Microbes in Human Welfare Test - 8

Antibiotics, also called antibacterials, are a type of antimicrobial drug used in the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections.They may either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria.

The use of biocontrol measures will greatly reduce our dependence on toxic chemicals and pesticides. Insects and pests are not killed in this method but kept undercontrol.

The bacterium that do not retain the Gram stain are called gram negative bacteria.

Escherichia coli ( commonly abbreviated E. coli) is a Gram-negative gammaproteobacterium commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms

Nitrogen is obtained by plants either in nitrate or nitrite forms. Some microbes convert atmospheric nitrogen into nitrate and nitrite. The common nitrogen-fixing microbe in paddy field is Azospirillum.

Rhizobium are bacteria that fix nitrogen after becoming established inside root nodules of legumes. In order to express genes for nitrogen fixation, rhizobia require a plant host; they cannot independently fix nitrogen

Rhizobium bacteria is found in the nodule of leguminous plants root. It increases the fertility of soil.

The term antibiotic was coined by Selman Abraham Waksman. He developed antibiotic Streptomycin that cure tuberculosis. He got noble prize in medicine in 1952.

Spirogyra is a filamentous alga. This alga does not fix atmospheric nitrogen. Anabaena, Nostoc and Oscillatoria can heterocyst that can fix atmospheric nitrogen.

Rice field contain water all the time. In this water Cyanobacteria grows easily that have ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen into nitrates and nitrites that increase the fertility.

Fleming, Chain and Florey were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1945 for discovery of antibiotics. Antibiotics prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi.

A number of microbes are present in rice field, Azolla and Anabaena are two common bacteria found in rice field that fix the atmospheric nitrogen.