Maharashtra Board Class 9 Science Chapter 8- BYJU’S

Important Questions & Answers

1. What are Lactobacilli?

Answer: A minute and rectangular in shape bacteria (blue rod-shaped organism) that are
anaerobic bacteria that can produce energy without the use of oxygen are called Lactobacilli.

2. How is yoghurt made from milk? What exactly happens in this process?

Answer: The lactobacilli converts the lactose, that is the sugar in the milk, into lactic acid via
the process known as fermentation. Following this, the pH of milk reduces, resulting in the
coagulation of milk proteins. This also separates the milk proteins from the other milk
constituents. This is what occurs when milk is changed to yoghurt. Yoghurt has specific sour
taste because of lactic acid and the low pH helps to destroy the harmful microbes found in the
milk.

3. What are some of the milk products obtained by fermentation of milk?

Answer: There are several milk products that can be obtained by fermentation of milk. They
include ghee, yoghurt, cheese, buttermilk, shrikhand and more.

4. What are some of the uses of Lactobacilli?

Answer: Given here are some of the uses of Lactobacilli:

 Lactobacilli fermentation is used to produce cider, cocoa, vegetable pickles and so on on a large
scale
 Along with some other microbes, Lactobacilli are used to treat abdominal infection
 Lactobacilli is used to ferment leavened fodder given to domestic cattle such as cows and buffalos
 Lactobacilli fermentation process is useful to manufacture wine and certain kinds of breads

5. Write the names of microbes found in the following food materials.

(yoghurt, bread, root nodules of leguminous plants, idli, dosa, spoiled potato curry.)

Answer: Given are the microbes present in the following food materials

Yoghurt- Microbe found in it is Lactobacillus

Bread- Saccharomyces is the microbe found in it

Root nodules of Leguminous plants- The microbe found is Rhizobium

Idli- Lactobacillus is found in it

Dosa- Microbe is Lactobacillus

Spoiled potato curry- Clostridium is one of the microbes found

6. Identify the odd one out from Pneumonia, diphtheria, chicken pox, cholera. Why is it
the odd one out?

Answer: Chicken pox is the odd one out as it is a viral disease, whereas the rest are all
bacterial diseases.

7. Root rot, rust (tambera), rubella, mozaic. Which amongst these is the odd one out.
State the reason.

Answer: Rubella is the odd one out. Root rot, rust (tambera) and mozaic are all names of
plant disease, while rubella is a human disease.

8. Which is the odd one from Lactobacilli, rhizobia, yeast and clostridia? Why?

Answer: From this list, Rhizobia is the odd one out. Lactobacilli, Yeast and Clostridia are all
bacterias associated with human food products, while Rhizobia is a bacteria related to plants.

9. Foam accumulates on the surface of ‘dal’ kept for a long time in summer. What is the
scientific reason for this?

Answer: Food stuff that is kept for a longer time in the summer is favourable for the growth
of microbes, which releases some gas as it’sby-product. This gas creates foam on the surface
of food stuffs that have more water content, such as dal.

10. Give scientific reason for why naphthalene balls are kept with clothes to be put
away.

Answer; Naphthalene balls are kept with clothes to protect them from insects. However, over
a period of time, they disappear without leaving any residue as a result of the sublimation
process.

11. Write down the modes of infection and the preventive measures against fungal
diseases.

Answer: The mode of infection for fungal diseases are contact with an infected person, or
even his or her belongings, such as clothes. Meanwhile, certain precautions have to be taken
against fungal diseases, They include personal hygiene along with avoiding contact with the
infected person.

12. Match the pairs:

“A” GROUP “B” GROUP

Rhizobium Food poisoning

Clostridium Nitrogen fixation

Penicillium Bakery products

Yeast Production of antibiotics

Answer:

“A” GROUP “B” GROUP

Rhizobium Nitrogen fixation

Clostridium Food poisoning

Penicillium Production of antibiotics

Yeast Bakery products

13. Which vaccines are given to infants? Why

Answer: Immune systems of the children are not yet developed and also their stomachs
produce a lesser amount of acid, thus making it easier for the bacteria and viruses to multiply,
thus making the child more prone to sickness. To avoid this, children are given vaccines as an
infant. Vaccines help the immune system to recognize and fight against infectious diseases.
Some of the vaccines given include Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), Hepatitis B, Rota V and
more.

