contributed to our current vast knowledge. Welcome to the wonderful world of microbiology!
What is microbiology? But who are the microbes? And how small are they? Generally microbes can be divided in to two categories: the cellular microbes or organisms and the acellular microbes or agents. In the cellular camp we have the bacteria, the archaea, the fungi, and the protists a bit of a grab bag composed of algae, protozoa, slime molds, and water molds. Cellular microbes can be either unicellular, where one cell is the entire organism, or multicellular, where hundreds, thousands or even billions of cells can make up the entire organism.
In the acellular camp we have the viruses and other infectious agents, such as prions and viroids. Content Accuracy rating: 4 The content that I reviewed was accurate and expected for an intro to micro text. Clarity rating: 4 The writing style is more conversational, which can take a little getting used to, compared to many other textbook stylings that sound more formal and scientific. Consistency rating: 5 The text flows in the same conversational pattern throughout, giving one voice to the flow of information.
Modularity rating: 5 I enjoyed the overall setup of this text; the sections cover the essentials without extra fluff- and the sections are not long and cumbersome. Interface rating: 5 I easily read this as a PDF file and on the website.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5 Rare- did not encounter many per chapter at most. Cultural Relevance rating: 4 The text is very straight forward, and I did not see any instances of insensitive examples or statements as it is centralized to the microorganisms.
Content Accuracy rating: 3 Much of the content is accurate through the text, but some of the explanations are simplified to the point of inaccuracy for example, the description of peptidoglycan indicates that L-amino acids are primarily used by cells -- it should be clarified that they are primarily used by cells for protein synthesis, as there are several cellular uses for D-amino acids in bacteria including peptidoglycan, secondary metabolite production, and quorum sensing.
Clarity rating: 4 The text is written for ease of reading; the conversational tone helps with accessibility to the information presented by the authors. Consistency rating: 4 Each chapter has a consistent, conversational tone that should allow students to connect easily with the content. Modularity rating: 5 This text is easily modular and can be rearranged into various subunits based on the course structure as needed by the instructor.
Interface rating: 4 Most of the figures were easily identifiable and clear. Grammatical Errors rating: 4 Overall the grammar is consistent and there are limited errors that stand to be corrected. Cultural Relevance rating: 4 The focus of this text is primarily on the microbes themselves and how they grow.
Comments Overall this is an easy-to-read, basic microbiology textbook for students. Content Accuracy rating: 5 Content is accurate. Clarity rating: 4 Very concise and clear. A suggestion would be to layer in examples from more contemporary science as new discoveries are made to more evenly distribute the representation within the book.
Additionally, there are some historical references from at least the early 's that could be added in so that contributions from women and scientists of color are recognized among science students.
I would be interested in using this book for future microbiology classes. I think that as a reference for some basic concepts it is a great tool for students. As an instructor, I also appreciate the instructor tools that are available, given the format of the book OER. Some updating would improve the text, both for content and representation of scientists, but overall, it is a great text. The comprehensiveness of the text is in line with a commercial publisher's Microbiology text.
The approach is different, and this text spends the initial several chapters introducing the topic of Microbiology in a survey type fashion. Instructors will need to take care not to lose the students interest as they introduce the material in the first 6 chapters followed immediately by 3 chapters covering Biochemistry, Metabolism and Growth.
Students find the content of these 3 chapters drastically different than the first 6, and instructors should consider reordering the 3 chapters and the remaining content to provide a smoother transition from microbial phenotypic traits to genotypic traits. I have used the text in a level introductory Microbiology course for one semester, and found it to be free of errors, accurate and unbiased.
The authors have done a great job of editing the text. Commercial textbooks in the field of Microbiology are updated every 3 to 5 years, this text is currently in the fourth edition and is mostly up to date.
An example, the section on recent viral outbreaks such and Zika and Ebola. One area that required some updating was the section on horizontal gene transfer, which was easily updated. The figures included with the text are not of the same quality one finds in commercial texts and are more sparingly present throughout the text.
