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Microorganisms and Its Types
Microorganisms and Its Types
and foe
What are microorganisms
• Very small in size , thus can be observed only through
microscope
• Found in all types of environment- ice-cold water , hot
springs , deserts etc.
• Microorganisms like Amoeba live alone whereas fungi and
bacteria may form colonies
Beneficial
Microorganisms
General Benefits
Organic wastes like vegetables peels , remains of animals and plants
, faeces ,etc. are broken down into harmless and usable forms by
decomposing and recycling agents
Some bacteria and blue-green algae are able to fix nitrogen from the
atmosphere to enrich soil with nitrogen and thus increase its fertility
Formation of curd by Lactobacillus bacteria
Making cream, cheese and other food items . For example
microorganisms ferment idli batter , evolving carbon dioxide, which
eventually yields
Commercial benefits of Microorganisms
• Production of carbon dioxide by yeast is the basis of the
baking industry for making breads , cakes and pastries
• Production of alcohol wine and acetic acid through
fermentation . Conversion of sugar into alcohol is called
fermentation
• Helps in production of medicines
Medicinal Benefits Of Microorganisms
Production of Antibiotics: Fungi and bacteria are used to
produce antibiotics like Streptomycin , tetracycline ,
erythromycin, etc. that are used to kill or stop the growth of
disease causing organisms
Vaccines made from microorganisms help fight infections
and protect humans and other animals from various diseases
A vaccine consists of weakened or dead microorganisms
incapable of causing an infection . It is inoculated into the
body to produce antibodies that help fight infection. Many
diseases such as Cholera , tuberculosis , chickenpox and
Hepatitis can be prevented by vaccination
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are drugs that help fight bacterial infections by
either killing bacteria or preventing them from multiplying
They are ineffective against viral and fungal infections and
thus need to be avoided during a common cold or when
suffering form ringworm disease
A course in antibiotics should be completed even if one feels
better during medication otherwise the bacteria may develop
resistance to the drug . If the course discontinued the
infection recurs , the medicine will not be effective in curing
the disease
Harmful
Microorganisms
• The harmful microorganisms that spread diseases are called
pathogens
• Some diseases are also spread through insects and animals
that act as carriers or vectors of microorganisms that cause
d diseases
• An organism that transmit a pathogen or foreign living
material to a healthy organisms causing disease or infection
is called vector or carrier . For example , the female
Anopheles mosquito acts as a carrier of the malarial parasite
Plasmodium and the mosquito Aedes aegypti acts a carrier
of dengue virus
• Diseases that spread from an Infected person to a healthy
person through air , water , food or physical contact are
called communicable diseases
General measures to
prevent diseases
• Maintenance of good personal and
sanitary hygiene
• Use of boiled water
• Vaccination
• Keeping the patients in isolation
• Use of mosquito nets , repellents and
insecticides to keep mosquitoes away
• Keeping belongings of the patients
separate