| Microbe Type | Examples | Habitat | Special Conditions | Cultivation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protozoa | – | Soil, water, inside bodies of animals and plants | Diverse environments | – |
| Bacteria | – | Soil, water, air, inside bodies of animals and plants, deep geysers, deep soil, under snow, acidic environments | Can survive extreme conditions: high temperature (up to 100°C), acidic environments | Can form colonies on nutritive media |
| Fungi | – | Soil, water, air, inside bodies of animals and plants | Can survive diverse environments | Can form colonies on nutritive media |
| Viruses | Bacteriophage, Adenovirus, TMV | Inside bodies of animals, plants, and other specific environments | – | – |
| Viroids | – | Inside plants | – | – |
| Prions | – | Inside animals | Proteinaceous infectious agents | – |
| Microbe | Part | Resolution Required |
|---|---|---|
| Bacteria | Rod-shaped | 1500X |
| Bacteria | Spherical-shaped | 1500X |
| Bacteria | Rod-shaped with flagella | 50,000X |
| Viruses | Bacteriophage | 100,000-150,000X |
| Viruses | Adenovirus | 100,000-150,000X |
| Viruses | Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) | 100,000-150,000X |
| Household Product | Microbe | Process | Characteristics/Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curd | Lactobacillus (LAB) | LAB grow in milk, produce acids that coagulate and partially digest milk proteins. LAB from starter curd multiply in milk at suitable temperatures. | Conversion of milk to curd, increased nutritional quality (vitamin B12), beneficial role in checking disease-causing microbes in the stomach. |
| Dosa and Idli Dough | Bacteria | Fermentation of dough, production of CO2 gas. | Puffed-up appearance of dough. |
| Bread Dough | Baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) | Fermentation of dough. | Puffed-up dough due to CO2 production. |
| Traditional Drinks (Toddy) | Yeast or other microbes | Fermentation of sap from palms. | Alcoholic drink. |
| Fermented Foods | Various microbes | Fermentation of fish, soyabean, and bamboo shoots. | Enhanced flavor and preservation of food. |
| Swiss Cheese | Propionibacterium sharmanii | Fermentation process producing a large amount of CO2. |
|
| Roquefort Cheese | Specific fungi | Ripening process involving the growth of specific fungi. |
|
| Beverage Type | Microbe | Process | Distilled/Non-distilled | Alcohol Percentage | Source Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wine | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation of fruit juices | Non-distilled | 8-15% | Grapes, other fruits |
| Beer | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation of malted cereals | Non-distilled | 3-12% | Barley, other cereals |
| Whisky | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation followed by distillation | Distilled | 40-50% | Barley, rye, corn, wheat |
| Brandy | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation followed by distillation | Distilled | 35-60% | Grapes |
| Rum | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation followed by distillation | Distilled | 40-60% | Sugarcane molasses, sugarcane juice |
| Vodka | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation followed by distillation | Distilled | 35-50% | Potatoes, grains |
| Tequila | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation followed by distillation | Distilled | 35-55% | Blue agave plant |
| Gin | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation followed by distillation and flavoring | Distilled | 35-50% | Barley, corn, rye, other grains |
| Sake | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation of rice | Non-distilled | 15-20% | Rice |
| Champagne | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation of grapes (sparkling wine) | Non-distilled | 12-14% | Grapes |
| Cider | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation of apple juice | Non-distilled | 3-8% | Apples |
| Mead | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation of honey | Non-distilled | 8-20% | Honey |
| Absinthe | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation followed by distillation and flavoring | Distilled | 45-74% | Wormwood, anise, fennel |
| Baijiu | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation followed by distillation | Distilled | 35-60% | Sorghum, rice |
| Soju | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation followed by distillation | Distilled | 16-25% | Rice, barley, wheat, sweet potatoes |
| Pisco | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation followed by distillation | Distilled | 38-48% | Grapes |