Both of these issues can be addressed by the instructor, possibly by supplementing the text with both additional and higher quality figures. I used a commercial Microbiology text in the spring semester and this text in the fall semester.
Both classes had approximately students with similar backgrounds and preparation. Although the students appreciated free access to the text book, the quality and frequency of the figures was an issue for some students. The text flowed well from chapter to chapter and it was not apparent that multiple authors had been used. The chapter quizzes were well liked by the students as well as the online interactive quizzes. I found the chapters and sections self-contained and free standing.
This made it very easy to rearrange the order and delete sections to fit the needs of the course and the students. The flow to this text is well organized. It follows a logical approach.
I personally prefer presenting the "Genes and Genomes" topics before microbial metabolism, and it was easy to rearrange the order of presentation for the students.
I did not find anything that I believe could be interpreted as offensive or culturally insensitive during my use of this textbook. In summary, this text was a reasonable replacement for the commercial text that I normally use.
I have mixed feelings about continuing with it in the future. The free access for the students is a major plus and makes the decision a difficult one. As this text exists, the commercial Microbiology texts have a clear advantage in the quality and frequency of the figures as well as the PowerPoint outlines that are provided to instructors. This text would be much better if the instructor had the time to modify and add, probably double, the number of figures that accompany the text.
The issue with this is finding a source for better quality and additional figures? Using figures from commercial texts is not a possibility and free-source figures are rare or not available for each topic and again the quality can be an issue.
The text would benefit from a major effort from all the open users to contribute their individually generated figures to a data base that all users to access. This textbook authored by Nina Parker et al.
Each chapter provides a sufficient historical background regarding pioneers of scientific discoveries, advancements in scientific technologies, and global health impacts.
The subject matter includes basic science, empirical and clinical reasonings, thus an impeccable textbook for aforementioned student demographics. Additionally, the authors elegantly provided fundamental supplements to physics, chemistry, mathematic basics, metabolic pathways, and taxonomy relevant to microbiology within the Appendix.
It includes a thorough glossary of terminology and an index of symbols and terms with associated internal link to respective section web-based or page number. The content is presented accurately, inclusive of proper citing and footnotes at the end of each section. The textbook is written in an unbiased manner with appropriate attention to inclusiveness and cultural sensitivities.
One particular example is highlighted in the background of Henrietta Lacks Section 6. The text further proceeds to Eye on Ethics and promotes an unbiased approach to ethical and critical reasoning regarding current research standards, informed consent, or compensatory actions.
Overall the material presented is relevant and exhibits longevity. Subsections provide auxiliary explanations and background e. Figures and illustrations significantly enhance and supplement written text. The text has an internally consistent framework, in which the reader can rapidly gain comfort in layout and presentation of material. Each chapter includes a brief introduction, learning objectives, subsections e.
Terminology is consistent and discipline-appropriate with frequent repetition that aids effective learning. The text is constructed in a readily divisible manner, if instructor desires to reorganize the material flow within the chapter or holistically. Subheadings are judiciously utilized to overwhelm the reader, thus allowing reorganization and realignment without disruption of logical flow.
The topics are presented in a logical style holistically and within chapters. Due to the modularity of the text, it can be easily reorganized to fit the design and pace of course. As aforementioned in the Consistency section, the structure and flow of each chapter provides the reader a sense of navigational ease. The text is void of significant interface issues, navigational problems or distortion of illustrations.
I did encounter one broken link in Section 2. The Table of Contents interface on both web-based and. Nevertheless, an overall substantial effort of representation and inclusivity was exhibited.
Our microbiology lecture committee is in the process of adopting an OER textbook for our newly designed combination course of Biology and Allied Health majors in Fall I also appreciate the instructor resources PowerPoints, Test Bank, and Chapter Review Question Answer Guide, and Canvas Course integration to allow for seamless implementation for a traditional, online or hybrid course.