14. How is a vaccine produced?

Answer: Some dead or weakened microorganisms that are introduced into the body so that it
stimulates the body to produce antibodies that can help the immune system to fight against
diseases are known as vaccines. Vaccines protect the bodies from diseases for a long time.

15. How do antibiotics cure disease?

Answer: Antibiotics are the carbon compounds got from some bacteria and fungi in order to
destroy or prevent the growth of harmful micro-organisms. Antibiotics act against bacteria
and some are even known to destroy protozoa. Antibiotics that are useful against a wide
variety of bacteria are known as broad spectrum antibiotics. Examples for this include
tetracycline, amoxicillin, ampicillin and more. In the scenario, when the pathogen is not
identified but the symptoms prevail, broad spectrum antibiotics are used. Meanwhile, if the
pathogenic micro-organism is known, then narrow-spectrum antibiotics are used. Examples
for narrow spectrum antibiotics are erythromycin, gentamycin, penicillin and so on.

16. Define antibiotic.

Answer: Antibiotics, a discovery of the 20th century are carbon compounds that are obtained
from some bacteria and fungi so as to destroy and prevent the development of harmful micro-
organisms. It has brought about a revolution in the field of medicine.

17. Why are useful microbes like lactobacilli added to eatables?

Answer: Eatables in which lactobacilli microbes are added are healthy for the reason that
they kill the harmful bacteria like clostridium in the alimentary canal, thus improving
immunity.

18. What is symbiosis?

Answer: Symbiosis is a mutually beneficial relationship, where rhizobia that exists in the
root nodules get energy in the form of carbohydrates from the plants and in exchange supply
nitrates, nitrites and amino acids to that plant.

19. What is the benefit of Rhizobium to Farmers?

Answer: As a result of the nitrogenous compounds made available by Rhizobium, beans and
pulses are rich in protein. Now, the leftover roots and other plant parts are thrown in farm
soil, after harvesting a leguminous crop, so as to maintain its bacterial population. This, in
turn, brings down the use of chemical fertilizers as well as reduce adverse effects caused by
it. This further helps to cut down the expenses of fertilizers, going on to benefit the farmers.

20. What is called ‘rhizobial inoculation’?

Answer: Currently, rhizobial solution or powder is coated over seeds before sowing them.
Then, after the sowing, the rhizobia enter the plantlets. This process is known as ‘rhizobia
inoculation’. This experiment helps in the supply of nitrogen to cereal and more crops, other
than leguminous crops.

21. What is a yeast?

Answer: A heterotrophic fungal microbe found on carbon compounds, Yeast is a eukaryotic

type of cell with 1500 various species in existence. It is a unicellular fungus.

22. What is fermentation?

Answer: Take a solution of dry yeast, with sugar and water. You will see that yeast converts
the carbohydrates in this solution into alcohol and carbon dioxide, in the process of getting
nutrition. This process is known as fermentation.

23. What is used to ferment Molasses?

Answer: A yeast known as Saccharomyces is used to ferment molasses. The alcohol formed
as a primary product in this process is ethanol (C2H5OH), while ester and other alcohols are
the secondary products.

24. What is used for making wines?

Answer: Glucose and Fructose are the sugars found in the grape juice, which are further
fermented using yeast so as to manufacture alcohol that is later used to produce wines.

25. What is the use of yeast Yarrowia lipolytica?

Answer: Yarrowia lipolytica is a yeast and it is used to absorb the toxins that are released
during the manufacture of palm oil and the heavy metals along with the minerals, which are
released in some other industrial processes.

26. Find the uses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Answer: To absorb a pollutant and arsenic, Saccharomyces cereviceae is used.

27. What is Alcanivorax bacteria used for?

Answer: Alcanivorax bacteria is used to clean the oil spills in oceans.

