26-05-2017, 12:48 PM
microorganisms friend and foe wikipedia the free encyclopedia
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microorganisms friend and foe wikipedia the free encyclopedia
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microorganisms friend and foe wikipedia the free encyclopedia
27-05-2017, 10:17 AM
An organism that is too small to be seen by the unaided eye, especially a unicellular organism, like a bacterium, is called a microorganism. Microorganisms are classified into four main groups. These groups are bacteria, fungi, protozoa and some algae. Viruses are also microscopic. However, they reproduce only within the cells of the host organism, which may be a bacterium, plant or animal.
They can survive under all types of environment, ranging from cold ice to hot springs and deserts to marshlands. They are also found inside the bodies of animals, including humans. Some microorganisms grow in other organisms while others exist freely. Microorganisms such as amoeba can live on their own, while fungi and bacteria can live in colonies.
Microorganisms play an important role in our lives. Some of them are beneficial in many ways, while others are harmful and cause illness.
Medicinal use of microorganisms
Every time we get sick, the doctor can give us some antibiotic tablets, capsules or injections like penicillin. The source of these drugs are microorganisms. These drugs kill or stop the growth of the microorganisms that cause the disease. These medications are called antibiotics. These days a number of antibiotics are being produced from bacteria and fungi. Streptomycin, tetracycline and erythromycin are some of the commonly known antibiotics that are made from fungi and bacteria. Antibiotics are manufactured by culturing specific microorganisms and are used to cure a variety of diseases. Antibiotics are mixed even with feeding cattle and poultry to control microbial infection in animals. They are also used to control many plant diseases.
Vaccine
When a disease-bearing microbe enters our body, the body produces antibodies to fight the invader. The body also remembers how to fight the microbe if it re-enters. Therefore, if dead or weakened microbes are introduced into a healthy body, the body will fight and kill them by producing adequate antibodies. The antibodies remain in the body and we are protected from the disease causing microbes. This is how a vaccine works. Several diseases, including cholera, tuberculosis, smallpox and hepatitis, can be prevented by vaccination.
Increased soil fertility
Some bacteria and blue green algae are able to fix the nitrogen in the atmosphere to enrich the soil with nitrogen and increase its fertility. These microbes are commonly referred to as biological nitrogen fixers.
Diners:
Some microorganisms live inside our body. They help in certain functions of our bdoy systems. For example, some bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract help in digestion. These types of organisms that reside in our body and are beneficial are also called diners. Apart from them certain foods like curd, they contain beneficial bacteria.
It can be understood in the following video:
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