Question

Which of the following microbe produces the highest number of antibiotics?

• A. Bacillus
• B. Penicillium
• C. Streptomyces
• D. Cephalosporium

Answer 1

The correct option is C

Streptomyces

The correct option is C.

Explanation for the correct option:

Option C:

1. Microbes are creatures that are too small to be seen without a microscope, such as bacteria, archaea, and single-cell eukaryotes, which are nucleated cells like amoebas or parameciums.
2. At times, we also refer to viruses as microorganisms.
3. Medicines known as antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections in both humans and animals.
4. They work by destroying pathogens or by making it impossible for bacteria to spread and thrive.
5. The main genus of the family is Streptomycetaceae.
6. Streptomycetes are gram-positive and have genomes with a high percentage of GC.
7. The majority of the antibiotics that are now on the market are made by prokaryotes, primarily by bacteria from the genus Streptomyces.
8. These secondary metabolites are crucial for the Streptomyces spp. to compete with other microbes that may come into contact with them or even other species within the same genus because the development of the majority of antibiotics is species-specific.

Explanation for the incorrect options:

Option A:

1. Bacillus species are rod-shaped, gram-positive, aerobic or facultatively anaerobic bacteria that produce endospores.
2. In some species, cultures have the potential to mature into gram-negative forms.
3. The genus' numerous species have a wide range of physiological traits that enable them to coexist in all types of natural habitats.
4. Several Bacillus species produce peptide antibiotics that are either produced by ribosomal or non-ribosomal mechanisms.

Option B:

1. Penicillium is a genus of ascomycetous fungi that plays a significant role in food spoilage, and the manufacturing of food and drugs, and is a component of the microbiomes of numerous species.
2. Penicillin is an antibiotic that either kills or stops bacterial growth and reproduction.
3. The medication works by destroying the enzymes that help bacteria form their cell walls.

Option D:

1. A genus of fungi called Acremonium belongs to the Hypocreaceae family.
2. It was once referred to as Cephalosporium.
3. A plant pathogen called Cephalosporium gramineum or Hymenula cerealis causes cephalosporin stripe on wheat and other grasses.
4. A broad class of antibiotics called cephalosporins was produced from the mold Acremonium (previously called Cephalosporium).
5. Similar to penicillins, cephalosporins are bactericidal (kill bacteria).

Final answer: Streptomyces microbe produces the highest number of antibiotics.