Microbes in Human Welfare by C Juliet Buela

1.Microbes in household products

julietbuelac — 2024-06-03 05:34:54 UTC

Gnaanapoorni K Akshitha

3.Microbes in Sewage treatment

julietbuelac — 2024-06-03 05:39:24 UTC

Lekana and sandhiya

Sewage is treated in sewage treatment plants to make it less polluting.

Treatment of waste water is done by the heterotrophic microbes naturally present in the sewage.

The anaerobic form of bacteria is regularly used to treat sewage water. They are essentially used to produce methane from the slurry of waste substances and products. Microbes in sewage treatment generally facilitate the production of substances or gases that can be put to better use in the future.

Majorly, four methods of sewage water treatment are followed – physical, biological, chemical, and sludge water treatment. By following these methods, the wastewater is disinfected from all the sewage materials and converted into treated water that is safe for both human usage and the environment

5.Microbes as Bio-control agent

julietbuelac — 2024-06-03 05:39:48 UTC

It is a natural method to control weeds, pests, insects, and other living organisms that affect growth. It is used to increase crop yield and production.
To approach the biological control process, one must know about pest management and its life cycle. For example, spraying BT solution made from seeds on the plant will kill the butterfly caterpillars. The dried seeds expel toxins from the intestines of worms and kill them.
Different biological control agents
1. Fungi
2. Predators
3. Bacteria
4. Virus
5. Parasitoids
  
  • Bacillus thuringiensis which is often referred to as Bt is a microbial biocontrol agent.
These bacteria attack cotton bollworm insects by creating a poison that kills the insect larvae when the toxins are released in their intestines.
B. Thuringiensis is used to decrease the number of insect pests that harm plants.

4. Microbes in Biogas production

julietbuelac — 2024-06-03 05:40:04 UTC

Microbes used in the treatment of sewage, particularly the anaerobic bacteria, helps in the production of methane, which is biogas. The production of biogas is important since it can be used as a potential energy source as it is a sustainable and renewable energy resource. Hence, microbes in biogas production play a pivotal role in facilitating the production of environmentally beneficial residue or products.

6.Microbes as biofertilizers

julietbuelac — 2024-06-03 05:43:11 UTC

Microbes as Biofertilizers:

Biofertilizers are organisms that enrich the nutrient quality of the soil.
E.g.: bacteria, fungi, cyanobacteria etc.
Rhizobium (symbiotic bacteria in root nodules of leguminous plants) fix atmospheric N_2.
Free- living bacteria in the soil (E.g. Azospirillum and Azotobacter) enrich the nitrogen content of the soil.

Mycorrhiza:

Symbiotic association of fungi (E.g. Glomus) with plant. the fungus gets food from the plant.
the fungal symbiont performs the following:
- absorb phosphorous from soil and passes it to the plant.
- Give resistance to root-borne pathogens and tolerance to salinity and draught.
- Give overall increase in plant growth and development.

Cyanobacteria (Blue green algae):

Autotropic microbes.
They fix atmospheric nitrogen.
E.g. Anabaena, Nostoc, Oscillatoria etc.
In paddy fields, Cyanobacteria serve as biofertilizers. it also adds organic matter to the soil and increases its fertility.

julietbuelac — 2024-06-03 05:55:43 UTC

1.Microbes in household products

2024-06-03 06:00:35 UTC

Shriya Meha

The common products obtained by the use of microbes are curd, dough, toddy, cheese, etc.
(i) Curd is formed by adding bacteria such as Lactobacillus and others, commonly called as Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) in milk.
(a) A small amount of curd is added to the fresh milk as starter, which contain millions of LAB.
(b) LAB at suitable temperature multiply and convert milk into curd, which also improves nutritional quality by increasing vitamin-B₁₂.
(c) During growth, LAB produce acids that coagulate and partially digest the milk proteins.
(d) LAB also checks disease causing microbes in the stomach.

(ii) Dough is formed by fermentation caused by bacteria.
(a) Dough used to make bread, is fermented using baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).
(b) Carbon dioxide released during the process of fermentation gives the fluffy appearance to dough.
(c) Dough is also used to make foods like idli, dosa.

(iii) Toddy is a traditional drink of Southern India. It is made by fermentation of sap
from palm trees by bacteria.

(iv) Cheese is made by partial degradation of milk using different microbes.
(a) Swiss cheese is made by a bacterium Propionibacterium shermanii.
(b) Roquefort cheese is made by ripening with the fungi, Penicillium roqueforti to obtain a specific flavour.

(v) Microbes are also used to ferment fish, soybean and bamboo shoots to make food.

Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB)

2024-06-03 06:03:18 UTC

The LAB produce acid which coagulate and partially digest the milk proteins. The inoculum which is curd is slightly put to the milk which has billions of LAB contains nutritional vitamin like B12 which increase the RBC count

Meha SY and Shriya A

Microbes in Industrial Uses Sadhana and Kethra

2024-06-03 06:07:48 UTC

Microbes are mainly used in production of beverages antibiotics and chemical fertilizers. The beverages like wine, beer, rum are prepared by Saccharomyces Cervisiae. This brewers yeast also used in production of fermented cereals and fruit juices. Wine and beer is without distillation and whisky and rum are prepared by distillation .

Microbes as antibiotic. Sadhana and Kethra

2024-06-04 05:26:47 UTC

Microbes are also used in manufacturing antibiotics. The first antibiotic to be discovered is Penicillin. During the research of Staphylococci, Fleming noticed mould in unwashed plate and named it as Penicillin Notatum. Later it was established by Ernst chain and Howard Florey as effective antibiotic.