Microfauna

Microfauna
Soybean cyst nematode and egg.

Microfauna (Ancient Greek mikros "small" + New Latin fauna "animal") refers to microscopic organisms that exhibit animal-like qualities. Microfauna are represented in the animal kingdom (e.g., nematodes, small arthropods) and the protist kingdom (i.e., protozoans). This is in contrast to microflora.

Contents

Habitat

Microfauna are often associated with other microscopic organisms in a variety of habitats, notably in soil, in water, and in the bodies of larger organisms (including the human body). Some microfauna are sessile, meaning they attach to a substrate their entire lives and never move. Sessile microfauna fertilize their mates by releasing ciliated sperm, while they themselves stay put.

Role

One particular example of the role of microfauna can be seen in soil, where they are important in the cycling of nutrients in ecosystems. Soil microfauna are capable of digesting just about any organic substance, and some inorganic substances (such as TNT and synthetic rubber).

Cryptozoa

The microfauna are the least understood of soil life, due to their small size and great diversity. Many microfauna are members of the so-called cryptozoa, animals that remain undescribed by science. Out of the estimated 10-20 million animal species in the world, only 1.8 million have been given scientific names, and many of the remaining millions are likely microfauna, much of it from the tropics.

See also

External links

The role of soil microfauna in Plant disease suppression. University of California



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Look at other dictionaries:

  • microfaună — MICROFÁUNĂ, microfaune, s.f. Totalitatea animalelor microscopice de pe glob, dintr o regiune sau dintr un spaţiu restrâns. [pr.: fa u ] – Micro1 + faună. Trimis de LauraGellner, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  microfáună s. f. (sil. cro fa u ), g. d …   Dicționar Român

  • microfauna — [mī΄krō fô′nə] n. pl. microfaunas, microfaunae [mī΄krō fô′nē] 1. minute, esp. microscopic, fauna 2. the animals of a given microhabitat microfaunal adj …   English World dictionary

  • microfauna — noun Etymology: New Latin Date: 1895 1. minute animals; especially those invisible to the naked eye < the soil microfauna > 2. a small or strictly localized fauna (as of a microenvironment) • microfaunal adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • microfauna — microfaunal, adj. /muy kroh faw neuh/, n., pl. microfaunas, microfaunae / nee/. (used with a sing. or pl. v.) 1. Biol. microscopic animals. 2. Ecol. the fauna of a microhabitat. [1900 05; MICRO + FAUNA] * * * ▪ biology       small, often… …   Universalium

  • microfauna — mi·cro·fau·na .mī krō fȯn ə, fän n minute animals esp those invisible to the naked eye <the soil microfauna> compare MACROFAUNA mi·cro·fau·nal fȯn əl, fän adj * * * mi·cro·fau·na (mi″kro fawґnə) the animal life, visible only… …   Medical dictionary

  • microfauna — mikrofauna statusas T sritis ekologija ir aplinkotyra apibrėžtis Smulkios (mikroskopinės) iškastinių organizmų liekanos. atitikmenys: angl. microfauna vok. Mikrofauna, f rus. микрофауна, f …   Ekologijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • microfauna — n. [Gr. mikros, small; L. Faunus, diety of herds and fields] Very small animals; animals less than 200 m …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

  • microfauna — noun The smallest of the faunal size divisions, including mainly microorganisms but also sometimes applied to the tiniest species of animal groups such as ticks, insects, etc …   Wiktionary

  • microfauna — Pequeños animales con un tamaño menor a 5 mm. Generalmente se refiere a la fauna del suelo …   Diccionario ecologico

  • microfauna — mi|cro|fau|na Mot Pla Nom femení …   Diccionari Català-Català

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