MICRO-ORGANISMS AND HEALTH-(Concept and aspects of micro-organisms)-part two

Hello steemians,
I apologize for not posting on time.sit down,relax and enjoy your read..

Most micro-organisms,especially bacteria and fungi,form characteristics colonies.The appereance of a colony helps in the identification of the micro-organisms.The features of a colony that shuld be noted are as follows:
*Size(in millimeters),
*Shape and elevation,
*Edge(entire,wavy,irregular),
*Texture,
*Colour and pigmentation,
*Translucent or opaque and
*Effect on culture medium.

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WHERE CAN MICRO-ORGANISMS BE FOUND?

1. Micro-organisms in air:
   Micro-organisms do not grow in air.however,dust and water droplets in air contains micro-organisms.Spores produced by micro-organisms are light and easily dispersed by air movements away from their sources of production.when these spores land on suitable subsrtates,they germinate,multiply and produce more spores.
   
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   Common micro-organisms found in air are as follows:
   (i)virus:e.g common old virus,polio virus,measles virus,pox virus,influenza virus.
   (ii)bacteria:e.g pneumococci,streptococci,mycobacterium tuberculosis(causes tuberculosis in humans)
   (iii)fungi:e.g penicillium,saccromyces(yeast),rhizopus nigricans(black or bread mould)
   

2. Micro-organisms in water:
   Unlike the atmosphere,aquatic environments are rich in both organic and inorganic nutrients.The various aquatic environments like well,ponds,lakes,streams,rivers and seas support a wide variety of bacteria,blue-green algae,protists and fungi.These micro-organisms,commonly known as plankton,make up a large proportion of the total biomass of aquatic environments.
   
   Micro-organisms found in water may be grouped into:
   (a) natural water micro-organisms:they include the following:
   (i)bacteria:e.g vibro,coccus,bacillus.most of these bacteria are heterotrophic
   (ii)blue-green algae,
   (ii)protists:These includes certain species of euglena,amoeba and parameccium
   (iv)algae,
   (v)fungi:Aquatic fungi are primitive,belonging to the same class of moulds and mildews
   
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(b)Soil and sewage micro-organisms:They include:
*Coliform micro-organisms,i.e organisms found in intenstines of vertebrates such as viruses(adeno viruses),non-pathogenic bacteria.
*decomposers of organic matter of plant and animal origin.

3)Micro-organisms in food:
Food is an ideal medium in which many micro-organisms readily grow and multiply.The characteristics of a given food,such as nutrient content,water content determine the type of micro-organisms that grow and multiply in it.food readily becomes contaminated by:
*Animals like flies,cockroaches and rats,
*Dirty utensils and equiment,
*Unhygienic habits of the people who handle it.

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When we eat contaminated food,we tend to get diseases that affect the alimentary canal.food poisoning is a very common illness,associated with eating contaminated food.

BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF MICRO-ORGANISMS TO NATURE

1. Food industries:
   Micro-organisms are used in food industrirs mainly to:
   *carry out fermentation,
   *produce single cell properties(SCP),
   *food additives.

2)Chemical industries:
MIcro-orgsnisms are used to produce many substances and enzymes of industrial importance such as citric acid,dextrans and cellulose.They are also used to prodice substances that are important in medicine such as antibitics,steriod hormones and vaccines.

3)Improving soil fertility:
Intensive crop cultivation,nitrate is one of the important plant nutrients in the soil that becomes used up.scientists are developing various strains of nitrogen fixing bacteria like rhizobium that can fix nitrogen more efficiently than the existing ones.
HARMFUL EFFECTS OF MICRO-ORGANISMS
Micro-organisms harm us in two ways:
*by causing food spoilage,
*by causing diseases..
DISEASE CAUSING MICRO-ORGANISMS
The important types of diseases causing micro-organisms in humans are viruses,bacteria,protozoa and fungi.

Conclusively,there are many more to know about micro-organisms;but this i can share.we can control the spread of infectious diseases by maintaining good health and practising good personal hygiene habits...remeber ‘health is wealth’.Thanks for reading..
@vickyrich cares...one love...