CHAPTER 4
PARTICULATE
AND DISSOLVED MATTER AND ITS PROCESSING IN WATER BODIES
Inorganic
matter
Ancient
organic matter and the origin of life
- The development of cellularity
- Manufacturing essential nutrients
from chemicals (chemosynthesis) and light (photosynthesis)
What
is a particle, and what is dissolved matter?
- Systems of classification
- Adsorption and the importance
of surfaces
Sources
of organic matter in aquatic systems
- Inputs from outside (allochthonous)
and within (autochthonous) the water body
- Excreta and exudates
- Reproduction of the biota
Breakdown
of organic matter in water
- Leaching and conditioning
of dead organic matter by fungi and bacteria
- Bacterial numbers
- Microbial attachment mechanisms
and the structure and function of biofilms
Surface
films
- The surface film and its characteristics
- How important are bubbles
in aiding the turnover of organic matter?
Aggregation
processes
- Marine,lake and river snow
- Aggregates of exopolymer
The
importance of colloidal particles
- Colloids and polymer gels
- Exopolymer particles (EPs)
and their role in cementing aggregates
The
importance of viruses
Flux
of particles in oceans, lakes and rivers
- Downward flux of particles
in oceans and lakes
- Horizontal flux of particles
in streams and rivers
- Regions of mixing
- Sedimentation and fossilisation