1. General characteristics of micro-organisms
Microorganisms (from the Greek micro, meaning small, and bios, meaning life) are living beings that are invisible to the naked eye. They may be unicellular or multicellular, in which case the cells are not differentiated into tissue. They include viruses, bacteria, protists, algae and microscopic fungi. These ubiquitous organisms represent the largest biomass on Earth.
1.1 Between classification and diversity
Phylogenetic classification, organized around the relationships between living beings, is based on DNA sequences and cladistic analysis. Today, it replaces traditional scientific classification based on multiple characteristics (biological, phenotypic, physiological). It divides living organisms into three domains: archaea, eubacteria and eukaryotes...
The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference
This article is included in
Bioprocesses and bioproductions
This offer includes:
Knowledge Base
Updated and enriched with articles validated by our scientific committees
Services
A set of exclusive tools to complement the resources
Practical Path
Operational and didactic, to guarantee the acquisition of transversal skills
Doc & Quiz
Interactive articles with quizzes, for constructive reading
General characteristics of micro-organisms
General considerations on biotechnology
Also in our database
Bioprocesses" database
Bibliography
Economic data
In 2005, global biotech sales amounted to just over 63 billion US dollars for some 4,500 companies.
In Europe, the main biotech innovators are the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark. European companies, numbering 1,600, employ around 40,000 people and are concentrated in 18 countries. They generate global sales of 11.5 billion US dollars, or 16% of the biotech market, 5 times less...
Websites
http://www.europabio.org/ (European association promoting innovation in biotechnologies and bio-industries)
http://www.france-biotech.org/ (French association of biotechnology companies and their partners)
The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference
