Microorganisms are minute organisms that are invisible to the naked eye. Microorganisms are so small that they can only be seen under a microscope. These include a huge range of organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae, protozoa, etc.
Uses of microorganisms are:
- Used in bakeries to bake food
- Used in the production of organic substances
- Some microbes present in our body help in building our immune system
- These are also used in the process of digestion in our body
- These are used in the production of relevant vitamins and minerals in our body
- Blue-green algae and Rhizobium bacteria ( nitrogen-fixing bacteria) are present in their root nodules that can fix atmospheric nitrogen
- Microorganisms play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance
- Lactobacillus bacteria are responsible for the curd formation
- Microorganisms help in carrying out the oxygen and nitrogen cycle in the atmosphere
These microbes can be beneficial as well as harmful in many ways.
Harmful effects of microorganisms are
- Food spoilage
- Spreading of diseases
- Disinfecting the surfaces where the microbe resides
- Harmful diseases like tuberculosis, cholera, Diptheria, etc are spread by microbes
