Classifications of microorganisms according to their pathogenicity

Prepared by
Third part master degree student
Aya salah El-Din Abou El-Magd
Amjad gamal
Eman Mohamed

Under supervision:
Assistant Prof \ Naglaa Ahmed
2024-2025
Outlines:-

 Introduction.
 Definitions :

- Microorganism
- Pathogenicity

 Classification of microorganisms according to their pathogenicity.

 Beneficence of Microorganisms.
 Harmful of Microorganisms.
 Diseases Caused By Microorganisms.
 Conclusion – Microorganisms – Useful or Harmful.
 References.
 Introduction
Microorganisms are very diverse; they include bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa;
microscopic plants (green algae); and animals such as rotifers and planarians.
Some microbiologists also include viruses, but others consider these as nonliving.
Most microorganisms are unicellular, but this is not universal, since some
multicellular organisms are microscopic. Some unicellular protists and bacteria,
like Thiomargarita namibiensis, are macroscopic and visible to the naked eye.
Microorganisms live in all parts of the biosphere where there is liquid water,
including soil, hot springs, on the ocean floor, high in the atmosphere, and deep
inside rocks within the Earth’s crust. Most importantly, these organisms are vital to
humans and the environment, as they participate in the Earth’s element cycles,
such as the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle. Microorganisms also fulfill other
vital roles in virtually all ecosystems, such as recycling other organisms’ dead
remains and waste products through decomposition. Microbes have an important
place in most higher-order multicellular organisms as symbionts, and they are also
exploited by people in biotechnology, both in traditional food and beverage
preparation, and in modern technologies based on genetic engineering. Pathogenic
microbes are harmful, however, since they invade and grow within other
organisms, causing diseases that kill humans, animals, and plants.

 Definition
 Pathogenicity The ability of microorganisms to induce disease, which may
be assessed by disease-carriage ratios.
 A microbe, or microorganism, is a microscopic organism that comprises
either a single cell (unicellular); cell clusters; or multicellular, relatively
complex organisms.
 Classification of microorganisms according to their pathogenicity.
1-Algae
2-Protozoa
3-Fungi
4-Bacteria
5-Viruses
1. Bacteria
- The main groups of bacteria are mostly distinguished by microscopic
observation of their morphology and staining reactions.
- Bacteria have a variety of shapes, including spheres, rods, and
spirals.
- Although unicellular, bacteria often appear in pairs, chains, tetrads
(groups of four), or clusters.

 Classification according to morphology arrangement and staining

reaction into group
A - Filamentous Bacteria
B- True bacteria
- COCCI:
 Gram Positive : Staphylococcus streptococcus
  Gram Negative : Neisseria
- Bacilli:
 Gram positive Bacillus: Clostridium Coryne Bacterium
 Gram Negative Bacillus: Enterobacteriaceae Brucella
C- Spirochaetes:
D- Mycoplasma: Smallest Bactria That Lack Of Arigid Cell Wall
E Rickettsia and Chlamydia
2. Fungi
Fungi (mushroom, molds, and yeasts) are eukaryotic cells (with a true nucleus).
 These are non-photosynthetic organisms that possess relatively rigid
cell walls.
 They are eukaryotic organisms that, like algae, have rigid cell walls and
may be either unicellular or multicellular.
 Unlike algae, fungi do not contain chlorophyll and thus cannot carry out
photosynthesis.
 Fungi do not ingest food but must absorb dissolved nutrients from
the environment.
 Can Be Single Celled or Very Complex Multicellular Organisms.
3. Protozoa
Protozoa are unicellular aerobic eukaryotes. They have a nucleus, complex
organelles, and obtain nourishment by absorption oringestion through specialized
structures. They make up the largest group of organisms in the world in terms of
numbers, biomass, and diversity. Their cell walls are made up of cellulose.
They Live in A Wide Variety of Moist Habitats Including Fresh Water, Marine
Environments and The Soil.

 They Are Motile and Can Move By:

- Cilia - Tiny Hair Like Structures That Cover the Outside Of The
Microbe.
- Flagella - Long Thread-Like Structures That Extend from The Cell
Surface.
- Amoeboid Movement –

4. Algae
Algae, also called cyanobacteria or blue-green algae, are unicellular or
multicellular eukaryotes that obtain nourishment by photosynthesis. They live in
water, damp soil, and rocks and produce oxygen and carbohydrates used by other
organisms. It isbelieved that cyanobacteria are the origins of green land plants.
5. Viruses
 are the smallest of the infective agents; they have a relatively simple
structure that is not comparable with that of a cell, and their mode of
reproduction is fundamentally different from that of cellular organisms.
 Viruses usually consist of little more than a strand of DNA or RNA
enclosed in a simple protein shell known as a capsid.
 Viruses are capable of growing only within the living cells of an appropriate
animal, plant or bacterial host; none can grow in an inanimate nutrient
medium. Example: HIV, Hepatitis virus, Influenza.
 Beneficence of Microorganisms:-