28. What does the National Institute of Virology do?

Answer: Originated in 1952, the National Institute of Virology in Pune with the support of
the World Health Organization is responsible for the research related to diseases such as
jaundice, measles, fever and diseases of the lungs.

29. What is a penicillin?

Answer: A group of antibiotics that is obtained from Penicillium, a fungus and used for
controlling the infections that are caused by bacteria like Staphylococci, Clostridia,
Streptococci, and so on are called Penicillin. Medicines that have penicillin in it are useful to
treat a few bacterial infections of the ear, nose, throat and skin along with diseases such as
scarlet fever and pneumonia.

30. What are the precautions before taking antibiotics?

Answer: Given below are the precautions to follow before taking antibiotics:

 Take the antibiotics or purchase it only if it has been prescribed by the doctor
 Avoid taking antibiotics on your own for common diseases such as throat infection, cold,
influenza and so on
 Continue taking the antibiotics for the prescribed time period, even if the illness has been cured
before the antibiotics are over
 Never give suggestions to other people on which antibiotic to use

31. Who discovered the life saving antibiotics, penicillin?

Answer: A professor of Microbiology at St Mary’s Hospital, Alexander Fleming, on 3

September 1928, made an interesting observation in one of the Petri dishes in his laboratory,
which on further study led to the first accidental discovery of penicillin.

32. How do ants, wasps and other insects obtain food?

Answer: Ants grow fungi in their anthill or termitarium, from which they obtain food, while
a few species of other insects and wasps lay their eggs in the fungal bodies developing on
trees, so as to ensure a food for their larvae.

33. What is the reason that gunny bags, leather items like shoes, purses, belts, etc. on
which fungi have grown do not last long and even wooden items also get spoilt?
Answer: In the presence of sufficient moisture, the microscopic spores of fungi found in the
air germinate on gunny bags, wooden items, cotton fabric, leather and so on. The fibres of the
fungus (fungal hyphae) dig deep into the material to obtain nutrition and to reproduce. Hence,
the gunny bags and leather items become weak and do not last long and even wooden items
get spoilt fast.

34. Sometimes, you may notice a black powder or white discs floating on the pickle or
murabba, when a jar is opened after a long time. What exactly is this? Why are such
food items not good to eat?

Answer: There are many species of fungi that are found on food items such as
murabba,sauce, pickles, chutney, jam and so on, which make use of the nutrients in these
food items to develop and reproduce. In the process of this activity, these fugi release certain
poisonous chemicals known as mycotoxins, into the food. Hence, the food becomes
poisonous so the food items on which fungi have developed are not to be eaten.

35. What is Clostridium?

Answer: Clostridium is the rod-shaped bacteria that spoils the cooked food. They generate
bottle-shaped endospores in adverse conditions. Meanwhile, these bacteria cannot withstand
the normal oxygen level of the air as they grow in anaerobic conditions.

36. Do only the Clostridium bacteria cause illness ?

Answer: No. There are also other kinds of micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses,
protozoa and fungi, which caused various diseases that have affected humans.

37. Who found the cause for food poisoning?

Answer: Earlier, belief was that some bacteria of the bacillus type caused the meat to get
spoiled, even if the exact type of bacillus was not identified. However, it was Van Ermengem
who proved that the anaerobic bacterium, Clostridium botulinum was the main cause for food
poisoning.

38. What was the case of Swine flu or Bird flu? What are the preventive measures to be
taken?

Answer: The mode of infection for these virus prone diseases Swine flu or Bird flu is contact
with infected birds and animals. Personal hygiene and properly cooked meat are some of the
preventive measures to be taken as a precaution against the infection.

39. What is the cause of malaria? How to prevent it?

Answer: The main mode of infection for this bacterial disease malaria, is the mosquito bite
and unclean surroundings. Main steps that need to be taken to prevent this is to keep the
surroundings clean, prevent stagnation of water and to control mosquitoes.

40. How is pneumonia spread? Preventive measures to take.

Answers: The main mode of infection for the bacterial infection, pneumonia is from the
droplets spread in air by the infected person. Some of the preventive measures to be taken
include vaccination and avoiding contact with the infected person.