K S N SECONDARY SCHOOL, THIRUVANMIYUR

MICRO ORGANISMS: FRIEND AND FOE

1. What are Microbes?

Microbes or microorganisms are tiny organisms which are so small that we cannot see them with an
unaided eye. Some microorganisms can be seen with the help of a magnifying glass (such as fungus
that grows on bread) while some can only be seen when you use a microscope (such as bacteria and
protozoa). Microorganism were first observed by Anton Van Leeuwenhoek.

2. What are the types of microorganisms? Explain.

There are four major types of microorganisms:

 Bacteria: These are single-celled organisms with a rigid cell wall. They can only be seen under a
microscope which enlarges images from 100 to 1000 times.
 Fungi: These are non-green plants and hence, cannot make their own food. They either live as
parasites (deriving nutrition from host organisms, for example, Puccinia which causes wheat leaf
rust) or grow on the organic matter (such as bread mould).

 Algae : These are simple plant- like organisms which are usually aquatic in nature. They contain
a cell wall and chlorophyll and can make their own food by photosynthesis.Algae can be
unicellular or multicellular. Some of the common examples are diatoms, Chlamydomonas, and
seaweed.
 Protozoa: Protozoa are unicellular are organisms. Some of them live independently while others
live as parasites. Many of the parasitic protozoans cause diseases in plants, domestic animals,
and human beings. Example of some protozoans are Amoeba, Plasmodium and Paramecium
3. How are Viruses different from other microbes?
 Viruses are microscopic organisms but they are different from other microbes because they
reproduce only inside the cells of the host organism (which can be a plant, animal, or a bacterium).

4. Where do Microorganisms Live?

Microbes can survive in all kinds of environments – from icy cold climates to hot springs (any kind of
temperature); and deserts to marshy lands (any humidity level). Some live independently while
others live as parasites – inside the bodies of other organisms (including animals and human beings).

5. How are bacteria useful to us?

Bacteria are helpful because:

 It decomposes organic wastes (such as vegetable peels, animal remains, and faeces etc.).
 It is used in the preparation of medicines.
 It increases soil fertility by fixing nitrogen.
 It is used in the setting of curd and making cheese, pickles, and other food items.

6. How is yeast useful to us?

 Yeast is used in the baking industry (to make bread, pastries, and cakes) because it helps in
fermentation. It reproduces rapidly and produces carbon dioxide during respiration. Bubbles of
the carbon-dioxide gas it produces fill the spaces in the dough and increases its volume.
 It is also used in the commercial production of alcohol and wine which is done by growing yeast
on natural sugars present in fruit juices and grains like rice, wheat, and barley.

7. What are Antibiotics? What are their uses?

 Antibiotics are medicines that can kill or stop the growth of disease-causing microorganisms. For
Example, Penicillin.

Antibiotics are used to:

 Cure a variety of diseases (such as streptomycin, erythromycin, and tetracycline that are made
from bacteria and fungi),
 Cure microbial infection in animals (by mixing antibiotics with the feed of livestock and poultry),
and
  Control several plant diseases.

8. What precautions should be followed while taking antibiotics and why?

 Antibiotics should be taken only on the advice of the doctor, and one must complete the course
the doctor prescribes.
 Antibiotics taken in wrong doses may make the body resistant to the drug and it may not be
effective in the future. Moreover, antibiotics may also kill the beneficial bacteria in the body.
 Antibiotics cannot cure cold and flu caused by viruses.
9. Define the following:
 Pathogens : Disease-causing microbes are called Pathogens.
 Antibodies : Antibodies are substances our body produces to fight disease-causing
microbes.
 Vaccines : Vaccines are weakened or dead disease-causing microbes that are
injected in our body to trigger the production of antibodies. These antibodies remain in the
body for a long time to protect it against any attack of disease-causing microbes.
 Vaccination : The process of protecting the body from pathogens with the help of
vaccines is called Vaccination.
 Communicable Diseases: These are microbial diseases (diseases caused by microbes) that
spread from one infected person to a healthy person through air, water, food or physical
contact, such as cholera, chicken pox, common cold and tuberculosis.
 Carriers : Insects and animals that carry disease-causing microbes and transfer
them from one place to other are called carriers or vectors, such as house flies and mosquitoes.

