KENDRIYA VIDHYALAYA BSF

DANTIWADA

INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
NAME –Ashish Ezhuva
CLASS – XIIth
ROLL NO -
SUBJECT – Biology
TITLE – Microbes In Human Welfare
SUBMITTED TO – Mr. Sunil Goswami
 INDEX
S.No. Topic Page No.
1. Acknowledgement
2. Introduction
3. Presentation
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
 Certificate
This is to certify that this project work has been
satisfactorily conducted under the guidance of Mr. Sunil
Goswami and Mr. R.K. Vyas and hence recorded here is the
bonafied work of Ashish Ezhuva ,Class XIIth (SCIENCE) of
K.V. BSF DANTIWADA during the academic year 2017-
2018.

External Examiner Mr. Sunil Goswami Mr. R.K. Vyas

(The PGT Biology) (The Principal)
ACHKNOWLEGEMENT
I would like to convey our sincere gratitude to our
Biology teacher for letting us to do this project. I
would like to thank my friends for helping me in this
project and a special thanks to Mr. Sunil Goswami
(Biology teacher) for guiding throughout the
project. I sincerely have worked hard to complete
this project. I tried to make this project as Good as
possible. Last but not least I would like to thank my
classmate and parents for their valuable suggestion
about this project.

Submitted to: Mr. Sunil Goswami

 INTRODUCTION
What Are Microbes?
A microorganism or microbe is a microscopic organism that comprises
either a single cell (unicellular), cell clusters, or multicellular
relatively complex organisms. The study of microorganisms is called
microbiology, a subject that began with Anton van Leeuwenhoek's
discovery of microorganisms in 1675, using a microscope of his own
design. Microorganisms are very diverse; they include bacteria, fungi,
algae, and protozoa; microscopic plants (green algae); and animals such
as rotifers and planarians. Some microbiologists also include viruses, but
others consider these as nonliving. Most microorganisms are unicellular
(single-celled), but this is not universal, since some multicellular
organisms are microscopic, while some unicellular protists and bacteria,
like Thiomargarita namibiensis, are macroscopic and visible to the naked
eye.
Microorganisms live in all parts of the biosphere where there is liquid
water, including soil, hot springs, on the ocean floor, high in the
atmosphere and deep inside rocks within the Earth's crust.
Microorganisms are critical to nutrient recycling in ecosystems as they
act as decomposers. As some microorganisms can fix nitrogen, they are a
vital part of the nitrogen cycle, and recent studies indicate that airborne
microbes may play a role in precipitation and weather. Microbes are also
exploited by people in biotechnology, both in traditional food and beverage
preparation, and in modern technologies based on genetic engineering.
However, pathogenic microbes are harmful, since they invade and grow
within other organisms, causing diseases that kill humans, other animals
and plants. But they have a lot of uses too. Let’s discuss about some of
them.

A little description: Microorganisms are vital to humans and the

environment, as they participate in the Earth's element cycles such as
the carbon cycle and nitrogen cycle, as well as fulfilling other vital
roles in virtually all ecosystems, such as recycling other organisms'
dead remains and waste products through decomposition. Microbes also
have an important place in most higher-order multicellular organisms as
symbionts. Many blame the failure of Biosphere on an improper balance
of microbes.
 PRESENTATION
Microbes are very important part of ecology the main or general
function of microbes to or environmental well fare is to work as
decomposers. Microbes like bacteria and fungi are also used in industrial
production of enzymes and proteins or some antibiotics. Some fungi like
yeast are also used in making wine and other in dairy products. The
another useful function of microbe is to study the action and mechanisms
of genetic disease as E.coli is many time taken as model to study genetic
diseases.

Uses in Food
Microorganisms are used in brewing, winemaking, baking, pickling and other
food-making processes. They are also used to control the fermentation process
in the production of cultured dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. The
cultures also provide flavour and aroma, and inhibit undesirable organisms.
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to
alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a
combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is
the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol. The science of fermentation is
also known as zymology, or zymurgy. Fermentation usually implies that the
action of microorganisms is desirable, and the process is used to produce
alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, and cider. Fermentation is also employed
in the leavening of bread (CO 2 produced by yeast activity), and for
preservation techniques to produce lactic acid in sour foods such as sauerkraut,
dry sausages, kimchi and yogurt, or vinegar (acetic acid) for use in pickling
foods.

Uses in Water Treatment

Specially-cultured microbes are used in the biological treatment of sewage and
industrial waste effluent, a process known as bioaugmentation. Bioaugmentation is
the introduction of a group of natural microbial strains or a genetically
engineered variant to treat contaminated soil or water. Usually the steps
involve studying the indigenous varieties present in the location to determine if
biostimulation is possible. If the indigenous variety do not have the metabolic
capability to perform the remediation process, exogenous varieties with such
sophisticated pathways are introduced. Bioaugmentation is commonly used in
municipal wastewater treatment to restart activated sludge bioreactors. Most
cultures available contain a research based consortium of Microbial cultures,
containing all necessary microorganisms ( B. licheniformis , B. thurengensis ,
P. polymyxa , B. sterothemophilus , Penicillium sp., Aspergillus sp.,
Flavobacterium, Arthrobacter, Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, Saccaromyces,
Triphoderma, etc.). Whereas activated sludge systems are generally based on
microorganisms like bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, rotifers and fungi capable to
degrade bio degradable organic matter.
Uses in Energy Generation

Microbes are used in fermentation to produce ethanol, and in biogas

reactors to produce methane. Scientists are researching the use of algae
to produce liquid fuels, and bacteria to convert various forms of
agricultural and urban waste into usable fuels. Ethanol fermentation ,
also referred to as alcoholic fermentation , is a biological process in
which sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose are converted into
cellular energy and thereby produce ethanol and carbon dioxide as
metabolic waste products. Because yeasts perform this conversion in the
absence of oxygen, ethanol fermentation is classified as anaerobic.
Ethanol fermentation occurs in the production of alcoholic beverages and
ethanol fuel, and in the rising of bread dough. Cellulosic ethanol is a
biofuel produced from wood, grasses, or the non-edible parts of plants. It
is a type of biofuel produced from lignocellulose, a structural material
that comprises much of the mass of plants. Lignocellulose is composed
mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Corn stover, switchgrass,
miscanthus, woodchips and the by products of lawn and tree maintenance
are some of the more popular cellulosic materials for ethanol production.
Production of ethanol from lignocellulose has the advantage of abundant
and diverse raw material compared to sources like corn and cane sugars,
but requires a greater amount of processing to make the sugar monomers
available to the microorganisms that are typically used to produce
ethanol by fermentation.

Algae fuel is an alternative to fossil fuel that uses algae as its source
of natural deposits. Several companies and government agencies are
funding efforts to reduce capital and operating costs and make algae fuel
production commercially viable. Harvested algae, like fossil fuel, release
CO 2 when burnt but unlike fossil fuel the CO 2 is taken out of the
atmosphere by the growing algae. High oil prices, competing demands
between foods and other biofuel sources, and the world food crisis, have
ignited interest in algaculture (farming algae) for making vegetable oil,
biodiesel, bioethanol, biogasoline, biomethanol, biobutanol and other
biofuels, using land that is not suitable for agriculture.

Among algal fuels' attractive characteristics: they can be grown with

minimal impact on fresh water resources, can be produced using ocean and
wastewater, and are biodegradable and relatively harmless to the
environment if spilled. Algae cost more per unit mass (as of 2010, food
grade algae costs ~$5000/tonne), due to high capital and operating
costs, yet are claimed to yield between 10 and 100 times more fuel per
unit area than other second-generation biofuel crops. One biofuels
company has claimed that algae can produce more oil in an area the size
of a two car garage than a football field of soybeans, because almost
the entire algal organism can use sunlight to produce lipids, or oil. The
United States Department of Energy estimates that if algae fuel
replaced all the petroleum fuel in the United States, it would require
15,000 square miles (39,000 km 2) which is only 0.42% of the U.S.
map, or about half of the land area of Maine. This is less than 1 ⁄ 7
the area of corn harvested in the United States in 2000. However,
these claims remain unrealized, commercially. According to the head of
the Algal Biomass Organization algae fuel can reach price parity with
oil in 2018 if granted production tax credits.
Use in Production of Chemicals, Enzymes etc.
Many microbes are used for commercial and industrial production of
chemicals, enzymes and other bioactive molecules. Examples of organic
acid produced include
Acetic acid : Produced by the bacterium Acetobacter aceti and other
acetic acid bacteria (AAB) Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are bacteria
that derive their energy from the oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid
during fermentation. They are Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped
bacteria. They are not to be confused with the genus Acetobacterium ,
which are anaerobic homoacetogenic facultative autotrophs and can reduce
carbon dioxide to produce acetic acid, for example, Acetobacterium woodii .
Butyric acid (butanoic acid): Produced by the bacterium Clostridium
butyricum.

