Microbes in human welfare

 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙛𝙖𝙧𝙚

What first comes to mind when you think of microbes? Many people may immediately think of illnesses or infections, yet this limited perspective ignores the enormous advantages that bacteria have for human health. These minuscule organisms play crucial tasks that we frequently take for granted in everything from agriculture to medicine..

Microbes are small organism which cannot be seen with naked eyes but can be seen through a microscope. Example of some microbes are bacteria, protozoa, micro fungi, micro algae, Viruse, prions. Microbes are found everywhere in soil, water, air, inside our bodies, and that of plants and animals. They are also present even at a sites where no other life form could exist.

Though microbes cause various disease in human but it doesn't not mean that all microbes are harmful. Some of the microbes are also useful. Let us investigate the ways in which bacteria improve our quality of life and address some practical queries that relate their importance to our day-to-day lives. 

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣? 

You would be surprised to know that we use microbes or products derived from them everyday

You are delighting in the labors of beneficial bacteria each time you bite into a slice of cheese or a bowl of curd, bread, idli, dosa etc. 

Microorganisms like Lactobacillus and other lactic acid bacteria grows in milk and convert it into curd.

 When small amount curd is added to milk, LAB present in the milk multiply and produce Lactic Acid which coagulate and digest the milk portion. Thus the milk is converted into curd which is rich in vitamin B12 and in our stomach it plays a crucial role in checking disease causing microbes.

The dough which is used for making food such as idli and dosa is fermented by bacteria

The dough which is used for making making bread is fermented by bakers yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae) 

They are also used for fermenting soyabean, fish etc. 

Microbes are also use to prepare cheese . Large holes in Swiss cheese is due to the production of carbon dioxide by an organism Propionibacterium sharmani 

𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝? 

Trillions of bacteria, referred to as the microbiome, are present in the human body. These microorganisms are necessary for many body processes, such as immunity, digestion, and even mental wellness. For example, gut flora aid in the production of vital vitamins, the breakdown of complex carbs, and the defense against viruses. Studies have indicated a correlation between a well-balanced microbiome and lowered susceptibilities to diseases such as depression, diabetes, and obesity.

Probiotics, which are frequently included in fermented foods and supplements, are used to preserve and repair this equilibrium, demonstrating the critical role that these microscopic organisms play in our health.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙚? 

Antibiotics is a chemical substance produce by some microbes which kills the disease causing microbes. Anti a Greek word that means against and bio means life, together means against life ( in context of disease causing microbes) but in context of human it is a pro life and not against life. 

Alexander Fleming discovered the first antibiotics ( Penicillin) from an organism penicillium notatum.

The Antibiotics are also used to treat American solder wounded in World War 2. Fleming, chain and Florey get Nobel Prize for this discovery. 

 After penicillin other antibiotics were also purified from other microbes. Antibiotics are used to treat disease like plague, whooping cough, diphtheria, leprosy etc. 

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙁𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝘽𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨? 

When we think of microbes, we often associate them with illnesses and infections. However, these microscopic organisms are also responsible for some of our favorite beverages . Let us discuss how microbes contribute to fermented beverages. 

Yeast are used for the production of beverages like wine, beer, whisky, rum etc. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewers yeast) is used for fermenting malted cereals and fruit juice to produce ethanol.Depending on the type of the raw materials used for fermentation and the type of processing ( with or without distillation) different types of alcohol drink are obtained. Wine and beer are produced without distillation while whisky and rum are produced with distillation.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙨, 𝙚𝙣𝙯𝙮𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙞𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨:

Many useful chemicals are produced by certain microbes. 

Aspergillus niger ( a fungus of citric acid found in orange, lemon etc

Aspergillus Niger

Acetobacter aceti ( a bacterium of acetic acid found in vinegar) 

Clostridium butylicum ( a bacterium of butyric acid found in butter) 

Lactobacillus ( a bacterium of lactic acid found in curd) 

Enzymes are also used for production of microbes. 

Streptokinase used as clot bluster for removing clot from blood vessels of patients who have undergone myocardial infraction. 

Lipase is used for detergent formulation.

They also help in removing oily stains from laundry. 

Pectinase or protease: Used to clear juice bottles from the market. 

Bioactive molecules are also used for production of microbes. 

Cyclosporine A ,that is used as an Immunosuppressive agent which is produced by the fungus (Trichoderma polyps porum.) 

 Statins is used as blood cholesterol lowering agent which is produced by yeast Monascus Purpureus

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩? 

We know that cities and towns generate large amount of waste water mainly human waste. The municipal waste water is called sewage. It consists of large amount of microbes. This waste cannot be disposed in river. For less polluting sewage should be disposed in sewage treatment plans. Treatment of waste water is done by Heterotrophic microbes (microbes that cannot produce their own food instead they obtain energy and nutrient by consuming dead plants and microbes.