| Kombucha | Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Fermentation of sweetened tea | Non-distilled | 0.5-2% | Tea, sugar |
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Antibiotic | Penicillin |
| Microbe Source | Penicillium notatum |
| Discovery Details | Discovered by Alexander Fleming while working on Staphylococci bacteria. |
| Significance | First antibiotic discovered; extensively used to treat wounded soldiers in WWII. |
| Meaning | Anti is Greek for ‘against’, bio means ‘life’; together they mean ‘against life’ (disease-causing organisms). |
| Human Context | Antibiotics are ‘pro life’ for humans, aiding in combating diseases. |
| Function | Chemical substances produced by microbes to kill or retard growth of other microbes. |
| Historical Impact | Antibiotics have greatly improved the capacity to treat deadly diseases such as plague, whooping cough (kali khansi), diphtheria (gal ghotu), and leprosy (kusht rog). |
| Nobel Prize | Fleming, Chain, and Florey were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1945 for the discovery of Penicillin. |
| Category | Microbe Source | Product | Application/Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Acids | Aspergillus niger (fungus) | Citric acid | Used in food and beverage industry, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. |
| Organic Acids | Acetobacter aceti (bacterium) | Acetic acid | Used in vinegar production, food preservation, and as a chemical reagent. |
| Organic Acids | Clostridium butylicum (bacterium) | Butyric acid | Used in flavorings, perfumes, and as a feedstock for biofuel production. |
| Organic Acids | Lactobacillus (bacterium) | Lactic acid | Used in food industry (yogurt, sauerkraut), pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. |
| Alcohols | Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) | Ethanol | Used as a biofuel, in alcoholic beverages, and as an industrial solvent. |
| Enzymes | Various microbes | Lipases | Used in detergent formulations for removing oily stains. |
| Enzymes | Various microbes | Pectinases | Used in fruit juice clarification. |
| Enzymes | Various microbes | Proteases | Used in fruit juice clarification and various industrial processes. |
| Enzymes | Streptococcus (bacterium) | Streptokinase | Used as a ‘clot buster’ for treating myocardial infarction (heart attack) patients. |
| Bioactive Molecules | Trichoderma polysporum (fungus) | Cyclosporin A | Used as an immunosuppressive agent in organ-transplant patients. |
| Bioactive Molecules | Monascus purpureus (yeast) | Statins | Used as blood-cholesterol lowering agents by inhibiting cholesterol synthesis enzyme. |
| Stage | Process | Details | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Treatment | Physical Removal of Particles | Involves filtration and sedimentation to remove floating debris, grit, and other large particles. | Removal of primary sludge (solids that settle) and formation of the effluent (supernatant). |
| Secondary Treatment | Biological Treatment | Effluent is passed into aeration tanks, allowing vigorous growth of aerobic microbes into flocs. | Major reduction of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) as microbes consume organic matter in effluent. |
| Activated Sludge | Sedimentation of Bacterial Flocs | Effluent with reduced BOD is passed into a settling tank, where bacterial flocs sediment. | Formation of activated sludge, which is partially pumped back into aeration tank as inoculum. |
| Anaerobic Digestion | Digestion of Activated Sludge | Remaining sludge is pumped into anaerobic sludge digesters where anaerobic bacteria digest it. | Production of biogas (methane, hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide) which can be used as a source of energy. |
| Effluent Release | Release into Natural Water Bodies | Treated effluent with significantly reduced BOD is released into rivers and streams. | Reduction of pollution in natural water bodies. |
| Environmental Impact | Use of Microbial Treatment | Microbes play a major role in treating millions of gallons of wastewater daily. | Effective treatment of sewage, preventing water pollution and water-borne diseases. |
| Challenges | Increasing Urbanization, Insufficient Treatment Plants | Untreated sewage is often discharged directly into rivers due to lack of sufficient treatment plants. | Increased pollution and water-borne diseases. |
| Government Initiatives | Ganga Action Plan and Yamuna Action Plan | Proposed building of more sewage treatment plants to treat sewage before discharging into rivers. | Aim to reduce pollution in major rivers of India. |