Clostridium butyricum is a strictly anaerobic endospore-forming Gram-

positive butyric acid producing bacillus subsisting by means of
fermentation using an intracellularly accumulated amylopectin-like α-
polyglucan (granulose) as a substrate. It is uncommonly reported as a
human pathogen and widely used as a probiotic in Asia (particularly
Japan). C. butyricum is a soil inhabitant in various parts of the world,
has been cultured from the stool of healthy children and adults, and is
common in soured milk and cheeses.

Lactic acid : Lactobacillus and others commonly called as lactic acid

bacteria (LAB) The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) comprise a clade of
Gram-positive, low-GC, acid-tolerant, generally non-sporulating, non-
respiring rod or cocci that are associated by their common metabolic and
physiological characteristics.

These bacteria, usually found in decomposing plants and lactic products,

produce lactic acid as the major metabolic end-product of carbohydrate
fermentation. This trait has, throughout history, linked LAB with food
fermentations, as acidification inhibits the growth of spoilage agents.
Proteinaceous bacteriocins are produced by several LAB strains and
provide an additional hurdle for spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms.
Furthermore, lactic acid and other metabolic products contribute to the
organoleptic and textural profile of a food item. The industrial importance
of the LAB is further evinced by their generally recognized as safe
(GRAS) status, due to their ubiquitous appearance in food and their
contribution to the healthy microflora of human mucosal surfaces.

Citric acid : Produced by the fungus Aspergillus niger Aspergillus niger

is a fungus and one of the most common species of the genus Aspergillus
. It causes a disease called black mold on certain fruits and vegetables
such as grapes, onions, and peanuts, and is a common contaminant of food.
It is ubiquitous in soil and is commonly reported from indoor environments,
where its black colonies can be confused with those of Stachybotrys
(species of which have also been called "black mould").
 Microbes are used for preparation of bioactive molecules and enzymes.
Streptokinase produced by the bacterium Streptococcus and modified by
genetic engineering is used as a clot buster for removing clots from the
blood vessels of patients who have undergone myocardial infarctions
leading to heart attack. Cyclosporin A is a bioactive molecule used as an
immunosuppressive agent in organ transplantation Stains produced by the
yeast Monascus purpureus is commercialised as blood cholesterol lowering
agents which acts by competitively inhibiting the enzyme responsible for
synthesis of cholesterol.
Uses in Science
Microbes are also essential tools in biotechnology, biochemistry,
genetics, and molecular biology. The yeasts ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae
) and fission yeast ( Schizosaccharomyces pombe ) are important model
organisms in science, since they are simple eukaryotes that can be grown
rapidly in large numbers and are easily manipulated. They are
particularly valuable in genetics, genomics and proteomics. Microbes can
be harnessed for uses such as creating steroids and treating skin
diseases. Scientists are also considering using microbes for living fuel
cells, and as a solution for pollution.
Uses in Warfare
In the Middle Ages, diseased corpses were thrown into castles during
sieges using catapults or other siege engines. Individuals near the
corpses were exposed to the deadly pathogen and were likely to spread
that pathogen to others. Biological warfare (also known as germ
warfare ) is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as
bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans,
animals or plants as an act of war.

