I

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2 I

Organisms that cannot be seen u,ith the unaided eyes are called microorganisms or microbes
The greyish white patches on a rroist bread during rainy season, on obsetwing through a
magnifying glass shorv tinl,biack lounded structures called fungi. These are microbes
These microorganisms are as sma1l as 10*6 nn.r in size. Some of these such as fungus on bread can be
seen with magnitying glass rt,hile orhers nee.J a microscope for their observation"
'fhe study of microorganisrns is cal1ed microbiology and Anton van Leeuwenhoek is regarded as
the father of li4irobiology,

Microorganisms may be unicellular (single ceiledr ol multicellular (many celled). These are
ciassified into major groups as described beior",

Bacteria
These are simplest unicellular organisms having rigid cell rvall like plant ce1ls. Based on their shape,
bacteria are of four types, i.e. bacillus(rod-shaped),coccus (spherical-shaped), spirillum
(spiral-shaped) and vibrio (comma-shaped), e.g. Lactobacillus, Rhizobiutn. Diseases like typhoid and
tuberculosis (TB) are caused by bacteria.

Bacilli Cocci Spirilla Vibrio

Bacteria

Fungi
It is a large group of organisms which do not have chlorophyll and do not photosynthesise, thus are
heterotrophs, e.g. yeast, Peuicillium, Aspergillus andRbizopus (bread mould). Fungi may be unicellular
or multicellular

t
Yeast Aspergil/us Rhizopus(breadmould)
Fungi
I
2O
5C]ENCE CLASS BTH

Protozoa
_ It is a group of single celled microorganisms that have animal like
characteristics. They can move from plaie to place,
*g- Ae amd paro tciu*.
t-. =
Diseases like dysentery and mararia are caused tv -
G*rr=-
kne :_:-: _ ::rlm
Plutozoa
Algae
It is a large group of simple, plant-like organisms. Bc thry have
. no roots, stems
or leaves. They can be unicellular or multicellular.
They are photoautorophs, e.g. Chlaruydomonas andSpiqgra.

Chlamydomonas : -.tqyr6

Algae
Viruses
These are also microscopic organisms which reprdrcE
only inside the cells of ft,
the host orpnisms. common ailments like cord, irn.r-
caused by viruses. serious diseases like polio and
viruses.
rn"llrJ*""
chicftenpo*
coughs are
also cauled by
".. &
Bacteriophage virus
Viruses
l
,'i

"l\''

Activity 1 collect some moist soil from the field. Put it in a beaker A and
add water in it. Take another beaker B pour
some pond water into it.
Ta showthe
After the soil particles have settled down observe a drop
presence of Similarly take few drops of water from beaker B, spread
of water from the beaker A under a microscope.
microorganisms them on a glass slide and observe through a
microscope.
in soil and in
we will see tiny organisms moing and floating around. This shows
pond woter. that soit and pond water contains
microorganisms.
(on Page 17)

kllE[fi i&oinr, t
1 Give two examples of microbes.
: 2 Name the microorganisms that can make their own food by photosynthesis.
' 3 Namethefourtypes of bactoriaonthebasisof shape.
4 Who is closer to animals; algae or protozoa? ln what aspect?

Microorganisms Habitat
Microorganisms spread over the entire biosphere in soil,
water, air, inside the bodies of animals including humans,
etc' Thry are characterised by a very high degree or uarptruititv
ranging from ice cold climate to irot springs and deserts
tt
", "y ""n
,;;;;;J.. all types of environmenr,
to marshy lands. During unfavourable conditions of
temperafirre andwater, they form a hard to,ts! called ryst around them. on re"turn of favourable conditions,
thev emerge out from the rysts and continue-th:irJii;
"o1e1ing
;il;.
Microorganisms like Anoebd can live alone, while uu"t.riu
i;;;", on other org*i.m, while others exist freery.
una fuirgi *ay live in colonies.
Microorganisms and Us
Microorganisms play an important role in our lives. ve
microorganisms' But you will be surprised to see that they
all know that a large number of diseases are caused by
are frrore useful and friendly to man than they are harmful.
t

Ett
 21
MICROORGANISMS: FR:"1 A',1 ::)F

Friendly Microorganisms
Microorganisms are used for various purposes. Some common beneficial activities are discussed below

1. Microbes in Household Products

Some of the household products obtained from microbial activities are
(i) Curd It contains several microorganisms. Of these, the bacterium, Lactobacillus promotes the formation of
curd' It multiplies in milk and converts it into curd. Curd is added to idlis and bhaturas to make them soft
and spongy
(ii) Doush (for maklng foods) Yeast reproduces rapidly and produces carbon dioxide (COr) during
respiration. Bubbles of the gas fill the dough and increase its volume. This ls the basis for the ,rsl of yeast
in the baking industry for making breads, pastries and cakes.
(iii) Cheese The production of cheese starts by curdling of milk. The quality and characteristics of cheese are
determined by activities of specific microorganisms, e.g. cottage cheese'is prepared using Streptoco ccus lactis
bacterium.

