MICROORGANISMS OUR FRIENDS !!

What are Micro-organisms?

There exist around us, living organisms, which can normally not be seen with an unaided eye. These are called micro-organisms or Microbes.

5 TYPES OF MICROORGANISMS:

1)Bacteria2)Protozoa3)Fungi4)Algae5)Virus

Spiral bacteria Treponema pallidumAmoeba ParameciumPenicillium Aspergillus

BacteriaProtozoaFungiAlgae

Chlamydomonas Spirogyra

Virus

Influenza Virus

Where Are They Found ?

Micro-organisms may be single-celled like bacteria, some algae and some protozoa, or multicellular, such as algae and fungi.

They can survive under all types of environment, ranging from ice cold climate

to hot springs and deserts to marshy lands.

Microorganisms like amoeba can live alone, while fungi and bacteria may live in

colonies.

How Do Micro-organisms Help Us ?

MICROORGANISMS HELP IN MANY WAYS.Some Of These Ways Are :

1) Preparation Of Curd2) Fermentation3) Nitrogen Fixation4) Vaccines 5) Antibiotics 6) Purification Of Water

Formation Of CurdFormation of Curd is done when Lactobacillus

Bacteria react on milk. Lactobacillus is a kind of bacteria which can convert a sugar into an alcohol and then into an acid by means of

anaerobic respiration.

Milk contains a sugar called lactose, a disaccharide (compound sugar) made by the glycoside bonding between glucose and glactose (monosaccharide).

When milk is heated to a temperature of 30-40 degrees centigrade and a small amount of old curd added to it, the lactobacillus in that curd sample gets activated and multiplies. These convert the lactose into lactic acid, which imparts the sour taste to curd.

Lactobacillus and Formation Of Curd

Fermentation

Microorganisms are used for the large scale production of alcohol, wine and acetic acid (vinegar. For this purpose

yeast is grown on natural sugars present in grains like barley, wheat, rice and

crushed fruit juices, etc.

The process of conversion of sugar into alcohol is known as fermentation.

Louis Pasteur discovered fermentation in 1857.

This process was used to make dough in which yeast while anaerobic respiration released Carbon dioxide which made the

dough fluffy.

Some bacteria and blue green algae are able to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere to

enrich soil with nitrogen and increase its fertility. These microbes are commonly

called biological nitrogen fixers.

Increasing Soil Fertility

Algae In Nitrogen Fixation

Rhizobium bacteria is involved in the fixation

of nitrogen in leguminous plants

(pulses). Rhizobium lives in the root nodules of leguminous plants ,

such as beans and peas, with which it has a

symbiotic relationship.Sometimes nitrogen gets

fixed through the action of lightning.

When a disease-carrying microbe enters our body, the body produces

antibodies to fight the invader. Children are given injections to

protect themselves against several diseases.

Polio drops given to children are actually a vaccine.

These days vaccines are made on a large scale from microorganisms to protect humans and other animals

from several diseases.

Vaccine

Microorganisms are used in the production of antibiotic tablets, capsules or injections such as of

penicillin.Such medicines are called antibiotics. These days a number of antibiotics are

being produced from bacteria and fungi. Streptomycin, tetracycline and

erythromycin are some of the commonly known antibiotics.

Antibiotics

Saprophytic bacteria convert dissolved organic impurities into living cell mass, carbon dioxide and water. These saprophytic bacteria may then be eaten by flagellates and ciliates which also consume suspended organic particles including viruses and pathogenic bacteria. Clarity of the water may begin to improve as the protozoa are subsequently consumed by rotifers and cladocera. 

Sewage treatment plants mix these organisms as activated sludge or circulate water past organisms living on trickling filters or rotating biological contactors.

The choice of organism depends on local climate, different species and other factors.

Water Purification

Treated Bacteria For Ponds

THANK YOU

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