Real-life applications of Microbes

Real-life Applications of Microbes: Microbes are found in soil, water, and even inside humans, plants, and animals. They play a significant role in sustaining biogeochemical cycling, and recycling of carbon and nitrogen. This article will discuss the Real-life Applications of Microbes or Microorganisms in detail.

What are Microbes?

Definition: Microbes are the living organisms that are too small and can not see them without a microscope.

Microbes make up almost 60% of the Earth’s living matter. Certain tiny organisms, like algae, make their own food using sunlight and give off oxygen into the air. Microbiology involves the process of culturing different microbes to study their life and genetics. These microorganisms play crucial roles in biotechnological processes, nutrient recycling, breaking down substances, food spoilage, influencing climate change, and understanding and treating different illnesses.

Real-Life Applications of Microbes

Real-life applications of microorganisms include the process of food production, biodegradation, the manufacturing process of commercial goods, and most importantly genetic engineering. Microbiology has progressed in different areas like medicine, pharmacy, research, dairy farming, agriculture, water management, and chemical technology over the years. Here are some real life applications of Microbes mentioned below:

What is the Application of Microbes in Household Products?

Microorganisms are essential in food production, contributing to the development of various flavors, textures, and nutritional characteristics in fermented foods and beverages. Their diverse roles make them invaluable in household products and culinary traditions worldwide.

• Microbes such as Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) are used in food fermentation processes. They convert sugars into acids or alcohol.
• Microbes like LAB multiply in the milk and ferment the lactose into lactic acid. It causes the milk to coagulate and form curd.
• LAB also enhance its nutritional value by increasing vitamin B12 content. They also contribute to gut health by inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria.
• Microbes are used in various other food fermentation processes. Like yeast is used to ferment dough. It increase the production of carbon dioxide and helps to make fluffy bread.
• Microbes play a major role in the fermentation of beverages like toddy and the production of foods like cheese.

What is the Application of Microbes in Industry?

Baker’s yeast is used for bread and making drinks like beer, whiskey, wine, and brandy from cereals and fruit juices.

• Different drinks are made in different ways like wine and beer are simple but on the other side whiskey and brandy are distilled.
• Microbes make antibiotics which fight diseases by killing bad germs.
• Penicillin is the first antibiotic that was discovered during World War II.
• Microbes also make acids and alcohols, like citric acid and acetic acid.
• Microbes in detergent help clean oily stains.
• Bacteria like Streptococcus make Streptokinase, which helps during heart attacks.
• Microbes make cyclosporin A for organ transplants and statins to lower cholesterol.

What is the Application of Microbes in Sewage Treatment?

Sewage or wastewater is treated in Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) before being released into natural water bodies.

• Microbes in sewage help in the treatment process. The treatment involves two main stages: Primary Treatment and Secondary Treatment.
• In Primary Treatment, large and small particles are removed through a series of filters and settling.
• The solid material that settles is called primary sludge, while the remaining liquid is called effluent.
• Secondary Treatment involves stirring the liquid in large tanks, allowing helpful aerobic organisms to grow and reduce the amount of oxygen needed for organic matter.
• BOD indicates the amount of oxygen needed to break down organic matter in sewage.
• The liquid is treated until its BOD is low.
• The liquid then passes through settling tanks, where small clumps of organic matter sink and form activated sludge.
• A portion of activated sludge is added back to the tanks as a starter culture, while the rest is sent to tanks where bacteria break down organic matter without oxygen.
• In these tanks, Microbes break down organic matter and produce biogas (methane, CO₂).
• The treated liquid is then released into rivers and streams.
• The lack of sewage treatment plants has led to the release of untreated sewage into rivers, causing pollution and diseases.
• Efforts like the Yamuna Action Plan and the Ganga Action Plan aim to reduce river pollution caused by untreated sewage.

What is the Application of Microbes in the Biofuel Industry?

• Microbes like yeast are used to convert sugars into ethanol for biofuel production.
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae is commonly used in industries for this biofuel production.
• Cyanobacteria and green algae are examples of microorganisms capable of photosynthesis.
• These microorganisms produce hydrogen as a byproduct during the photosynthesis process.

What is the Application of Microbes in Environment?

• Microbes play a vital role in the environment, including decomposition, oxygen production, evolution. It also maintains the symbiotic relationships.
• Microbes break down dead matters from plants and animals. It converts them into simpler substances that other plants and animals can use. This process is called decomposition.
• Microbes releases chemicals like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus through decomposition that can be used to build new plants and animals.

What is the Application of Microbes in Biogas Production?

• Biogas can be generated through a defined mix of microbes in fermenters or through the cooperation of specific microorganisms capable of breaking down acetate and consuming hydrogen from cow dung or wastewater sludge.
• Hydrogen is recognized as a byproduct of photosynthesis or the end product of fermentation in various microbes.
• Certain microorganisms like cyanobacteria and green algae can produce biohydrogen during photosynthesis.

Conclusion – Real-Life Applications of Microbes

Microbes are the living organisms that are too small and can not see them without a microscope. Microbes make up almost 60% of the Earth’s living matter. They are found in soil, water, and even inside humans, plants, and animals. They play a significant role in sustaining biogeochemical cycling, recycling of carbon and nitrogen. Today we have learned the Real-life Applications of Microbes in different areas like medicine, pharmacy, research, dairy farming, agriculture, water management, and chemical technology.

FAQs – Real-life applications of Microbes

What are the Real life Applications of Microorganisms?

Each human body hosts 10 microorganisms for every human cell, and these microbes contribute to digestion, produce vitamin K, promote development of the immune system, and detoxify harmful chemicals.

What are the 5 Major Applications of Microbiology?

Microbiology is the scientific study of microbes, and the applications of microbiology span the food, health, cosmetics, biofuel, and water industries.

What are the Real World Applications of Bacteria?

Bacteria also have many beneficial uses, they are key in the manufacture of dairy products such as yoghurt, cheese, and pro-biotic food substances.

What are the Application of Microbes in Industries?

Fruit juices, malted cereals, fermented beverages and some antibiotics are the products that are obtained by fermentation through industrial processes. For the production of beverages like beer, brandy, rum, wine, whiskey, etc, yeasts are the widely used microorganisms.

What are the Practical Applications of Microbes and Microbiology?

Microorganisms are required for the production of bread, cheese, yogurt, alcohol, wine, beer, antibiotics (e.g. penicillin, streptomycin, chloromycetin), vaccines, vitamins, enzymes and many more important products.

What is Microbial Application?

Microbial applications encompass areas including biotechnology, chemical engineering, and alternative fuel development. Research on their technological developments cover many aspects of work using microbes as cell factories.

What are the Five Application of Microbes in Human Welfare?

Useful Microbes – Microbes In Human Welfare: Microbes in the production of Antibiotics, Vaccines, Curd, Fermented beverages, Biogas, Biofertilisers etc.

What are the Application of Microbes in Agriculture?

Microorganisms play an important role in the nutrient cycle. Some bacteria (Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria) secrete phytochemicals and organic acids that are helpful in the growth and development of plants.

What are the Economic Importance of Microbes?

Microbes play an important role for the production of industrial products. They are used for fermented beverages, antibiotics, bioactive molecules as well as food products like cheese.

What are the Medicinal Uses of Microorganisms?

Medicinal uses of microorganisms are: In the production of antibiotics: Many microorganisms are used in the production of antibiotics such as Penicillium notatum for Penicillin, Streptomyces griesus for Streptomycin, etc.

How Microbes are Used in Household Products?

They also play a significant role in keeping a check on disease-causing microbes in our gut. Other uses of microorganisms in our household products include the dough used to make idli or dosa.