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Today we will be exploring deep about microbes in biology section. So let's dive in.

Besides Macroscopic plants and animals. microbes are the major components of biological systems on this earth. Microbes are present everywhere -in soil, water, air, inside our bodies and that of other animals and plants.

<h2 id="content-id-1924-0">Microbes in household products</h2>

<table cellspacing="0" class="Table" style="border-collapse:collapse; border:none; margin-left:17px">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Microbes
			</td>
			<td>
			Types
			</td>
			<td>
			Production
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Aspergillus niger
			</td>
			<td>
			Fungus
			</td>
			<td>
			Citric acid
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Acetobacter aceti
			</td>
			<td>
			Bacterium
			</td>
			<td>
			Acetic acid
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Clostridium butylicum
			</td>
			<td>
			Bacterium
			</td>
			<td>
			Butyric acid
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Saccharomyces cerevisiae
			</td>
			<td>
			Yeast
			</td>
			<td>
			Bread
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

Lactobacillus can convert milk into curd:

<ol>
	<li>It partially digests the milk proteins.</li>
	<li>Small amount of milk is added as inoculum.</li>
	<li>It increases quality of vitamin B12</li>
</ol>

The puffed up appearance of dough is due to production of CO2 gas by fermented bacteria. Roquefort cheeses are ripened by growing a specific fungus on them which gives them a particular flavor.

<h2 id="content-id-1924-1">Microbes in Industrial products</h2>

Microbes, especially yeasts, have been used for the production of beverages like wine, beer, whisky, brandy or rum. The same yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae used for bread-making and commonly called brewer’s yeast, is used for fermenting malted cereals and fruit juices, to produce ethanol.

<h2 id="content-id-1924-2">Microbes in Antibiotics</h2>

Antibiotics are chemical substances, which are produced by some microbes and can kill or retard the growth of other (disease-causing) microbes. Alexander Fleming, while working on Staphylococci bacteria, once observed a mold growing in one of his unwashed culture plates around which Staphylococci could not grow. He found out that it was due to a chemical produced by the mold and he named it Penicillin after the mold Penicillium notatum.

Note: However, its full potential as an effective antibiotic was established much later by Ernest Chain and Howard Florey.

<h2 id="content-id-1924-3">Microbes in chemical enzymes</h2>

<table cellspacing="0" class="Table" style="border-collapse:collapse; border:none">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Microbes
			</td>
			<td>
			Uses
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Lactobacillus
			</td>
			<td>
			In the formation of curd from milk
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Saccharomyces cerevisiae
			</td>
			<td>
			In forming of yeast
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Fermenting microbes
			</td>
			<td>
			In formation of 'toddy'
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Propionibacteriu m shermanii
			</td>
			<td>
			Large holes in swiss cheese
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

Microbes are also used for production of enzymes For e.g.

<ol>
	<li>Lipases are used in detergent formulations and are helpful in removing oily stains from the laundry.</li>
	<li>the bottled juices are clarified by the use of pectinases and proteases.</li>
	<li>Streptokinase produced by the bacterium Streptococcus and modified by genetic engineering is used as a ‘clot buster’ for removing clots from the blood vessels of patients .</li>
</ol>

<table cellspacing="0" class="Table" style="border-collapse:collapse; border:none; margin-left:12px">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Microbes
			</td>
			<td>
			Types
			</td>
			<td>
			Function
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			CyclosporinA
			</td>
			<td>
			Trichoderma polysporum
			</td>
			<td>
			Immuno suppressive agent
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Statins
			</td>
			<td>
			Yeast (monascus)
			</td>
			<td>
			Blood-cholesterol lowering agents
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			Streptococcus
			</td>
			<td>
			Bacterium
			</td>
			<td>
			Clot buster
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2 id="content-id-1924-4">Microbes in Sewage treatment</h2>

Sewage is treated in sewage treatment plants (STPs). There are basically two types of treatment:

<ol>
	<li>Primary Treatment: These treatment steps basically involve physical removal of particles large and small-from the sewage through filtration and sedimentation.</li>
	<li>Secondary treatment or Biological treatment: The effluent from the primary settling tank is taken for secondary treatment. It is passed into large aeration tanks where it is constantly agitated mechanically and air is pumped into it. This allows vigorous growth of useful acroble microbes into flocs.</li>
</ol>

While growing, these microbes consume the major part of the organic matter in the effluent. This significantly reduces the BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) of the effluent. BOD refers to the amount of the oxygen that would be consumed if all the organic matter in one liter of water were oxidized by bacteria. The sewage water is treated till the BOD is reduced. The BOD test measures the rate of uptake of oxygen by microorganisms in a sample of water.

<h2 id="content-id-1924-5">Microbes in production of biogas</h2>

Biogas is a mixture of gases (containing predominantly methane) produced by microbial activity. Biogas may be used as fuel. Certain bacteria, which grow anaerobically on cellulosic material, produce large amounts of methane along with CO, and H. These bacteria are collectively called methanogens, an example is Methanobacterium. These bacteria are commonly found in the anaerobic sludge during sewage treatment. These bacteria are also present in the rumen la part of stomach of cattle. A lot of cellulosic material present in the food of cattle is also present in the rumen. In rumen, these bacteria help in the breakdown of cellulose and play an important role in the nutrition of cattle. Thus, the excreta (dung) of cattle, commonly called gobar, is rich in these bacteria. Dung can be used for generation of biogas, commonly called gobar gas. The bio gas plant consists of a concrete tank (10-15 feet deep) in which bio wastes are collected and a slurry of dung is fed. The main sources of biofertilizers are bacteria, fungi and cyanobacteria. The nodules on the roots of leguminous plants formed by the symbiotic association of Rhizobium. These bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen into organic forms, which is used by the plant as a nutrient. Other bacteria can fix atmospheric nitrogen while free-living in the soil (examples Azospirillum and Azotobacter), thus enriching the nitrogen content of the soil. Fungi are also known to form symbiotic associations with plants (mycorrhiza).

By studying microbes we can see how important they are. Our daily basic needs depend on microbes and their derived products. They have a diverse function and a role to play in daily life. This was all about microbiology, stay with us for more informative blogs.

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