BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF MICROORGANISMS

Microorganisms or microbes are living things, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, microscopic algae, that are too small to be seen by naked eyes. Microorganisms can be both harmful and useful. Actually, the existence and functioning of microorganisms is crucial to a healthy environment. The benefits of microorganisms include:

Food and Beverage

Microorganisms are involved in the production of food or are directly edible. Examples: - Various types of yeast (a type of fungus): Used for the production of beer, bread, and cheese. spirulina is a blue green algae used as SCP (single cell protein) in human beings for their protein source.

Health

It may come as a surprise but there are several billion times more bacterial cells inside body than there are human cells. They make up the human flora. Luckily, some live in a mutualistic relationship to us. That is, they receive something (generally nutrients) from us, but also give something in return. The presence of bacteria also inhibits the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria (usually through competitive exclusion).

Examples: - Gut bacteria: synthesize vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin K and biotin, and the

y ferment complex indigestible carbohydrates. Speciallly E. Coli - innate to the gut of everyone.

Biotechnology

We have vastly developed or discovered direct uses for micro-organisms in recent years. Modern biotechnology is often associated with the use of genetically altered microorganisms such as E. coli or yeast for the production of substances like synthetic insulin or antibiotics. Using the same process, a multitude of drugs are manufactured relatively cheaply, including human growth hormone, clotting factors for hemophiliacs, fertility drugs, erythropoietin and other drugs.

Biotechnological advances in agriculture also require the help of microorganisms. Transgenic plants can increase yield, reduce vulnerability to environmental and pathogenic stresses, improve taste and appearance and produce novel plant substances. To create transgenic plants, a vector, Agrobacterium, is required to transfer genetic material into the plant host.

Medicine

As humans are eukaryotes, our genome is extremely difficult to truly decode due to processes such as exon shuffling, the genetic "junk" and likely dozens of other observed aspects of our genome. Naturally, many people with genetic defects need a constant supply of medicines (ie. diabetics). Creating insulin in a lab was very difficult before the onset of cDNA, which is placing the human insulin gene into yeast or another simple eukaryote. Thankfully, all eukaryotic cells "know" how to process our genome and human hormones can be made in vivo in laboratories in greater quantity than ever before.

Ecology

Microbes are involved in cycling vital elements such as carbon and nitrogen, breaking down wastes and dead organisms into simpler substances plants can use in photosynthesis. Other species are at the base of the food chain, especially in aquatic ecosystems. Even pathogens have a role in controlling the populations of their host species.