This OER is simply amazing! Every topic, and issues within that topic, is covered. For a health sciences course this book has all that is needed including "Clinical Focus" scenarios in every chapter.
I have read the entire text and have yet to find a factual error. Also, the answers to chapter review questions are accurate - again, I have yet to find a mistake. Relevance is a strong point of Parker's text. The "Eye on Ethics" sections cover current issues and are a wonderful starting point for both in class and online discussions. This book provides in depth explanations of complex issues. There are "Micro Connections" discussions that offer even more clarification and extension of in text concepts.
Well written for any student population. Each section of the text is summarized with "Check Your Understanding" questions. These focus the student on the material presented and also allow the instructor to quickly appreciate the topics in the preceding section.
The organization of this text is quite well done. The introductory concepts prepare for the final chapters on microbial disease of the organ systems. I do feel that the chapters on the immune system should have been moved a bit earlier in the text, certainly before the "Microbial Mechanisms of Pathogenicity" and "Disease and Epidemiology.
Parker's interface is well done, and is free of navigational issues and display feature distractions. This text uses examples, case studies, and presentation of ethical concerns, that are relevant to nearly every race, culture, and even continent! I highly recommend this OpenStax textbook and use it for my own microbiology for health sciences course.
There is absolutely no sacrifice in quality for this free book!! This book is a well described source for general microbiology. Most of the terminology is well described. Its largest limitayion is the lack of industrial specifically in biofuels and ecological microbiology applications. In my review no significant inaccuracies where found in this textbook.
The descriptions of processes and structures in the microbial world are written better than in the some of the traditional textbook that I have read in the past. All information are correct. The text is reasonably comprehensive. It covers most important up-to-date areas of Microbiology. Better to update more on biofuels technology and on cancer. The textbook is written is a very clear, and easy to understand text. The technical language used is well-explained and a glossary is provided.
The structure of each module and the summary tables provides a clear picture for students to understand the information presented Only the Immunology chapter is not so clear. Each unit within the text is consistent. It has the same flow and expression for each unit making the text an easy and interesting read with applicable review and summaries. Relevant terms are highlighted in the summary. With the structure of the text students will know how to follow the information in the book. Each module is small enough to load quickly and contains relevant "breaks" in content to give the students the opportunity to apply the content through case studies, links to learning and disease profiles.
Pictures are all very clear. All modules cover the topics thoroughly, can be read quickly and could be reorganized easily for use in an online course or blended or hybrid class. It follows a logical approach from the history, through cell structure and functions, genetics, control mechanisms, immune function and finally the specific pathogens by body system. This flows allows the text to be clear to understand. Although there did not appear to be anything that could be construed as offensive or culturally insensitive in my review of this textbook.
The text could benefit from including more cultural diversity and awareness. As a microbiologist I found this to be a good text to introduce students to the field of microbiology with ease. I've used this text for two sections of microbiology in the past year and felt that only three topics are missing from this text: up to date information on genetic transfer mechanisms, the glycolytic alternative pathways which I use to discuss I've used this text for two sections of microbiology in the past year and felt that only three topics are missing from this text: up to date information on genetic transfer mechanisms, the glycolytic alternative pathways which I use to discuss diversity at a metabolic level , and applied topics in microbial ecology basics of symbiosis are included.
The index and glossary were adequate for the subjects covered in the text. I teach a general microbiology course at a 4 year liberal arts college taken by junior and senior biology, biochemistry, or pre-med majors and this text seemed more suited for pre-health professions students given the ten chapters on the immune system and diseases of various body systems as well as clinical case studies in each chapter than for students going on into graduate research programs.
I didn't notice any glaring errors in the text, but a few of the images were less clear than desired, so I supplemented from other online sources. I felt the text was up to date on the topics that were covered -- but I had to use another source for the most recent information on mechanisms of horizontal gene transfers e. I was very happy to see the use of the eucaryote supergroup taxonomy in this text vs the older 5 Kingdom system still popular in many classrooms.
