Microorganisms are microscopic organisms that are made up of a cell or a cluster of cells (Boundless Microbiology, 2019). There is a variety of microorganisms, starting from bacteria, algae, fungi, protozoa, and viruses; animals like rotifers; to plants such as green algae (Boundless Microbiology, 2019). These microorganisms live anywhere with liquid water- hot springs, soil, inside rocks, and on ocean floors- and they have an essential function in the earth’s elements cycle like carbon and nitrogen cycles (Boundless Microbiology, 2019). Microbes can be dangerous pathogens that cause severe infections and diseases in plants, animals, and humans. Despite this danger, microorganisms still play a vital role in the ecosystem, and humans can also utilize them for several useful functions. This essay explains the benefits of microbes and how they are getting used.
Microbes play an essential function in the decomposition of dead organisms and other waste products, while also having a permanent place as symbionts in most high-order multicellular organisms (Boundless Microbiology, 2019). Also, they are used by humans in different fields, including water and sewerage treatment plants, in food preparation and preservation, and industrial microbiology. This gets explained in the next paragraphs.
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Microorganisms can get employed in the removal of impurities from waste-water. The removal of contaminants from waste-water can get done through either of two ways; biologically- using microbes- or chemically (Akpor, Ogundeji, Olaolu, & Aderiye, 2014, p. 156). The natural way is getting more popular due to the various disadvantages associated with cleaning using chemicals (Akpor et al., 2014, p. 156). Microbes used in waste-water cleaning carry out functions such as the removal of toxic materials like ammonia, and breaking down uneaten feed that is in the water (Akpor et al., 2014, p. 156). The microorganisms used to clean the water include bacteria, protozoa, and fungi (Akpor et al., 2014, p. 161).
Bacteria in waste-water treatment serve to convert organic matter found in the water into less complex compounds (Akpor et al., 2014, p.161). On the other hand, protozoa are used to remove bacteria, to flocculate suspended materials, and as a bioindicator of the health of the sludge; while fungi can be used to metabolize organic compounds and they can also oxidize ammonia to nitrite and even to nitrate (Akpor et al., 2014, p. 163). These microorganisms are applied in different systems used in the treatment of waste-water, including, activated sludge, stabilization ponds, membrane bioreactors, and trickling filters (Akpor et al., 2014, p. 156).
Activated sludge refers to a sewage system that contains activated microbes to breakdown organic matter in the sewage while a membrane bioreactor refers to a system that combines activated sludge with a membrane for solid-liquid separation (Boundless Microbiology, 2019). On the other hand, a stabilization pond refers to a series of lakes with different organisms that clean the water in steps, while trickling filter is a system that uses a screen with a slime layer of microorganisms that consume and remove contaminants as water flows through the filter (Boundless Microbiology, 2019).
In addition to their use in waste-water management, microbes also have a wide range of applications in the production of food. One everyday use is the production of fermented dairy products, namely yogurt and cheese (Ayushi, 2017). Yogurt is produced by fermentation of milk using lactic acid bacteria (LABs) such as Streptococcus salivarius, while cheese is produced by inoculating milk with specific organisms- either bacteria, or mold fungi, or both (Ayushi, 2017). Other foods that employ microbial fermentation, either partially or wholly, include sausages, pickles, and rice- molds are used to ferment rice to produce different various oriental foods (Ayushi, 2017).
Yeast gets used in the manufacturing of bread. Yeast cells secrete enzymes that digest foods containing sugar and minerals to produce carbon dioxide (Ayushi, 2017). When yeast gets added to the dough, it provides carbon dioxide, which is trapped, raising the dough and bread is made (Ayushi, 2017). The organism commonly used in Baker’s yeast is Saccharomyces cerevisiae because it grows rapidly and thus causes vigorous fermentation and leavening of dough (Ayushi, 2017). Fungi and bacteria, such as acetobacter and lactobacilli, are also useful in the making of chocolate where they are used to ferment cacao pods to remove the seeds (Ayushi, 2017).
Microorganisms can also be grown in large quantities to get consumed as food, called single cell protein (Ayushi, 2017). Single cell protein (SCP) can be produced from bacteria, algae, or yeasts and can get used as a source of minerals, fats, and other nutrients (Ayushi, 2017). The use of microorganisms as a source has many advantages. First, they grow very fast and do not require a lot of space (Ayushi, 2017). Other benefits are that they are very high yielding, they have very high protein content, and factors such as climate change have no effect on them (Ayushi, 2017). Methylophilus methylotrophus, a bacterium, was used to produce the first major SCP, called Pruteen (Ayushi, 2017). Pruteen, which gets used as animal feed, is two times as nutritious as soya beans (Ayushi, 2017).
Industrial microbiology is the study of the large-scale production of microorganisms and their products for use as inputs for making other products, or as end products, intending to make a profit (Okafor & Okeke, 2017, p. 3). Microorganisms produce enzymes that can get used in industrial microbiology for several functions. These enzymes can are for different purposes, for instance, they are used to produce nutritive sweeteners from starch; proteolytic enzymes can be added to detergents to improve the removal of certain stains, and they are used in the textile industries during the process of thread strengthening (Okafor & Okeke, 2017, p. 203).
In the healthcare system, industrial microbiology can also be applied to produce commodities of medical importance. Industrial microbiology can be used to create anti-tumor agents and antibiotics (Okafor & Okeke, 2017, p. 369). These products can get produced through fermentation, or they can get produced through a semi-synthetic process that adds chemical modifications to a fermented product (Okafor & Okeke, 2017, p. 369). Second, microorganisms are also useful in the manufacture of vaccines (Okafor & Okeke, 2017, p. 407). This is done through in vitro growing of microbes using a suitable medium in the lab, followed by harvesting and desensitization (Okafor & Okeke, 2017, p. 417). Examples of vaccines include the polio Salk virus and bacterial toxoids (Okafor & Okeke, 2017, p. 417).
In my opinion, food microbiology has the potential for further development. This is because the application of microbiology in the production of food, especially SCP, is a potential solution for the food problems in most parts of the world, owing to the advantages of SCP already stated above in this essay. Besides, the present disadvantages of SCP warrant continued research. This research would be carried out to find solutions to these disadvantages and thus enable the full exploitation of SCP technology. In conclusion, the application of microbes in all the fields described in this essay plays a significant role in our survival.
References
Akpor, O. B., Ogundeji, M. D., Olaolu, D. T., & Aderiye, B. I. (2014). Microbial roles and dynamics in wastewater treatment systems: An overview. International Journal of Pure & Applied Bioscience , 2 (1), 156-168.
Ayushi, R., (2017, August 9). Microbes in the food industry. Retrieved from http://www.biologydiscussion.com/microorganisms/microbes-microorganisms/microbes-in-the-food-industry-microorganisms-biology/82587
Boundless Microbiology. (2019). Introduction to Microbiology. Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-microbiology/chapter/introduction-to-microbiology/
Okafor, N., & Okeke, B. C., (2017). Modern industrial microbiology and biotechnology . CRC Press.
