different between microorganism vs stromatolite

English

Alternative forms

• micro-organism
• microörganism

Etymology

From micro- +? organism.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?ma?.k??????.??n.?.z?m?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?ma?.k?o?????.??n.?.z?m?/

Noun

microorganism (plural microorganisms)

1. (microbiology) An organism that is too small to be seen by the unaided eye, especially a single-celled organism, such as a bacterium.

Usage notes

Whether viruses are alive, and thus whether they are microorganisms (microbes), is a matter of variable ontology; the semantic field of the word microorganism is often taken to include viruses in casual or broad terms, but not always in precise terms.

Related terms

• microbe

Translations

See also

• macroorganism

Romanian

Etymology

From French microorganisme.

Noun

microorganism n (plural microorganisme)

1. microorganism

Declension

English

Alternative forms

• stromatolith

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ???????? (str?mata) (plural of ?????? (str?ma, “layer”)) + ????? (líthos, “stone, rock”).

Noun

stromatolite (plural stromatolites)

1. (geology) A laminated, columnar, rock-like structure constituting a large share of all fossils from 3.5 to 0.5 billion years ago, with some still being formed at present, some or all of which result from the deposit of minerals by microorganisms such as cyanobacteria.
   • 1979, D. G. Lundgren, W. Dean, Chapter 4: Biogeochemistry of Iron, P. A. Trudinger, D. J. Swaine (editors), Biogeochemical Cycling of Mineral-Forming Elements, page 232,

     Most modern and ancient stromatolites occur in carbonate sediments and sedimentary rocks, but they can form by trapping and binding of any sediment particles.

   • 2003, David M. Paterson, Rebecca J. Aspden, R. Pamela Reid, Biodynamics of Modern Marine Stromatolites, Andrew H. Knoll, Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth, page 44,

     Stromatolites are the predominant features of carbonate rocks formed in Precambrian oceans.

   • 2010, Joseph Seckbach, Aharon Oren (editors), Microbial Mats: Modern and Ancient Microorganisms in Stratified Systems, page 231,

     The formation of modern stromatolites is highly dependent on sediment accretion rates and their associated microbial assemblages that trap and bind sediment particles that fall on the surface of the structures.

Derived terms

• stromatolitic

Translations

See also

• oncoid
• oncolite
• microbial mat
• biofilm
• microbialite
• thrombolite

French

Alternative forms

• stromatolithe

Pronunciation

Noun

stromatolite m (plural stromatolites)

1. stromatolite