This text is subdivided enough that editing should be a very straightforward process. I asked my students about this text compared to other textbooks they've used in biology and chemistry courses for majors and they overwhelmingly felt it was the easiest to read book compared to physiology, genetics, organic, and biochemistry.
However, students often want to just study "what's important" and are so busy with jobs and activities that they seldom read a text before class even if they find it very readable. They still asked me to pare it down and give them a discrete list of "what they really need to know" before exams.
I was pleasantly surprised about the consistency because the text is an open source, free option. I feared it wouldn't have continuity -- that it might read like a patchwork written by a variety of authors, but it is organized in the same way for each chapter which provides clarity and structure.
The end of chapter quizzes are excellent and students liked the online interactive quizzes. The chapter structure made assignment of readings very manageable. The only issue I found was that pagination online vs in the pdf vs in the printed text which I purchased as a desk copy did not always match.
We had two major issues with the online interface: 1 as noted above, the page numbers are not always the same among the different formats online vs pdf vs hardcopy ; 2 students liked the interactive end of chapter quizzes, but didn't like having to complete an entire quiz before submitting answers and finding out which concepts they needed to review.
Maybe chapter-length quizzes could be broken into shorter quizzes based on sections? I had not really considered cultural relevance in a biology textbook before completing my first Open Textbook Library review last year -- I always focused on accuracy and breadth of content.
Now I look over the images to see if diverse peoples are represented and if case studies seem to use a variety of names, ages, genders to give an inclusive feel to the text. If you glance through the images photos and sketches and the case studies, you'll see that this text does include a variety of folks I'm grateful that the ASM stepped up early to promote this text -- I've heard from colleagues across campus that most professional academic societies have not taken this step and often rely on book publishers to help defray costs of their society's annual meetings.
This text is a solid foundation for microbiology educators to continue to revise and develop so that all students, regardless of their financial means, will have free access to accurate, up to date, information. This book is a well written and good source for a general microbiology course. The information is easy to follow and covers the most important topics in microbiology. The glossary is clear and concise read more. The glossary is clear and concise. The structure of each module and the summary tables provides a clear picture for students to understand the information presented.
It has the same flow for each unit making the text an easy and interesting read with applicable review and summaries. All modules cover the topics thoroughly, can be read quickly and could be reorganized easily for use in an online course or blended class. This book is a well rounded source for general microbiology.
Its largest shortcoming is the lack of industrial and ecological microbiology applications. There is some but it would benefit from having an entire chapter specifically devoted to these There is some but it would benefit from having an entire chapter specifically devoted to these topics. Most of the terminology is explained well.
The worst chapters for students getting lost in jargon are those covering immunology. There is a lot of information crammed into these chapters that they are not explained as thoroughly as they could be. Being a microbiology textbook it does build off of the previous sections to help guide students through microbiology.
I have been using this textbook to teach a level microbiology course for biology majors for the past year. We have not run into any significant problems. The students enjoy it and the instructor supplemental material has made implementing the use of this textbook easy for me.
The text was comprehensive in its approach to all of the fundamental topics of Microbiology. I did not see a section that was missing for my course, and the detail and connection that each section made to disease processes, even in the units I did not see a section that was missing for my course, and the detail and connection that each section made to disease processes, even in the units regarding more "dry" topics, such as microscopy, will make this relevant to students, particularly those going into healthcare fields.
I did not find significant inaccuracies in my review of the book. I actually feel that the descriptions of processes and structures in the microbial world are better described here than in the traditional textbook that I have used in the past. I did not find significant biases within the text. The book will continuously need to be updated to reflect emerging diseases, but the current iteration is satisfactory for today's issues.
As mentioned in other reviews, a more comprehensive approach to the microbiome of the human, and even the viable, but non-culturable soil microbes and others could be explored in more detail in the future. The structure of the text lends itself well to updates. I also feel that relevance in topic choices for the case studies and review questions in each unit is important, and the text represented itself well here.