This treatment is carried out in two stage:

Primary treatment: Primary treatment is also called Physical treatment. It involves physical removal of particles - large and small. Removal of floating debris is by filtration and removal of sand, pebbles is by sedimentation. The particles which are settle at the bottom is called primary sludge and the supernatant form effluent is passed into secondary treatment

Secondary treatment: This treatment is also called biological treatment. The effluent from primary treatment is passed into secondary treatment through aeration tank. Air is pumped into the tank. Vigorous growth of microbes which consume dead organic matter. While growing microbes consume major part of organic matter in the effluent.It reduces BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand)

Biochemical Oxygen Demand:

BOD refers to the amount of oxygen needed by aerobic organism in water to breakdown organic material in water at a particular temperature over a period of time. Lesser the value of BOD lesser it is polluting potential. Greater the value of BOD greater it is polluting potential.

The secondary effluent is passed into settling tank where crumps of bacteria are settled at the bottom. This settle materials is called activated sludge.

The remaining part of the sludge is pumped into large tank called anaerobic sludge digester. During this process bacteria produce a mixture of gas (methane, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide) which forms biogas ( used as a source of energy). The effluent from secondary treatment is released into natural water bodies.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙞𝙤𝙜𝙖𝙨? 

Biogas is a mixture of gases (mainly methane 60%, CO₂ 40%, traces of hydrogen other gas produced by the microbial activity and may be used as a biofuel) Certain bacteria which grow anaerobically on cellulosic material, produce large amount of methane along with carbon dioxide and hydrogen. These bacteria are called methanogens (one of the common bacterium is Methanobacterium).

Methanogens are commonly found in the anaerobic sludge during sewage treatment and are also present in the rumen (a part of stomach) of cattle. In rumen methanogens help to breakdown cellulose and their excreta called gobar which is rich in these bacteria. Therefore cow dung can also be used to produce biogas commonly called as gobar gas.

Biogas plant: These plants are mostly functional in rural areas where dung can be used for the generation of biogas. Cattle dung is available in large quantity in rural areas hence, it is a good choice for the production of biogas. The biogas plant consist of concrete tank (10-15 feet deep) in which bio-wastes are collected and a slurry of dung is fed. A floating cover is placed over the slurry which keeps on rising as the gas is produced in the tank due to microbial activity.

The plant has an outlet which is connected to a pipe to supply biogas to nearby houses. The remaining slurry is removed through another outlet and may be used as fertiliser.

This technology of biogas production was developed in India due to the efforts of Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) and Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙖 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙞𝙤𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡 𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨? 

Biocontrol refers to the use of biological methods for controlling the plant disease and pests. The toxic substances which are used to irradicate the pests and protect the useful plants and other organisms are commonly called pesticides. Depending on the pathogen these are known as herbicides (used against herbs), insecticides (used against insects), etc. These chemicals although useful but are toxic and extremely harmful to humans and animals and have been polluting our environment. Therefore, agriculture should relies on natural control of pests, i.e., natural predation rather than introduced chemicals.

Organic farmers believe in holistic approach that seek to develop and understanding of the webs of interaction between the myriad of organism that constitute the field flora and fauna. They are of the view that the eradication of the creatures that are often described as pests is undesirable because without them, the beneficial predatory and parasitic insects would not survive. 

It is advised to switch over organic farming due to following 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨:

(1) Use of excess chemical fertilisers make the soil unsuitable for cultivation.

(2) Natural resources get depleted due to manufacturing of chemical fertilisers.

Some example of biocontrol Agents are:

1. The ladybird and Dragonfly get rid of aphids and mosquito.

2. The bacteria, Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) are used to control butterfly catterpillars.Dried spores of Bt are mixed with water and sprayed onto vulnerable plants such as brassicas and fruit trees, where they are eaten by the insect larvae. In the gut of the larvae, the toxin released and the larva get killed. The bacterial disease will kill the caterpillar, but leave other insects plants are resistant to attack by insect pests, eg. Bt cotton.

3. Fungus Trichoderma used to control several plant pathogens.

4. Nucleopolyhedrovirus is the genus of Baculovirus which is used in IPM (Integrated Pest Management)

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙞𝙤-𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙨? 

Bio-fertilisers are organism that enrich the nutrients quality of the soil and increase its fertility.

Microbes as bio-fertilisers:

Bio-fertilisers are organism that enrich the nutrients quality of the soil and increase its fertility.

Eg: Bacteria, Fungi

Example of bio-fertilisers are:

1. Rhizobium symbiotic association with leguminous plant. It fixed nitrogen used by plants and nutrients.

2. Azospirillum and Azotobacter are free living bacteria which absorbs free nitrogen from the soil, air and convert it into salts of nitrogen compounds like amino acid and enrich the soil nutrients.

3. Fungi are symbiotic association with higher plants (mycorrhiza). Genus of mycorrhiza Glomus which help in absorption of phosphorus, prevent in drought, helps in disease resistance.

4. In paddy tree cyanobacteria (blue green algae) eg: Nostoc and Anabaena which add organic matter increase the fertility of the soil.

A filamentous 
blue-green 
algae - Nostoc

Microbes have a huge impact on our food, health, agriculture, and environment, making them unsung heroes in the field of human welfare. We can continue to raise our standard of living and take on some of the most important issues our planet is currently experiencing by becoming aware of them and making use of their potential. Thus, the next time you savor a piece of cheese or a cup of yogurt, stop and consider the little allies that are at work in the background.