CHAPTER-2

Microorganisms Friend and Foe

1. Microorganisms: The living organisms which
cannot be seen with naked eye and can only be
observed through a microscope are called
microorganisms or microbes. They may be
unicellular (single celled) or multicellular (many
celled). The first scientist to describe
microorganisms was a Dutch scientist Antonie
Van Leeuwenhoek.

2. Microbiology: The science which deals with

the study of microorganisms is called
microbiology.

3. Microbiologists: The scientists who study

microorganisms are called microbiologists.
 4.Where Do Microorganisms Live:
Microorganisms are present everywhere. They are
found in air, soil and in water bodies like seas,
lakes and ponds. They are also found in dead and
decaying organisms and even inside our bodies.

5. Major Groups Of Microorganisms:

Microorganisms are found in following five major
groups. (a) Bacteria (Singular is bacterium), (b)
Viruses (singular is virus), (c) Algae (singular is
alga), (d) Fungi (Singular is fungus), (e) Protozoa
(singular is protozoan).
(1) Bacteria: Bacteria are very small and the
simplest living organisms. They can vary size
from 0.2 to 100 microns. Bacteria are found in four
different shapes:
(a) Bacilli: (rod shaped bacteria), e.g., Escherichia
coli.
(b) Cocci: (Spherical bacteria), e.g., Streptococcus
pneumoniae.
(c) Vibrio: (comma shaped bacteria), e.g., Vibrio
Cholerae.
(d) Spirilla: (Spiral shaped bacteria), e.g.,
Treponema pallidum).
The bacteria which need oxygen for growth are
called aerobic bacteria. The bacteria which survive
without oxygen are called anaerobic bacteria.
Bacteria generally reproduce by binary fission.

(2) Viruses: Viruses are smallest microorganisms.

Viruses cannot grow and reproduce on their own.
This indicates that they are non-living. When they
enter a living cell, they use the energy of the
living cell to reproduce. Viruses are said to be a
connecting link between living things and non-
living things. Some examples of viruses are vaccinia
virus, influenza virus, HIV-I virus andpolio virus.
(3) Algae: Algae is a group of simple plants means
‘sea weeds. Some are unicellular and microscopic
while others are multicellular and can be few
metres long. They have chlorophyll and they can
make their food through photosynthesis. Some
examples of algae are Chlamydomonas, Sea weeds,
Spirogyra, Volvox etc.

(4) Fungi: Fungi is a group of diverse organisms

that lack chlorophyll. Most fungi are saprophytes
(feed on dead organisms) while some are parasites
(live on other living organisms). Some examples of
fungi are Yeast, mould or Mucor, mushroom
Penicillium etc.

(5) Protozoa: Protozoa means the ‘first animal’.

They are included in separate kingdom protista.
Protozoa are either saprophytic or parasitic.
Euglena is an exception. It contains chlorophyll
and can prepare its own food. E.g., Amoeba,
Paramecium, Euglena, Trypanosoma etc.
6. Useful Microorganisms:
(1) Making of Food Items:
• Lactobacillus bacteria help to make curd from
milk.
• Cheese and paneer are also made by the action
of bacteria Lactobacillus and Streptococcus on
milk.
• Bacteria act upon tough meat and make it soft.
This process is called tenderization of meat.
• Yeast cells are used in the baking industries for
making breads, pastries and cakes.
• Yeast is also used in items like idli, dhokla and
dosa too.
(2) Commercial Use:
• Yeast is used for commercial production of
alcohol, beer, wine and acetic acid.
• Some bacteria are used in the production of tea,
coffee and tobacco.
• Some bacteria are used in the production of
certain acids like lactic acid, citric acid etc.
 (3) Medicinal Use:
A. Production of antibiotics: The medicines
produced by living organisms such as bacteria and
fungi which kill or stop the growth of the disease-
causing microorganisms (pathogens) present in
our body are called antibiotics. E.g., Streptomycin,
Tetracycline. The first antibioticwas penicillin which
was prepared by a fungus called Penicillium
notatum.
Precautions to be taken while using
antibiotics:
i. Antibiotics should be taken only on the advice
of qualified doctor.
ii. We must complete the entire course of
antibiotics prescribed by the doctor.
iii. We should not take antibiotics when not
needed or in wrong doses.
iv. Antibiotics should not be taken when we are
suffering from cold and flu.
B. Production Of Vaccines: Microorganisms are
used in the production of vaccines.
Immunity: The ability of one’s body to resist a
disease is known as immunity.
Vaccination: Immunity against a particular disease
can be developed by a technique calledvaccination.
Vaccine: A small dose of dead and weakened
disease-causing microbes used to stimulate
immune response in the body is called vaccine.
Several diseases including cholera, tuberculosis,
smallpox, tetanus, polio, hepatitis-B can be preventedby
vaccination.

