Methods of Classifying and Identifying Microorganisms

Microorganisms can be classified on the basis of cell structure, cellular metabolism, or on differences in cell components.

Prokaryotic organisms were the first living things on earth and still inhabit every environment, no matter how extreme.

The molecular approach to microbial phylogenetic analysis revolutionized our thinking about evolution in the microbial world.

In medicine, microorganisms are identified by morphology, physiology, and other attributes; in ecology by habitat, energy, and carbon source.