10. Name some of the diseases which can be prevented by vaccines

Some of the diseases that can be prevented by vaccination are:

 Cholera,
 Hepatitis,
 Smallpox, and
 Tuberculosis.

11. How do microbes clean up the environment?

Microbes or microorganisms decompose organic waste and dead remains of plants and animals and
convert them into simpler substances (which can again be used by other plants and animals) by the
process of biodegradation. Thus, they help us in getting rid of harmful and smelly substances and
clean up the environment.
12. How do houseflies transfer pathogens?

A housefly may sit on the garbage and animal excreta and the pathogens stick to their body. When
they sit on uncovered food, these pathogens get transferred to the food. When someone eats this
contaminated food, he or she may fall sick.

To avoid this, we must keep the food covered.

13. How to prevent diseases that spread through air or contact?

To prevent diseases that spread through the air, keep the patient in complete isolation and keep his
or her personal belongings away from others. Vaccination at the suitable age can prevent the onset
of tuberculosis, chicken pox, polio, and measles.

14. How to prevent diseases that spread through water or food?

 To prevent the spread of polio, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis A, vaccination is effective. One
should also maintain personal hygiene and good sanitary habits and drink boiled drinking water.
 One should also eat properly cooked food to avoid diseases like cholera.

15. How to prevent diseases that spread through mosquitoes?

 We can stop the spreading of diseases caused by mosquitoes (such as malaria and dengue) by
not allowing the mosquitoes to breed. We should keep our surroundings clean and dry, and not
let water collect anywhere - in coolers, tyres, and flower pots etc.
 We should also spray insecticides and use mosquito repellents and mosquito nets to protect
ourselves from mosquito bites.

16. What are the diseases Caused by Microorganisms in Animals?

 Anthrax: A dangerous disease that affects human and cattle is caused by a bacterium
called Bacillus Anthracis.
 Foot and mouth disease in Cattle: It is caused by a virus called Foot-and-mouth-disease
Virus (FMDV) or Picornavirus.
17. What are the diseases Caused by Microorganisms in Plants?

 Microorganisms can cause diseases in plants and reduce crop yield.

  The plants can be protected by using chemicals that kill these microbes.

Common Diseases in Plants caused by Microbes are:

 Citrus Canker is caused by Bacteria and spreads through Air.
 Rust of Wheat is caused by Fungi and spreads through Air or Seeds.
 Yellow Vein Mosaic of Okra (Bhindi) is caused by Virus and spreads through Insects.
18. Why do we need to preserve food?

We need to preserve food because microorganisms that grow on food can sometimes produce toxic
substances which are poisonous to us. If we consume this spoilt food, we can become seriously ill or die.
Hence, we need to preserve food from being spoilt.

19. Explain the process of Nitrogen Cycle.

 Nitrogen Fixation: Atmospheric nitrogen is converted by lightning or certain bacteria
like Rhizobium, Azotobacter and blue-green algae (present in soil) into compounds usable by
plants.
 Nitrification: Ammonia conversion into nitrites by Nitrosomonas and further conversion of
nitrites into nitrates by Nitrobacter. Plants take up nitrogen in form of ammonia or nitrates.
 Assimilation: Roots of plants absorb these nitrogenous compounds from soils and plants use
them to synthesize proteins and other compounds.
 Animals feeding on plants get these proteins and nitrogen compounds.
 Ammonification: When plants and animals die, bacteria and fungi present in the soil convert
the nitrogenous wastes into compounds that can be used by plants again.

Denitrification: Nitrates can be converted into nitrogen gas which is released back in the atmosphere by
certain bacteria. E.g. Pseudomonas. Hence, atmospheric nitrogen remains constant.