Activity 2 Take 112 kg flour (atta or maida), add some sugar and mix with warm water.
Add a small amount of yeast powder and knead to make a soft dough (Fig. a).
Ta show
effect of
yeast on
douglt.
(on Page 20)
(a) Fre$hly prepared doughwith (b) CO2 produced by yeast caused
yea$t powdor the dough to rise

Cover the dough and keep it aside for two hours.

We will see that the dough has risen and its volume has increased (Fig. b). This happens due toCO2, formed
during respiration by yeast.

2. Commercial Use of Microorganisms

Microorganisms are used lor the large scale production of alcohols, wine ancl acetic acicl. The process of
-'rnversion of sugar into alcohol is called fermentation. Louis Pasteur discovererJ fermentation in 1857, Yeast is also
-;ed for commercial production of alcohol angl*yine. The sugar for making alcohol comes from grains like barley,
irear, rice, crushed fruit juices, etc. Fermentati'on is donc by the action of yeast on the sugar ini liqui<l meiliunt.

Activity 3 Take a 500 mL beaker and fill it up to 3/4 with water. Dissolve 2-3 teaspoons of sugar in it. Add half a
teaspoonful of yeast powder to it. cover it and keep it in a warm place for 4-s hours.
-o carry aut
Now, smell the solution.
'ermentdtion We will get a charaateristic pungent smell of alcohol.
:
";
sugar. The sugar has been converted into alcohal by the action yeast, i.e. fermentation has taken place.
(On Page 20)

Note AcetobocterbacteriaareoddedtoalcahoLtoconvertitintoaceticacid(orvineqar).Probiotics areliveingestedmicroarqanisrns

thatareassociatedwithbeneficialeffectstohumansandctheran'tntals,e.g. LacticAcidBacterio(ua)fromcurdcause]mmune
enh a nce m e nt an d p rev e nt i ntesti n al d iso rd e rs_

: Medicinal Use of Microorganisms

The sources of antibiotic rnedicines and vaccines are microorganisms. T1-re details of antibiotic medicines and
rres are given below,
Antibiotics The medicines, which are used to kill or stop the growth of the disease causing microorganisms
are known as antibiotics. These are tablets, capsules or injections which are the products o1 microor[anisms
lmainly bacteria and fungi), e.g. penicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, erythromycin.
 nPq.E
74 SCiENCE CLASS BTH
tyres' etc andby
to coltect anywhere, i'e' in coolers'
-':lAvoidbreedingofmosquitoesbY,notallowingwater
and dry' of
keeping surroundings clean and few general methods
affecting humans' their modc of transmission
Some of the common diseases
r.*=.rrton are given in table below' - i- - \r\
Common human
Modeof preventive measure (General)
Causative
Human disease microorganism transmission
-,--aeie isolation
Air ' Keepthe
Uacteria from those
Tuberculosis . ings of the Patient awaY
Air Keep&e
Measles Virus
at suitable age.
Virus Airlcontact
ChickenPox
Virus Air/water water
Polio cooked food and boiled
Baoteria Wateilfood
-tCiene and 9999 sanitarY habits.
Cholera
Waler
::--:-
Typhoid Bacteria
I
Virus Water
Hepatitis-B

I
Protozoa lv'losquito by noi
lr4alaria a

in An i ma I s
Diseases Causing Microorganisms :',: :lSO in other animals, e'g' Anthrax
is a dangerous
onlY cause dlsea!a'
Sorne microorgan'isms not of the . ;.. , 1',', It are given in table below '
caused bY bacterium Some
1--, S

human and cattle disease

caused bY microorganism
Common animat diseases
Animat affected
M icroorganism
l\nimal disease Cattle
anthracis\
Anthrax Koch (1 876)
Catlle
Foot ano mouth disease Pigs
SWINE TIU Birds
+
Bird flu

Fungi Air, seeds

Virus lnsect
a'i: rc'iral
Yellow vein mosaic oi
 25
MICROOR0ANISMS: FR END A\ll FCF

Food Poisoning
It occurs due to the consumption of food spoilt by some microorganisms. Microorganisms that grow on our food
::ay produce toxic substances. These substances make the food poisonous causing serious illness and even death.
Sc, it is very important that we preserve food to prevent it foom getting spoilt.
The food starts giving fout smell, bad taste and colour may also change. This spoiling of food is a chemical change .

S;ch a food if eaten, can lead to food poisoning.

Symptoms inciude vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, fever, etc. It is caused by bacteria (like Salmonella, Clostridiun),
:;:rgus (like Aspergilhrs), etc.

kilttlll Fo,nr 3
1 The femaleAedes mosqulto is a canier of a particular diseaso, Name the disease.
2 An insect can also carry disease with it. Yes or no? Give reason.
3 Viruses can infect humans as well as plants and animals. Give example.

