1
: Microbes in Human Welfare:
Microbes in Human Welfare:
Microbes are the major components of biological systems on this earth, which mainly present
everywhere like soil, water, air, inside our bodies, other animals & plants.
❑ Microbes are diverse- protozoa, bacteria, fungi and microscopic plants viruses,
viroids and prions are proteinaceous infectious agents.
Microbes like bacteria & many fungi can be grown on nutritive media to form colonies that can
be seen with the naked eyes.
Microbes in Household Products: -
There are several examples in our daily life in which the microbes are involved-
01. Production of curd from milk:
Microorganism like lactobacillus & other called as Lactic acid Bacteria (LAB), added to milk
produce acids. These acids coagulate & partially digest the milk proteins.
- A starter is added to the milk in form of small amount of curd, it possesses millions of
LAB in it which multiply at favorable temperature & convert milk in curd.
02. The dough is used for making foods such as dossa and idli is fermented by bacteria. The
puffed-up appearance of dough is due to the production of CO2 gas. The dough, which is
used for making bread, is fermented by using baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces
Cerevisiae).
03. “Toddy”, a traditional drink of some parts of southern India is made by fermenting sap
from palms.
04. Cheese, one of the oldest foods in which microbes were used. The large holes in ‘Swiss
cheese’ are due to production of a large amount of CO2 by a bacterium named
Propionibacterium sharmanii.
The ‘Roquefort cheese’ is ripened by growing a specific fungus on them for a particular
flavor.
Rahul Pals | BIOLOGY NOTES
, 2
: Microbes in Human Welfare:
Microbes in Industrial Production:
“Production on an industrial scale requires growing microbes in very large vessels called
Fermentors.”
- There are valuable products like beverages, antibiotics are produced in industrial on
a large scale.
01). Fermented Beverages: - Various beverages prepared by the action of microbes specially
yeast. Example: Wine, beer, rum, brandy & whisky etc.
Wine and beer are prepared without distillation, rum, brandy & whisky are produced with
distillation.
- Brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae)- Same that used for making bread
ferment malted cereals & fruits juices to produced ethanol.
02). Antibiotics: - The chemicals produced by microbes & kill the growth of other pathogens.
Penicillin: discovered by ‘Alexander Fleming’, it was the 1st antibiotics to be discovered.
❑. Discovery of Penicillin: -
Alexander Fleming observed that Staphylococci Bacteria was unable to grow around the
should that has grown in one of his unwashed culture plates. He later on found that it was
because of chemical produced by the fungus. He gave the term penicillin to the chemical after
the mould Penicillin Notatum.
- In World war II penicillin was extensively used to treat the wounded American
soldiers.
- In 1945, Fleming, Chain & Florey was awarded Nobel Prize for their contribution.
Microbes Product Use of Product
Aspergillus Niger (Fungus) Citric Acid Industrial use
Acetobacter aceti (bacterium) Acetic acid Industrial use
Clostridium butylicum (bacterium) Butyric acid Industrial use
Lactobacillus (bacterium) Lactic acid Industrial use
Streptococcus (bacterium) Streptokinase Used as clot buster for removal of blood
clots.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast fungus) alcohol Alcoholic beverages
Microbes also used for the production of enzymes: -
01). Lipase: commercially used in detergents laundry to remove oily stains from the clothes.
02). Pectinase & Proteases: These enzymes are utilized for making the bottles fruits juices
clearer in comparison to homemade fruit juices.
Rahul Pals | BIOLOGY NOTES
: Microbes in Human Welfare:
Microbes in Human Welfare:
Microbes are the major components of biological systems on this earth, which mainly present
everywhere like soil, water, air, inside our bodies, other animals & plants.
❑ Microbes are diverse- protozoa, bacteria, fungi and microscopic plants viruses,
viroids and prions are proteinaceous infectious agents.
Microbes like bacteria & many fungi can be grown on nutritive media to form colonies that can
be seen with the naked eyes.
Microbes in Household Products: -
There are several examples in our daily life in which the microbes are involved-
01. Production of curd from milk:
Microorganism like lactobacillus & other called as Lactic acid Bacteria (LAB), added to milk
produce acids. These acids coagulate & partially digest the milk proteins.
- A starter is added to the milk in form of small amount of curd, it possesses millions of
LAB in it which multiply at favorable temperature & convert milk in curd.
02. The dough is used for making foods such as dossa and idli is fermented by bacteria. The
puffed-up appearance of dough is due to the production of CO2 gas. The dough, which is
used for making bread, is fermented by using baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces
Cerevisiae).
03. “Toddy”, a traditional drink of some parts of southern India is made by fermenting sap
from palms.
04. Cheese, one of the oldest foods in which microbes were used. The large holes in ‘Swiss
cheese’ are due to production of a large amount of CO2 by a bacterium named
Propionibacterium sharmanii.
The ‘Roquefort cheese’ is ripened by growing a specific fungus on them for a particular
flavor.
Rahul Pals | BIOLOGY NOTES
, 2
: Microbes in Human Welfare:
Microbes in Industrial Production:
“Production on an industrial scale requires growing microbes in very large vessels called
Fermentors.”
- There are valuable products like beverages, antibiotics are produced in industrial on
a large scale.
01). Fermented Beverages: - Various beverages prepared by the action of microbes specially
yeast. Example: Wine, beer, rum, brandy & whisky etc.
Wine and beer are prepared without distillation, rum, brandy & whisky are produced with
distillation.
- Brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae)- Same that used for making bread
ferment malted cereals & fruits juices to produced ethanol.
02). Antibiotics: - The chemicals produced by microbes & kill the growth of other pathogens.
Penicillin: discovered by ‘Alexander Fleming’, it was the 1st antibiotics to be discovered.
❑. Discovery of Penicillin: -
Alexander Fleming observed that Staphylococci Bacteria was unable to grow around the
should that has grown in one of his unwashed culture plates. He later on found that it was
because of chemical produced by the fungus. He gave the term penicillin to the chemical after
the mould Penicillin Notatum.
- In World war II penicillin was extensively used to treat the wounded American
soldiers.
- In 1945, Fleming, Chain & Florey was awarded Nobel Prize for their contribution.
Microbes Product Use of Product
Aspergillus Niger (Fungus) Citric Acid Industrial use
Acetobacter aceti (bacterium) Acetic acid Industrial use
Clostridium butylicum (bacterium) Butyric acid Industrial use
Lactobacillus (bacterium) Lactic acid Industrial use
Streptococcus (bacterium) Streptokinase Used as clot buster for removal of blood
clots.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast fungus) alcohol Alcoholic beverages
Microbes also used for the production of enzymes: -
01). Lipase: commercially used in detergents laundry to remove oily stains from the clothes.
02). Pectinase & Proteases: These enzymes are utilized for making the bottles fruits juices
clearer in comparison to homemade fruit juices.
Rahul Pals | BIOLOGY NOTES
