CHAPTER-2

MICROORGANISM: FRIEND OR FOE

Microorganisms are the tiny living organisms which we cannot see with our naked eyes.

They can be observed with the help of microscope.

Microorganisms can be single-celled (Unicellular) as in Bacteria, some Algae and Protozoa or they can be made up of
more than one cell (multicellular) such as Algae and Fungi

Division of Microorganism

Microorganism

Bacteria-
Microorganism which
have cell wall, do not
Viruses- have proper nucleus Protozoa-
and may or may not Fungi-
these are produce their own they are single celled Algae-
microorganism which they are single celled organisms with proper these are organisms
food. organisms which can
can reproduce only nucleus and may or (plants) which have
inside the cells of Some of these are become multicellular may not produce their
useful for human cell wall, contain
other organisms. and feed on dead and own food. pigments and can
needs as in making decaying matters.
They cause disease Curd, Baking bread, Fungi can be used as Some protozoan are make their own food.
such as Polio, obtaining medicines, great importance to They do not have
food like Mushroom, proper roots, stem or
Chickenpox, HIV- ..etc. Some bacteria for obtaining human because some
AIDS, Common cold, also cause diseases of them cause diseases leaves.
antibiotics,... etc.
etc. such as Tuberculosis, like Malaria,
Cholera, Typhoid,..
etc
WHERE DO MICROORGANISMS LIVE?

• Microorgansma can be found in the soil, water, air, inside and outside the body of plants and animals.
• They are found even in the harsh conditions of environment such as hot springs, great depth of the ocean, in ice
cold climate, marshy lands and in deserts.
• Some microorganisms live freely on their own or in colonies while, some live on other organisms.

MICROORGANISMS AND US

Microrganisms can be categorized as

(a) Useful Microorganisms

(b) Harmful microorganisms

 Making of Bread and Bread.
Lactobacillus multiplies in milk and convert it into curd.
Yeast in bread dough reproduces rapidly and produces carbon dioxide bubbles which
fill the dough and increase the volume.

Commercial use of Microorganisms

Yeast is used in large scale production of Alcohol, Wine and Vinegar (Acetic Acid)
Note: The process of conversion of sugar into alcohol using yeast is known as
fermentation
USEFUL MICROORGANISMS

Medicinal use of Microorganisms

Antibiotics are chemical substances obtained from bacteria and fungi which restrict
the growth of other microrganisms.
Some commonly used antibiotics are Penicillin, Streptomycin, Tetracycline and
Erythromycin.
Vaccines are dead or weakened microbes which are introduced in a healthy body so
that the body can produce suitable antibodies to fight and kill them.
Vaccines are used against diseases like Cholera, Tuberculosis, Small pox and
Hepatitis

For Soil Fertility

Some bacteria and blue-green algae are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen and
increase soil fertility. This helps in the increase yield of crops.

For Cleaning the Environment

Wastes from animals and plants are decomposed by the microbes into their simpler
inorganic forms. This way microbes clean the harmful substances and wastes from
the environment.
 -Disease causing microorganisms are called pathogens. These
pathogens cause diseases to human beings, animals and plants
-Some of the microbes can spoil food, clothes and leather products

Diseases in human beings

Many pathogens enter our body through the air we breath in, the
water we drink and the food we eat.
Some pathogens can also be transmitted into our body by direct
contact with an infected person or from animals which carry them.
HARMFUL MICROORGANISMS

Microbial diseases which can spread from an infected person to a

healthy person through air, water, food or by physical contact are
communicable diseases

Diseases in Animals
Dangerous diseases in animals such as Anthrax caused by bacterium
and Foot and mouth disease of cattle by virus.

Diseases in plants
Several microbes causes diseases in plants like wheat, rice, potato,
sugarcane, orange, apple and others and reduce the yield of crops.
These microbes can be controlled by the use certain chemicals.

