GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Small organisms not visible with naked eye..(0.1mm or even smaller).

Present everywhere inside soil, water, air, dust particles, inside and
outside our bodies, in extremes of temperature.
Belong to different group of organisms- bacteria, fungi, protozoa and
microscopic plants.
Microbes can be grown on artificial cultures in a nutritive media where
they form colonies.

Household Applications

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB)

Milk Curd

LAB produces acids that coagulate and partially digest milk proteins
like caesin.

Small amount of curd that is added to the milk for curdling acts as
an inoculum containing thousands of LABS, which further multiply
and causes conversion of sugar of milk into lactic acid.

LAB enhances the nutritional value of milk by increasing

Vitamin B12.

LAB present in stomach prevents infections.

Lactobacillus acidophillus acts best at a temperature of 40 degree

and helps in making curd.

Yoghurt, butter milk, sour cream and cheese are prepared from
dairy products with the help of microbes.

Cheese making
o

The bacterium Propionibacterium sharmanii is used in

Swiss cheese to give it its characteristic holes by
producing large amount of carbon dioxide.

Roquefort cheese is ripened by growing certain fungi on

them to give them their specific flavour.

The curd is separated from liquid part or whey to form

cheese.

Depending upon water content cheese is of 3 types- soft,

semi hard and hard (50-80% water in soft, 45% in semi
hard, less than 40%in hard cheese ).

Several varieties of cheese with different texture, taste

and flavour are available.