Microorganisms are the small unicellular structures. Bacteria, viruses and fungi come under this
category. They have he ability to reproduce themselves with the help of simple cell division. The
single cell of the microorganisms contains the complete genetic material and this genetic
material is transferred to the next generation of cells. They can increase in numbers but they
cannot increase in size. They have great impact on human lives and are used for various purposes
in biotechnology.
Food:Production of many foods is possible with the help of microorganism. For example foods like
bread, beer and cheese are produced with the help of yeast. Similarly bacteria are involved in the
production of butter, yogurt, many kinds of chocolates, coffee and other foods of daily life.
Medicine:It is very difficult to decode the human genome if any disorders occur in it as humans are the
eukaryotic organisms. It means their body consists of various types pf cells and they are all
differentiated into different tissues and organs. Microorganisms have made it possible to make
such medicines which when enter the body, target the defected genes and make healthy changes
in them and they become functional again. There is a common example of human insulin. Insulin
is an antibiotic which is prescribed for the diabetic patients. Now it is possible to synthesize the
insulin in microorganisms like bacteria and yeast. These microorganisms are inserted in the body
in the form of vectors and cure the defected genes. Due to the availability of microorganisms in
the environment, scientists have made use of them for making many medicines and drugs and
also used them for drug delivery.
Health:People will be surprised if they get to know that their body contains ten times more
microorganisms than the body cells. These microorganisms are useful for the body and perform
various useful functions, for example E.coli (specie of bacteria) resides in the intestine and
releases such components which help in the digestion of the food. If microorganisms help in
performing different body functions then they also take something from the body that is they
take nutrients from the body. One purpose of bacteria in the body is to fight against those
harmful bacteria which can cause diseases. For example there is also a bacterium in the gut
which helps in synthesizing the vitamins like biotin, vitamin K and folic acid.
Biotechnology:Biotechnology is one field which ha made use of microorganisms most. By using the techniques
of biotechnology, scientists have succeeded in developing human insulin, growth hormones and
other useful components of the body. Biotechnological processes use microorganisms for the
drug delivery in the form of vectors and plasmids. Microorganisms have provided many
beneficial things to agriculture as they are responsible for increasing the fertility of the soil. Due
to this, the production of the plants increases and economy becomes strong.
Ecology:Bacteria present in the environment are responsible for recycling wastes and for producing
energy sources like carbon and nitrogen. Plants use carbon dioxide during the process of
photosynthesis. More the consumption of carbon dioxide will lead to more production of food.
Some bacteria also help in cleaning the environment by digesting the pollutants and as a result
they release nutrients which are environment friendly.
Economic Uses and Benefits of Microorganisms
Microorganisms have been used as tools for the production of products for millennia. Even in
ancient times, the ability to produce vinegar by allowing water to percolate through wood
shavings was known and widely practiced. Likewise, the transformation of a yeast suspension
into beer or a suspension of crushed grapes into wine was common knowledge. The basis of
these events may not have been known, but that did not impede the sale or trade of such
products.
These economic uses of microorganisms are the earliest examples of biotechnology. As the
knowledge of bacteria and yeast-chemical behaviors grew, other biotechnological uses for the
microbes were found. A few examples include the use of the bacterium Lactobacillus
acidophilus to produce yogurt, the exploitation of a number of different bacteria to produce a
variety of cheeses, and the fermentation of cabbage to produce sauerkraut. In the agricultural
sector, the discovery of the ability of Rhizobium spp. to convert elemental nitrogen to a form that
was useable by a growing plant, led to the use of the microorganism as a living fertilizer that
grew in association with the plant species.
In more modern times, the use of microorganisms as biotechnological agents of profit has not
only continued but has explosively increased. Indeed the biotechnology sector as it is recognized
today, is already a multi-billion dollar sector worldwide.
The unraveling of the structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), various species of ribonucleic
acid (RNA), and the various processes whereby the manufacture of protein from the nucleic acid
templates occurs was pivotal in advancing the use of microorganisms as factories. As important
was the discovery of how to remove DNA from one region of the genome and move the DNA in
a controlled way to another region of the same DNA, or DNA in a completely different organism
(prokaryotic or eukaryotic). These gene splicing technologies, which can be accomplished by
various splicing and reannealing enzymes, or by the use of viruses or mobile regions of viral
DNA (such as transposons) as vectors have allowed biotechnologists to create what are termed
"designer genes," which are designed for a specific purpose. This ability has fueled the use of
microorganisms for economic gain and/or benefit.
The gene for the production of human insulin has been transferred into the genome of the
common intestinal tract bacterium Escherichia coli. Successful expression and excretion of
human insulin by the bacteria allows the production of a large amount of insulin. Additionally,
because the insulin is identical to that produced in a human being, the chance of immune reaction
against the protein is virtually nonexistent. The example of insulin reflects both the health benefit
of the use of microbes and the economic benefit to be realized, since the mass production of
insulin that is possible using bacteria lowers the cost of the product.
Other medical uses of microorganisms, particularly in the production of antibiotics, have been
the greatest boon to humans and other animals. The list of maladies that can now be treated using
microbiologically derived compounds is lengthy, and includes cystic fibrosis, hemophilia,
hepatitis B, Karposi's sarcoma, rejection of transplanted organs, growth hormone deficiency,
and cancer. The worldwide sales of medical and pharmaceutical drugs of microbial origin now
exceeds U.S. $13 billion annually.
Microorganisms have also been harnessed as factories to produce compounds that are used in
areas as divers as textile manufacture, agriculture, and nutrition. Enzymes discovered in bacteria
that can exist at very elevated temperatures (thermophilic, or "heat loving" bacteria) cab be used
to age denim to produce a "pre-washed" look. Similar enzymes are being exploited in laundry
detergent that operates in hot water. Microorganisms are used to enhance the nutritional content
of plants and other food sources. The growing nutraceutical sector relies in part on the nutritional
enhancements afforded by microbes. Bacteria are also useful in providing a degree of resistance
to plants. An example is the use of Bacillus thuringensis to supply a protein that is lethal to
insect when they consume it. The use of bacterial insecticides has reduced the use of chemical
insecticides, which is both a cost savings to the producer and less stressful on the environment.
Other bacterial enzymes and constituents of the organisms are utilized to produce materials such
as plastic.
A process known as DNA fingerprinting, which relies upon enzymes that are produced and
operate in bacteria, has enabled the tracing of the fate of genes in plant and animal populations,
and enhanced gathering of evidence at crime scenes.
The mode of growth of bacterial populations has also proved to be exploitable as a production
tool. A prime example is the surface-adherent mode of bacterial growth that is termed a
biofilm. Although not known at the time, the production of vinegar hundreds of years ago was,
as now, based on the percolation of water through biofilms growing on wood shavings.
Immobilized bacteria can produce all manner of compounds. As well, the cells can provide a
physical barrier to the flow of fluid. This dynamic aspect has been utilized in a so far small-scale
way to increase the production of oil from fields oil thought to be depleted. Bacteria can plug up
the zones were water and oil flows most easily. Subsequent pumping of water through the field
forces the oil still resident in lower permeability areas to the surface.
With the passing of time, the realized and potential benefits of microorganisms and the
implementation of strict standards of microbe use, is lessening the concern over the use of
engineered microorganisms for economic and social benefit. The use of microorganisms can
only increase.