Microorganisms are beneficial to humankind in the following ways:

1. Nutrient Cycling: Microbes break down complex organic matter into simpler
forms. This process aids in nutrient cycling ensuring the availability of
complex nutrients to the plants and other simpler organisms maintaining the
overall health of the ecosystem.
2. Soil Fertility: Microbes can enhance soil fertility by fixing atmospheric
nitrogen in symbiotic association with the roots of higher plants. By the
process of nitrogen fixation, atmospheric nitrogen is converted in ammonia
which is an available form of nitrogen to the plants leading to rapid growth of
plants.
3. Agriculture: Microbes residing in the soil establish symbiotic relationships
with the roots of the higher plant contributing to their growth and
productivity. Fungi in association with the roots of plants is known as
mycorrhiza and it helps in providing nutrients to the plants from soil.
4. Fermentation and Food Industry: Bacteria and yeasts play a significant role
in food fermentation process. Food items such as yoghurt, cheese, bread, idli
and fermented beverages are used to enhance the nutritional profiles, texture,
and flavour of the food.
5. Production of Probiotics: Beneficial bacteria which are known to improve
human gut health are known as probiotics and they support good microbes in
the gut. Probiotics help in digestion of the food, absorption of nutrients and
boosting the immune system.
6. Production of Antibiotics: Microbes produce certain chemical compounds
during their metabolic processes known as antibiotics which help in
 controlling infection caused by other pathogenic or disease-causing
microorganisms. Microbes are also used in the production of vaccines

 Harmful of Microorganisms:-
Microorganisms can be harmful to humankind in the following ways:

1. Outbreaks or Pandemics: Microbes are responsible for pandemics, as there

are outbreaks of viral infections majorly such as HIV, influenza, and Ebola.
Recently, COVID-19 became a pandemic leading to illness, fatality, and social
disruption affecting millions of lives.
2. Infectious Diseases: Virulent viruses, pathogenic bacteria, fungi,
and protozoa are responsible for causing diseases in humans, animals, and
plants. Malaria, typhoid, and dengue are a few examples of the same which
leads to fatality.
3. Allergic Responses: Since microbes are ubiquitous, they may trigger allergic
responses and hypersensitivities in susceptible individuals who have a weaker
immune system, leading to various respiratory problems such as asthma, and
skin rashes.
4. Antimicrobial Resistance: Overuse or misuse of antibiotics without any
prescription has led to the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) or
multi-drug-resistant strains (MDRS) of bacteria that make infections difficult
to treat. Staphylococcus is an example of MDRS.
5. Diseases in Plants: Microbes such as pathogenic bacteria, fungi, bacteria, and
viruses affect productivity and yield in agriculture as they can cause
devastating diseases in plants. This leads to significant agricultural losses and
food insecurity which is a major concern today as food is required to feed the
global population.
6. Foodborne Illnesses: Microbes such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli (E. coli),
Shigella and Listeria. They can cause foodborne illnesses due to the
consumption of contaminated food and water, leading to gastrointestinal
discomforts which may lead to severe complications.

 Diseases Caused By Microorganisms:-

Viruses Bacteria Fungi Protozoa

Influenza Tuberculosis Trichophyton spp. Malaria

Common cold Cholera Candidiasis Amoebiasis

AIDS (Human
Immunodeficiency Aspergillosis
Tetanus Giardiasis
Virus (HIV)) (Aspergillus spp.)

COVID (Severe
Acute Respiratory Toxoplasmosis
Syndrome Gonorrhea Cryptococcosis (Toxoplasma
Coronavirus 2 gondii)
(SARS-CoV-2))

Hepatitis
(Hepatitis A, B, C Lyme disease Histoplasmosis Chagas disease
viruses)
 Conclusion – Microorganisms – Useful or Harmful
Microorganisms are a crucial component of life on earth. Sustenance of life on
earth would not have been possible without them. Microorganisms have a wide
range of beneficial roles because of which they serves as our friends but on the
other side they can be harmful to the other lives as well. Understanding both the
sides of microorganisms helps us to navigate the beneficial and adverse effects of
the same so that they can be utilized at their true potential.
 References.

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- Rodríguez-González, V., Obregón, S., Patrón-Soberano, O. A., Terashima,

C., & Fujishima, A. (2020). An approach to the photocatalytic mechanism in
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- Cani, P. D., Depommier, C., Derrien, M., Everard, A., & de Vos, W. M.
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