Biological weapons (often termed "bio-weapons" or "bio-agents") are

living organisms or replicating entities (viruses) that reproduce or
replicate within their host victims. Entomological (insect) warfare is
also considered a type of biological warfare. Biological weapons may be
employed in various ways to gain a strategic or tactical advantage over
an adversary, either by threats or by actual deployments. Like some of
the chemical weapons, biological weapons may also be useful as area
denial weapons. These agents may be lethal or non-lethal, and may be
targeted against a single individual, a group of people, or even an entire
population. They may be developed, acquired, stockpiled or deployed by
nation states or by non-national groups. In the latter case, or if a
nation-state uses it clandestinely, it may also be considered bioterrorism.

Importance in Human Health

Microorganisms can form an endosymbiotic relationship with other, larger
organisms. For example, the bacteria that live within the human digestive
system contribute to gut immunity, synthesise vitamins such as folic acid
and biotin, and ferment complex indigestible carbohydrates.
 The human microbiome (or human microbiota ) is the aggregate of
microorganisms that reside on the surface and in deep layers of skin, in
the saliva and oral mucosa, in the conjunctiva, and in the gastrointestinal
tracts. They include bacteria, fungi, and archaea. Some of these
organisms perform tasks that are useful for the human host. However,
the majority have no known beneficial or harmful effect. Those that are
expected to be present, and that under normal circumstances do not cause
disease, but instead participate in maintaining health, are deemed members
of the normal flora . Though widely known as "microflora", this is, in
technical terms, a misnomer, since the word root "flora" pertains to
plants, and biota refers to the total collection of organisms in a
particular ecosystem. Recently, the more appropriate term "microbiota"
is applied, though its use has not eclipsed the entrenched use and
recognition of "flora" with regard to bacteria and other microorganisms.
Both terms are being used in different literature. Studies in 2009
questioned whether the decline in biota (including microfauna) as a result
of human intervention might impede human health

Importance in Ecology
Microbes are critical to the processes of decomposition required to cycle
nitrogen and other elements back to the natural world. Decomposition
(or rotting ) is the process by which organic substances are broken
down into simpler forms of matter. The process is essential for
recycling the finite matter that occupies physical space in the biome.
Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death.
Although no two organisms decompose in the same way, they all undergo
the same sequential stages of decomposition.
The science which studies decomposition is generally referred to as
taphonomy from the Greek word taphos , meaning tomb. One can
differentiate abiotic from biotic decomposition (biodegradation). The
former means "degradation of a substance by chemical or physical
processes, eg hydrolysis).
The latter one means "the metabolic breakdown of materials into simpler
components by living organisms", typically by microorganisms.

Hygiene
Hygiene is the avoidance of infection or food spoiling by eliminating
microorganisms from the surroundings. As microorganisms, in particular
bacteria, are found virtually everywhere, the levels of harmful
microorganisms can be reduced to acceptable levels. However, in some
cases, it is required that an object or substance be completely sterile,
i.e. devoid of all living entities and viruses. A good example of this is a
hypodermic needle. In food preparation microorganisms are reduced by
preservation methods (such as the addition of vinegar), clean utensils
used in preparation, short storage periods, or by cool temperatures. If
complete sterility is needed, the two most common methods are irradiation
and the use of an autoclave, which resembles a pressure cooker.
There are several methods for investigating the level of hygiene in a
sample of food, drinking water, equipment, etc. Water samples can be
filtrated through an extremely fine filter. This filter is then placed in
a nutrient medium. Microorganisms on the filter then grow to form a
visible colony. Harmful microorganisms can be detected in food by placing
a sample in a nutrient broth designed to enrich the organisms in question.
Various methods, such as selective media or PCR, can then be used for
detection. The hygiene of hard surfaces, such as cooking pots, can be
tested by touching them with a solid piece of nutrient medium and then
allowing the microorganisms to grow on it. There are no conditions where
all microorganisms would grow, and therefore often several different
methods are needed. For example, a food sample might be analyzed on
three different nutrient mediums designed to indicate the presence of
"total" bacteria (conditions where many, but not all, bacteria grow),
molds (conditions where the growth of bacteria is prevented by, e.g.,
antibiotics) and coliform bacteria (these indicate a sewage contamination).
CONCLUSION
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

NCERT CLASS XIIth.

WWW.cbse.nic.in
WWW.cpp-project.com
Agriculture Protection Centre.