Food Poisoning
Microorganisms that grow on our food sometimes produce toxic
substances. These make the food poisonous which cause serious
illness and even death.
Short Article on Covid-19(corona virus)

Food preservation:

Microorganisms grow on our food and they spoil our food. The spoiled food emits foul smell and has bad taste and
change colour. It is not fit for consumption

Many of our food items can be preserved by preventing the growth of microbes on them. This process is called food
preservation.

Most common methods of Food preservation are

 1. Chemical 2. Preservation 3. Preservation 4. Preservation 5. Heat and Cold
method by common by Sugar by Oil and Treatment
• Salts and Salt • Sugar reduces Vinegar . Boiling of milk
edible oils are • Common salt the moisture • Oil and kill the
added to is used to content and vinegar do microorganisms.
pickleso cover fish and inhibits the not low the - Keeping the
prevent attack meat to check growth of growth of food items in low
of microbes. the growth of bacteria bacteria. temperature such
• Sodium bacteria. • jam, jellies • Vegetables, as refrigerator
benzoate and • Salting is also and squashes fruits, Fish inhibits the
Sodium used in are preserved and meat are growth of
Metabisulphit preserving by sugar. often microorganisms
e are common Amla, raw preserved by
preservatives mango, this method.
used in tamarind, etc.
pickles.

Note: Pasteurization is process of heating the milk at about 70ᵒ C for 15 to 30 seconds and then suddenly chilling and
storing it. It inhibits the growth of microorganisms in the milk.

This process was discovered by Louis Pasteur.

NITROGEN FIXATION

• Nitrogen is present in the atmosphere in high amount, which is about 78% of the earth’s atmosphere.
• Nitrogen is essential for all living organisms as a part of proteins, chlorophyll in plants, nucleic acids (DNA &
RNA) and vitamins.
• Since atmospheric nitrogen cannot be taken directly by plants and animals, it gets fixed naturally by certain
bacteria, lightning and also by industrial fixation.
(The gas present in chips packets is nitrogen which comes from industrial fixation)
• The bacterium Rhizobium lives in the root nodules of leguminous plants such as peas and beans and fixes
nitrogen. These types of bacteria are called nitrogen fixing bacteria.
• Some blue-green algae present in the soil also fix nitrogen into compounds of nitrogen.
• The usable nitrogen compounds are then utilized by plants for the synthesis of plant proteins and other
compounds.
• Animals feeding on the plants get these proteins and other nitrogen compounds.
• When animals and plants die, bacteria and fungi present in the soil convert the nitrogenous wastes into
nitrogenous compounds to be used by the plants again.
• Certain bacteria convert some of the nitrogenous wastes to nitrogen gas back into the atmosphere. This is why the
amount of nitrogen in the atmosphere remains more or less constant.
NOTE:
DNA-Deoxyribose nucleic acid
RNA-Ribonucleic acid
 These are two genetic materials present inside living cell.
QUESTIONS
1. Fill in the blanks:
a. ______________ is a bacterium which promotes formation of curd.
b. Blue-green algae fix _____________ directly from air to enhance soil fertility.
c. Alcohol is produced with the help of _____________.
d. Animals which transfer pathogens are called__________
e. Malaria is caused by a microbe _____________ and is carried by _____________ mosquito.
f. Anthrax disease is caused by bacterium _________ _____________and was discovered by
________________.
g. Covid-19 is caused by ________________
h. The bread or idli dough rises because of __________
2. What are antibiotics? Name two common antibiotics
3. What precautions must be followed while taking antibiotics?
4. What are the major types of microorganisms?
5. Write five points on usefulness and five points on harmfulness caused by microorganisms.
6. Identify the type of microorganism which cause the following diseases:
Tuberculosis, Malaria, Chicken pox, Cholera, Hapatitis, Measles, Ringworm, Influenza, Rust of wheat and Citrus
Canker
7. Name the person who discovered the following:
a. Fermentation
b. Penicillin
c. Vaccine for small pox
d. Bacterium that causes Anthrax
e. Pasteurization.