Food Preselation
The process by whlch, spoilage of food is prarented using suitable chemical or physical methods is called food
::eservation. Some of these methods are given below,
(i) Drying or dehydration It means removal of water from food materials. In the absence of moisture, the
food microorganisms stop growing. Vegetables (spinach, peas, etc), pulses, spices and dryfruits are
by this method.
Special preservatives Sodium benzoate and sodium metabisulphite are common preservatives used to
check the growth of rnicrobes. They are added to pickles and also used rn jams and squashes to check
their spoilage.
ili) Preservation by common salt Common salt has been used to preserve mear and fish for ages. Salting is
also used to preserve amla, raw mangoes, tamarind, etc.
ir,) Preservation by sugar Jarns, jeilies and squashes are preserved by sugar. Sugar reduces the moisture
content which lnhibits the growh of bacteria which spoil food.
r,) Preservation by oil and vinegar Use of oil and vinegar prevents spoilage of pickles because bacteria
cannot live in such an environment.
vi) Hot and cold treatments Boiling kills many microorganisms. Similarly, we keep our food in the
refi'igerator, low tempenature inhibits the gror,r,th of microbes.
,,'1i) Pasteurisation lt is used for the preservation of milk. It involves the process of heating milk tci about 70"C
for 15 to 30 seconds (killing most of bacteria) and then cooling quickly to a very low temperature. This
milk is then stored in cold. Pasteurised milk can be consumed without boiling as it is free from harmful
microbes. l"he milk that comes in packets does not get spoiled as it is pasteurised. Pasteurisation was
discovered by Louis Pasteur.
ri) In"adiation It is a modern n-rethod of foocl preservation. The food is exposed to l-righ energy gamma rays
or X-rays. These powerful radiations completeiy destroy the harmful microorganisms. "l"he food can be
preserved for longer periods.
rr) Vacuum drying Milk can be preserved by this process. Milk is converted into rnilk powder by rer-noving
the moisture content from it.
,x) Proper storage and packing Dryfruits and vegetables are sold in sealed and air tight packets ro prev€nt
the attack of microbes.
 frM!,14
)5
SCIENCE CLASS 8TH

Nitrogen Fixation o/o) present in environment for their growth, for

Plants can utilise the enorrnous amount of nitrogen gas (about 78'
of atmospheric nitrogen
this the nitrogen has to be converted into nitrogefi compounds. The process of conversion
into nitrogenous compounds is called nitrogen fixation'
Nitrogen can be fixed by
(i) lishtning
(ii) certain nitrogen fixing bacteria in soil, e'g' Azdafucter'
(iii) Rhizobiun bacteria which is involved in the fi:ration of nitrogen in leguminous plants'
Rhizobiunr lives in the root nodules of legrnninous plants such as beans
and peas with
which it has a symbiotic relationship.
(iv) blue-green algae, e.g. Anabaena, Nostoc' Hoots of a
The atmospheric nitrogen remains constant, although it is continuously used by leguminous plant
plants and animals. This happens throwh a rycle of processes grouped t6gether with t'oot nodirles

called nitrogen cycle'

Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen is one of the essential Atmospheric
nitrogen
constituents of all llving organisms. It is a part
I
of proteins, chlorophyll, nucleic acids and ng
vitamins. The nitrogen in atmosphere is fixes nitrogen
I circulated again and again through lMng and :a- ir r'g
nonJiving things by the nitrogen rycle. The : :-.:'i ?ira
Uptake Animals
main steps in this cycle are as follows' i : -- :: :1 !:1O by eat compounds
', I . - lrlitTa planls of nitrogen
(i) The atmospheric nitrogen is fixed to into gaseouS
be converted into usable compounds.
(ii) These compounds are utilised by NitrogenoLls
waste from
plants through their root system. excretion
Nitrogen is used for synthesis of plant death
proteins and other comPounds.
Compounds of
D (iii) Animals taking these plants as food, nitrogen in the $oil
get these proteins and other nitrogen
Nicrogen cycle
yt compounds.
al (iv) \lZhen these plants and animals die, certain bacteria and fungi convert these complex
compounds present in their bodies into simple nitrogen comPounds.
02c
(v) Certain other bacteria convert some of thes e compounds into nitrogen
(vr) The simple nitro gen compounds again abs orbed by the plants for their growth. The nitrogetr gas
sphere remains
b ack into the tm0sp,here As result of this cycle, the percentage of nitrogen in atmo
conslant

.E!+ril poinr 4
1 The milk that comes in packets does not get spoiled. Give reason'
2 Gi\€ tre best way to preserve items like rqpat for longer periods'
3 A chemical is added to pickles to check their spoilage' Name it'
4 Name an dsment present in atmosphere that is essential for living organisms.
5 Atype of plants can fix nitrogen gas of air into compounds of nitrogen. Give its name,