How Microorganisms Affect Our Daily Lives: Benefits and Risks
The concept of useful and harmful microorganisms is essential in biology and helps explain real-world biological processes and exam-level questions effectively.
Understanding Useful and Harmful Microorganisms
Useful and harmful microorganisms are microscopic living organisms that have both positive and negative effects on humans, plants, and animals. This concept is important in areas like food science, medicine, agriculture, and environmental biology. Microorganisms include bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, and algae. Some microbes help us produce food and medicines, while others cause disease and food spoilage.
Types of Microorganisms – Friends and Foes
There are different types of microorganisms, such as:
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Fungi
- Protozoa
- Algae
Some of these are useful microorganisms (like lactobacillus in curd, yeast in bread-making, rhizobium in nitrogen fixation), while others are harmful microorganisms (such as those that cause tuberculosis, cholera, or food spoilage).
Useful Microorganisms and Their Applications
Microorganisms play a vital role in various useful processes that benefit humans and ecosystems. Some common uses include:
- Making curd (lactobacillus bacteria)
- Bread and cake production (yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae)
- Yoghurt and cheese production (lactobacilli)
- Fermentation in idli and dosa batter (bacteria and yeast)
- Medicine production (antibiotic-producing bacteria and fungi, e.g., Penicillium)
- Vaccine and antibiotic discovery
- Nitrogen fixation in plants (Rhizobium bacteria)
- Decomposition and nutrient recycling
- Production of alcohol (yeast fermentation)
- Cleaning oil spills (bioremediation by bacteria)
- Biofertilizers in agriculture
To learn more on this, visit Useful Microorganisms.
Harmful Microorganisms – Diseases and Spoilage
Some microorganisms can be dangerous, causing diseases or spoiling food and other materials. Here are some examples:
- Bacteria – Salmonella (food poisoning), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (tuberculosis), Vibrio cholerae (cholera)
- Viruses – Influenza virus (flu), HIV (AIDS), Poliovirus (polio)
- Fungi – Aspergillus (lung infection), Rhizopus (bread spoilage)
- Protozoa – Plasmodium (malaria), Entamoeba histolytica (amoebiasis)
- Food spoilage and contamination – milk souring, fruit rotting, bread moulds
Learn more through Harmful Microorganisms or explore diseases at Microbes and Diseases.
Difference Between Useful and Harmful Microorganisms
Here’s a helpful table to understand useful and harmful microorganisms better:
Useful vs. Harmful Microorganisms Table
| Criteria | Useful Microorganisms | Harmful Microorganisms |
|---|---|---|
| Main Effect | Benefit living things (e.g., food, health, soil) | Cause diseases/spoilage |
| Examples | Lactobacillus, yeast, Rhizobium, Penicillium | Salmonella, Plasmodium, HIV, Rhizopus |
| Applications | Food production, medicine, farming | Disease in humans, animal infections, food spoilage |
| Sign in Daily Life | Curd, bread, fermented foods, antibiotics | Animal/plant diseases, rotten food, epidemics |
Control & Prevention
We use food preservation methods and hygiene practices to control the harmful effects of microorganisms. Visit Food Preservation Methods and Vaccination for more details.
Practice Questions
- What are useful and harmful microorganisms? Explain with examples.
- List five ways in which microorganisms are useful to humans.
- Name three diseases caused by harmful microorganisms.
- State the difference between useful and harmful microbes in a table.
- Why should we prevent food spoilage? How?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing useful and harmful microorganisms with only bacteria or only pathogens.
- Forgetting that some microbes can be both useful and harmful based on context (e.g., yeast can spoil food but is also useful in baking).
- Mixing up viruses and bacteria in disease examples.
Real-World Applications
The concept of useful and harmful microorganisms is used in medicine, agriculture, biotechnology, environmental science, and food industry. Vaccinations, antibiotics, curd making, bread baking, crop yield improvement, and water purification all use this knowledge. Vedantu helps students relate these concepts to practical examples for board exams and projects.
In this article, we explored useful and harmful microorganisms, their types, key examples, real-life significance, differences, and questions for exam practice. To learn more and build confidence on this topic, keep practicing with Vedantu’s resources and revision notes.
Also Read: Useful Microorganisms | Harmful Microorganisms | Microorganisms | Microbes and Diseases | Nitrogen Cycle | Food Preservation Methods
FAQs on Useful and Harmful Microorganisms: Types, Examples, and Differences
1. What are useful and harmful microorganisms?
Useful and harmful microorganisms are tiny living organisms that exist everywhere. Useful microorganisms help in processes like making food, medicines, and improving soil fertility, while harmful microorganisms cause diseases and spoil food. Understanding their roles helps students learn their impact in daily life and science.
2. What are 10 examples of useful microorganisms?
Some common useful microorganisms include: Lactobacillus (used in yogurt), Yeast (used in baking and fermentation), Rhizobium (nitrogen-fixing bacteria in legumes), Penicillium (source of antibiotics), Aspergillus (used in enzyme production), Bacillus subtilis (used in agriculture), Actinomycetes (produce antibiotics), Algae (produce oxygen), Trichoderma (used in bio-control), and Streptomyces (produce antibiotics).
3. Give 5 harmful microorganisms and their effects.
Some harmful microorganisms and their effects are:
1. Salmonella – causes food poisoning.
2. Mycobacterium tuberculosis – causes tuberculosis.
3. Plasmodium – causes malaria.
4. Influenza virus – causes flu.
5. Fungi like Candida – cause skin infections and allergies.
These microorganisms can lead to illnesses and damage food quality.
4. What is the difference between useful and harmful microorganisms?
The main difference lies in their effects:
Useful microorganisms aid in food production, medicine, and environmental balance, whereas harmful microorganisms cause diseases and spoilage. For example, Lactobacillus helps make yogurt, while Salmonella causes food poisoning.
5. Are all microorganisms harmful?
No, not all microorganisms are harmful. Many microorganisms are beneficial and essential for processes like digestion, nitrogen fixation, and food production. Only some microorganisms cause diseases or spoilage.
6. Why is yeast both useful and sometimes harmful?
Yeast is useful because it helps in baking, brewing, and fermentation, producing bread and alcohol. However, it can be harmful if it grows uncontrollably on food causing spoilage or infections in humans under some conditions.
7. Why do some students confuse viruses and bacteria as only harmful?
Students often associate viruses and bacteria only with diseases because harmful examples are more discussed. However, some bacteria are beneficial (like gut bacteria), and viruses can be used in research and gene therapy. Clarifying this is important for biological understanding.
8. Why are beneficial effects of bacteria often ignored in project work?
Beneficial bacteria are sometimes overlooked because disease-causing microbes tend to dominate attention. Emphasizing their roles in food production, medicine, and environmental cycles in projects helps balance understanding and demonstrates their importance.
9. Why do exams ask for examples of both, not just harmful microorganisms?
Exams include both useful and harmful microorganisms to test students’ comprehensive understanding of their contrasting roles. This helps students appreciate how microbes impact health, environment, and industry, aligning with syllabus requirements.
10. Why do many diagrams look similar but refer to different microbes?
Many microorganisms have similar shapes or structures which causes diagrams to look alike. However, they may differ in function and impact. Learning to identify labels, characteristics, and context is key to distinguishing these microbes correctly.
