Microorganisms - The properties of microorganisms and enzymes and their use in industry - 4th level Science Revision - BBC Bitesize (2024)

FAQs

What are the properties of microorganisms which makes them useful in industrial processes? ›

Microorganisms can be used by humans to produce foods and other useful substances. They are suitable for this role because they grow rapidly, may have simple nutrient requirements and can produce a wide range of products.

Microorganisms are very tiny organisms that can only be seen in detail using a microscope. Many microorganisms are unicellular which means they exist as a single cell. Examples of microorganisms include: bacteria. yeast (a type of fungus)

Collectively, microorganisms show remarkable diversity in their ability to produce complex substances from simple chemicals and to decompose complex materials to simple chemicals.

Microbial metabolites can be used in industrial microbiology to obtain amino acids, to develop vaccines and antibiotics, and to isolate chemicals necessary for organic synthesis.

The ​microorganisms of industrial importance ​are, generally, ​bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi and ​algae​. These organisms occur virtually everywhere, e.g., in air, water, soil, surfaces of plants and animals, and plant and animals tissues.

Microorganisms are heavily used in the production of pharmaceuticals, food, beverages, biotechnology, and cleaning products. They are essential in the industrial processes to create products such as antibiotics, insulin, vaccines, and fermented foods.

Current estimates suggest there could be at least 1 billion different species of microbe on Earth, possibly more. Microbial diversity is truly staggering, yet all these microbes can be grouped into five major types: Viruses, Bacteria, Archaea, Fungi, and Protists.

The most common types are bacteria, viruses and fungi. There are also microbes called protozoa. These are tiny living things that are responsible for diseases such as toxoplasmosis and malaria.

An organism that can be seen only through a microscope. Microorganisms include bacteria, protozoa, algae, and fungi. Although viruses are not considered living organisms, they are sometimes classified as microorganisms.

Fast Facts

Microbes can unlock nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil and release it so plants can use these nutrients to grow and use less fertilizer. Microbes can have their DNA modified to produce all kinds of different products – from biofuels to plastics to other useful chemicals.

What are the 7 major types of microorganisms? ›

Microorganisms are divided into seven types: bacteria, archaea, protozoa, algae, fungi, viruses, and multicellular animal parasites ( helminths ). Each type has a characteristic cellular composition, morphology, mean of locomotion, and reproduction.

Technically a microorganism or microbe is an organism that is microscopic. The study of microorganisms is called microbiology. Microorganisms can be bacteria, fungi, archaea or protists. The term microorganisms does not include viruses and prions, which are generally classified as non-living.

A pathogen is defined as an organism causing disease to its host, with the severity of the disease symptoms referred to as virulence.

Azotobacter, Rhizobium, Clostridium are few examples of Nitrogen-fixing bacteria which play a primary role in transforming atmospheric nitrogen into inorganic compounds which are then used by the plants. Without this process, the vast majority of the nitrogen present in the atmosphere becomes unusable.

Temperature, pH, aeration, substrate concentration, and nutrient availability all influence the fermentation process and metabolic processes.

Bacteria and yeasts have many advantages as producers of industrial products. For example, bacteria and yeast can grow in different environments with wide ranges of temperatures and PH conditions. They replicate rapidly with a short lag phase by taking various nutrients.

Microorganisms are majorly used for the production of industrial enzymes through the safe gene transfer methods. The first industrially produced microbial enzymes were obtained from the fungal amylase in the year 1896 and were used to cure indigestion and several other digestive disorders.

Bacteria are exploited in the industry in a variety of ways, all of which take advantage of their natural metabolic capacities. Antibiotics, probiotics, medicines, vaccines, starter cultures, pesticides, enzymes, fuels, and solvents are among the products made with them.

Industrial microbiology is also a branch of microbiology and biotechnology that majorly deals with studying a variety of microorganisms and their applications in manufacturing processes. Industrial microbiology involves using microorganisms to produce food or industrial products in large quantities.