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Syllabus

Useful micro-organisms

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Topics

  • Experiment
  • Uses of Microorganisms:

Experiment

1. Aim: To observe how microorganisms decompose organic waste and convert it into manure.

2. Requirements: Two earthen pots (marked ‘A’ and ‘B’), soil, organic waste (garden waste, fruit peel, vegetable stalks, paper scraps, etc.), and non-organic waste (glass pieces, scrap metal, plastic bags, etc.)

3. Procedure

  • Half-fill both pots with soil.
  • Mix organic waste in pot ‘A.’
  • Mix non-organic waste in pot ‘B.’
  • Place both pots in the same location and leave them for 3 to 4 weeks.
  • Observe the changes in both pots after the given time.

4. Conclusion

  • In pot ‘A,’ microorganisms decompose the organic waste, turning it into nutrient-rich manure.
  • In pot ‘B,’ non-organic waste remains unchanged, as it cannot be decomposed by microbes.

This experiment shows how microbes help keep the environment clean by decomposing organic materials. Similarly, microbes are used in sewage treatment to decompose organic compounds quickly.

Uses of Microorganisms:

1. Increasing soil fertility: Microorganisms in the soil and the root nodules of leguminous plants convert atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogen compounds, increasing soil fertility and protein content in crops. For example: Rhizobium bacteria.

2. Production of Milk Products: Adding a few drops of yoghurt or buttermilk to lukewarm milk turns it into yoghurt after 8-10 hours due to the action of microbes. Microbes are used to make butter, cheese, and buttermilk. For example: Lactobacillus bacteria

3. Fermentation: It is the conversion of one carbon compound into another by microorganisms, producing gases like carbon dioxide.

This process is used to make:

  • Yogurt from milk
  • Bread and idli batter (causing them to rise)
  • Alcohol from grains and fruits
  • Acids, vitamins, and antibiotics

For example: Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

4. Antibiotics Production: Microorganisms are used to make antibiotics like penicillin, which kill harmful pathogens. Antibiotics treat diseases like tuberculosis, typhoid, and cholera, protect domestic animals, and control plant diseases.

For example: Penicillium mold

5. Vaccine Production: Vaccines are made using microbes and help boost immunity against diseases, reducing the risk of infection. If we have been vaccinated against any disease, our immunity, i.e., resistance to that disease, increases, so the possibility of contracting that disease is greatly reduced.

For example: Microbes used for polio and COVID-19 vaccines

7. Industrial Uses

Microbes are used in:

  • Tanning leather
  • Making ropes from agave
  • Clearing oil spills in oceans by breaking down oil layers.

Example: Oil-eating bacteria (Pseudomonas)

8. Biogas and fertilizer production: Farm waste, human waste, and wet garbage are used in biogas plants to produce biogas (a source of energy) and fertilizers.

For example: Anaerobic bacteria

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