Instructor: Mrs.

Martins
Subject: Biology
Topic: HARMFUL EFFECTS OF SOME MICRO-ORGANISMS
1. Causes of Diseases: Some micro-organisms are responsible for the various diseases that
infect plants and animals.
2. Spoilage of Food: Micro-organisms are known to cause food spoilage.
3. Causes of Death: Micro-organisms can also cause death of plants and animals.
4. Deterioration of Materials: Micro-organisms are also responsible for the deterioration
of materials like wood, cotton, paper and leather.
5. Reduction in Yield: Micro-organisms are well known to reducing crop and animal yield.
6. Causes of Undesirable Quality of Products: Micro-organisms are known to bring about
undesirable quality{ies} of plants and plant products.
DISEASE CAUSED BY MICRO-ORGANISMS
1i. ANIMAL DISEASES CAUSED BY VIRUSES
Animal diseases caused by viruses includes poliomyelitis, infective hepatitis, measles, common
cold, German measles, influenza, small pox, chicken pox, yellow fever, rabies, AIDS, foot and
mouth diseases, rinderpest and Newcastle diseases.
ii. PLANT DISEASES CAUSED BY VIRUSES
These includes cassava mosaic virus, rosette diseases, maize streak, yam mosaic disease,
cowpea mosaic disease, leaf curl, tristoza, bunchy top disease and swollen shoot disease.

Above is the outlook of a cassava plant infected with cassava mosaic virus.
2i. ANIMAL DISEASES CAUSED BY BACTERIA
These include tuberculosis, leprosy, tetanus, pneumonia, diphtheria, cholera, gonorrhea,
syphilis, dysentery, anthrax, meningitis, yaws, contagious abortion and whooping cough.
Below is the picture of one suffering from leprosy:
ii. PLANT DISEASES CAUSED BY BACTERIA
These includes leaf blight of cassava, black arm, cassava wilt, banana wilt, tomato rot, onion
rot, galadima, bacterial wilt, bacterial fire blight and yam rot. Below is a picture of tomato rot:
3i. ANIMAL DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGI
These includes ringworm, aspergillosis, athletic foot and thrush. Below is a picture of athletic
foot and thrush:

ii. PLANT DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGI

These includes maize smut, rice blight, maize rust, leaf spot, cocoa black pod, coffee leaf rust,
okra damping off, onion twister disease, rice smut, gummosis, citrus scab, panama disease,
sigatoka disease, black spot disease, blast disease, anthracnose and freckle disease. Below is a
picture of maize smut:
4. ANIMAL DISEASES CAUSED BY PROTOZOA
These include malaria, trypanosomiasis, coccidiosis, trichomoniasis and red water disease.

 Malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Below is a picture of the protozoan

causing malaria:
 Trypanosomiasis is caused by Trypanosome. Below is a picture of the protozoan causing
trypanosomiasis:

 Coccidiosis is caused by Eimeria spp. Below are the species of Eimeria causing
coccidiosis:
  Red water disease is caused by Babesia spp. Below are the species of Babesia casing red
water disease:

Assignment
i. List and explain four ways of controlling harmful micro-organisms?