It is a very clear, easy to understand text. The technical jargon is well-explained and a glossary is provided. Examples and tables are given for illustration of complex ideas and topics. The work is fairly consistent; each unit has the same structural components, which follow major topics after a short introduction of the chapter. Learning outcomes are consistently listed, and the framework follows major microbiological topics organized around common themes ie: immune system functions, respiratory diseases, biochemistry of microbes, etc.
This text, particularly within the web version, does not overwhelm the reader with major blocks of text. Even larger sections are well-thought out with strategic placement of images and Clinical Focus boxes. Additional resource links do not disrupt the reader, rather, they present themselves at the end of a paragraph or chapter section as a logical next step for continued learning.
The topics are organized clearly, and I would perhaps rearrange topics to better suit my courses. I would like to see biochemistry earlier in the text, and perhaps immune system functions last. I also would like to have learning outcomes at the beginning of the chapter, in addition to within in each section. Although there is a glossary, a mini-glossary at the end of each chapter would increase ease of access to students. The images and charts in this text were fantastic.
The use of images within tables was also helpful ie: within bacterial morphologies 3. I did not find significant grammatical issues within the text. It is clearly written and understandable. I did not see major instances of cultural insensitivity, though it would be nice to see more diverse gender pronouns in the future. I do appreciate the inclusion of female scientists within some of the historical context of microbial discovery ie: Lynn Margulis in 3.
It covers most important areas of Microbiology. There are no ambiguities in the text. It can be used by undergraduates and graduate students alike. The terminology is generally consistent. At certain instances, there is some back-and-forth usage of technical terms and more generic expressions. This book is generally good read. Can be useful for both graduate and undergraduate students. More emphasis on cellular Microbiology and responses of the immune system to microbial threats could have added more value to the book.
Newer editions would need to cover emerging infectious diseases and the human microbiome in a more comprehensive manner. The textbook is comprehensive an covers all concepts of microbiology clearly. Information is easy to follow. This is book is very suitable for non Microbiology majors like Nursing program. The book is well written and the information presented is accurate and up-to-date. Materials are frequently cited. The information is up-to-date. There are new emerging disease like Ebola that needs to be updated regularly.
I would expect the the treatment and prevention information will need to be updated frequently, but those areas change so rapidly that updating is only to be expected. The writing is very good. It reads easily, and the glossary provides well-written definitions of terms. Some language of this book is too technical for an introductory microbiology student.
The structure of each module and the summary tables provides a clear picture for students. I love the artwork of this book. The book follows a consistent among all the chapters.. Students will know how to follow the information in the book.
Each module load quickly and be read quickly. All modules cover the topics thoroughly and could be reorganized an easily used for an online course or even blended class. The sections of the book follows a logical order from the history, through cell structure and functions, genetics, control mechanisms, immune function and finally the specific pathogens by body system. As microbiologist, I find this book is very impressive and can be used in my elementary microbiology class for nursing students.
The authors did a great job writing this book. It is very comparable to the text I It is very comparable to the text I currently use Talaro and Talaro. The text is relatively up to date, as these general texts go. I would have liked to have seen more on the human microbiome. I think the chapters and sections are quite self-contained. I did have a problem figuring out the "Clinical Focus Boxes", which aren't clearly labeled and do extend across sections within a chapter.
I found no problems with this, but I am a white male so wouldn't be as sensitized to it as some. I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of this text.
I think it's got nearly every bit the quality of my current text from McGraw-Hill. I am seriously considering adopting it for my course in the future. So soils that formed under tall grass prairies are high in SOM throughout the soil profile. These prime soils are highly productive because they have higher percentage of SOM especially active carbon , hold more nutrients, contain more microbes, and have better soil structure due to larger fungal populations.
The break down of organic residues by microbes is dependent upon the carbon to nitrogen C:N ratio. Microbes in a cow's rumen, a compost pile, and soil microbes rely on the C:N ratio to break down organic carbon-based residues.