(4) Increasing Soil Fertility: Rhizobium bacteria absorbs

nitrogen from atmosphere and convert it into
simple nitrogenous compounds called nitrates.
Some bacteria and blue-green algae livingin the
soil also fix atmosphere nitrogen as nitrates.These
microbes are commonly called biological nitrogen
fixers.
(5) Cleaning the Environment: The
microorganisms decompose dead organic wastes of
plants and animals by converting them into
harmless simpler substances which are restored to
the soil and increase its fertility. In this way they
help to keep the environment clean.

Harmful Microorganisms:
(1) Microorganisms cause diseases:
Disease causing microorganisms are called
pathogens.
Communicable disease: Microbial diseases thatcan
spread from an infected person to other healthy
person through air, water, food, physicalcontact or
by animals are called communicable disease. They
spread through:
a) Through the air we breathe
b) Through the water we drink
c) Through the food we eat
d) Through insects and animals
Vectors: Vectors carry the disease-causing
microbes from an infected person to a healthy
person and cause diseases. Some of the vectors are:
1. Housefly 2. Mosquito
General preventive measures against microbialdiseases:
i. Wash vegetable and fruits properly before
eating.
ii. Boil drinking water particularly when there are
chances of infection.
iii. Keep the patient in complete isolation.
iv. Maintain personal hygiene and good sanitary
habits.
v. Maintain good sanitation in the community.

Microorganisms Cause Food Poisoning:

Microorganisms that grow on our food sometimes
produce toxic substances which are harmful for
our health. The toxic substances produced by
microorganisms make the food poisonous causing
serious illness called food poisoning.
Bacteria causing food poisoning: Salmonella,
Staphylococci, Clostridium.
Fungi causing food poisoning: Aspergillus and
penicillium.

Food Preservation: The process by which spoilage

of food is prevented by using chemical orphysical
methods is called food preservation.
The most common methods used for food
preservation are as follows:
1. Chemical Method: Food can be preserved by
using certain substances Sodium Benzoate,
Citric acid etc.
2. Preservation by common salt: Amla, raw
mangoes, tamarind, etc.
3. Preservation by sugar: Jams, jellies and squashes
are preserved by sugar.
4. Preservation by oil and vinegar: Mustard oil and
vinegar(sirka) are widely used as preservatives.
5. Pasteurisation: Pasteurization is a process for
preservation of milk.
6. By cooling or Freezing: Low temperature
prevents the spoilage of food because it retards the
growth of microorganisms.
7. Canning or vacuum packing: Food items are first
heated at a high temperature and then sealed in
airtight cans. This air free packing is also called
vacuum packing.
8. Preservation by heating: Heating kills many
microorganisms and prevents the food from
spoilage.
9. By dehydration: The process of removal of water
from a substance is called dehydration.

Advantages of Food Preservation:

1. It decreases the wastage of food by avoiding
spoilage.
2. It increases the storage period of food
materials.
 3. Nutritional value of the food is retained for
a long period of time.
4. It ensures the food availability at distant
places and during the off season.

Nitrogen Cycle:
The cyclic process of nitrogen being fixed, used by
plants and animals and later returned to the
atmosphere, is referred to as the nitrogen cycle. It
involves the step- nitrogen fixation, nitrogen
assimilation, ammonification, nitrification and
denitrification.
1. Nitrogen Fixation: The conversion of free
atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogenous compounds
is known as nitrogen fixation.
2. Nitrogen Assimilation: The process of
conversion of inorganic nitrogen compounds into
organic compounds that become part of living
organisms is called nitrogen assimilation.
3. Ammonification: Conversion of dead plants and
animals in ammonium compounds called
ammonification.
4. Nitrification: The conversion of ammonia into
nitrates is called nitrification.
5. Denitrification: The conversion of nitrates into free
nitrogen gas by denitrifying bacteria is called
denitrification. (Draw the Diagram of Nitrogen Cycle
from Page 36).