Consider two separate feed sources, a young tender alfalfa plant and oat or wheat straw. A young alfalfa plant has more crude protein, amino acids, and sugars in the stalk so it is easily digested by microbes whether it is in a cow's rumen, a compost pile, or in the soil.
Young alfalfa has a high nitrogen content from protein amino acids and proteins are high in nitrogen and sulfur , so it has a lower carbon to nitrogen ratio less carbon, more nitrogen.
However, oat and wheat straw or older mature hay has more lignin which is resistant to microbial decomposition , lower crude protein, and less sugars in the stalk and a higher C:N ratio.
Straw is decomposed by microbes but it takes additional time and nitrogen to break down this high carbon source. For good composting, a C:N ratio less than 20 allows the organic materials to decompose quickly 4 to 8 weeks while a C:N ratio greater than 20 requires additional N and slows down decomposition.
So if we add a high C based material with low N content to the soil, the microbes will tie up soil nitrogen. Eventually, the soil N is released but in the short-term the N is tied up. The conversion factor for converting N to crude protein is The C:N ratio of most soils is around indicating that N is available to the plant.
This results from the gaseous loss of carbon dioxide. Therefore, the percentage of nitrogen in the residual SOM rises as decomposition progresses. The C:N ratio of most soils reflects an equilibrium value associated with most soil microbes Bacteria to , Fungus C:N ratio. Bacteria are the first microbes to digest new organic plant and animal residues in the soil.
Bacteria typically can reproduce in 30 minutes and have high N content in their cells 3 to 10 carbon atoms to 1 nitrogen atom or 10 to 30 percent nitrogen.
Under the right conditions of heat, moisture, and a food source, they can reproduce very quickly. Bacteria are generally less efficient at converting organic carbon to new cells.
Aerobic bacteria assimilate about 5 to 10 percent of the carbon while anaerobic bacteria only assimilate 2 to 5 percent, leaving behind many waste carbon compounds and inefficiently using energy stored in the SOM.
Fungus generally release less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and are more efficient at converting carbon to form new cells. The fungus generally captures more energy from the SOM as they decompose it, assimilating 40 to 55 percent of the carbon. Most fungi consume organic matter higher in cellulose and lignin, which is slower and tougher to decompose. The lignin content of most plant residues may be of greater importance in predicting decomposition velocity than the C:N ratio.
Mycorrhizal fungi live in the soil on the surface of or within plant roots. The fungi have a large surface area and help in the transport of mineral nutrients and water to the plants. The fungus life cycle is more complex and longer than bacteria. Fungi are not as hardy as bacteria, requiring a more constant source of food. Fungi population levels tend to decline with conventional tillage. Fungi have a higher carbon to nitrogen ratio carbon to nitrogen or 10 percent nitrogen but are more efficient at converting carbon to soil organic matter.
With high C:N organic residues, bacteria and fungus take nitrogen out of the soil see the graph on net immobilization. Protozoa and nematodes consume other microbes.
Protozoa can reproduce in six to eight hours while nematodes take from three days to three years with an average of 30 days to reproduce. After the protozoa and nematodes consume the bacteria or other microbes which are high in nitrogen , they release nitrogen in the form of ammonium see the graph on net mineralization. Plants absorb ammonium and soil nitrates for food with the help of the fungi mycorrhizal network.
Microorganism populations change rapidly in the soil as SOM products are added, consumed, and recycled. The amount, the type, and availability of the organic matter will determine the microbial population and how it evolves.
Each individual organism bacteria, fungus, protozoa has certain enzymes and complex chemical reactions that help that organism assimilate carbon. As waste products are generated and the original organic residues are decomposed, new microorganisms may take over, feeding on the waste products, the new flourishing microbial community generally bacteria , or the more resistant SOM. The early decomposers generally attack the easily digested sugars and proteins followed by microorganisms that attack the more resistant residues.
Graph by Dr. Rafiq Islam. Cover crops supply food active carbon like glucose and proteins to the microbes to feed on.
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