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Biology Digital Series High-Yield High-Short Notes
K S H E E R A B D H I A C A D E M Y
NCERT COMPLETE HIGH-YIELD NOTES
Microbes in Human Welfare
1. Microbes in Household Products
Curd Formation: Lactobacillus and other Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) grow in milk and convert it to curd. LAB produce acids that coagulate and partially digest milk proteins. It improves nutritional quality by increasing Vitamin B. In our stomach, LAB play a beneficial role in checking disease-causing microbes. Dough (Dosa/Idli): Fermented by bacteria. The puffed-up appearance of dough is due to the production of CO₂ gas. Bread Making: Fermented using baker's yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ). Toddy: A traditional drink of Southern India made by fermenting sap from palms. Cheese: Swiss Cheese: Has large holes due to production of a large amount of CO₂ by the bacterium Propionibacterium sharmanii. Roquefort Cheese: Ripened by growing a specific fungi ( Penicillium roqueforti ) on them, giving them a specific flavor.
2. Microbes in Industrial Products
A. Fermented Beverages
Malted cereals and fruit juices are fermented to produce ethanol using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Brewer's Yeast).
Without Distillation: Wine and Beer. With Distillation: Whisky, Brandy, and Rum.
B. Antibiotics
First antibiotic discovered: Penicillin by Alexander Fleming from the mold Penicillium notatum while working on Staphylococci bacteria.
Full potential established later by: Ernest Chain and Howard Florey (awarded Nobel Prize in 1945).
C. Organic Acids & Enzymes Production
Microorganism Name Type Product / Acid Produced Aspergillus niger Fungus Citric Acid
Acetobacter aceti Bacterium Acetic Acid
Clostridium butylicum Bacterium Butyric Acid
Lactobacillus Bacterium Lactic Acid
D. Bioactive Molecules & Enzymes
Lipases: Used in detergent formulations to remove oily stains from laundry. Pectinases & Proteases: Used to clarify bottled juices making them clearer than homemade ones. Streptokinase: Produced by Streptococcus. Used as a "clot buster" for removing clots from blood vessels of patients suffering from myocardial infarction (heart attack). Cyclosporin A: Produced by the fungus Trichoderma polysporum. Used as an immunosuppressive agent in organ-transplant patients. Statins: Produced by the yeast Monascus purpureus. Used as a blood-cholesterol lowering agent (inhibits enzymes responsible for cholesterol synthesis).
NEET Booster Note: Cyclosporin A (Trichoderma polysporum) and Statins (Monascus purpureus) matchings are highly repeated match-the-following questions in past medical exams!
3. Microbes in Sewage Treatment
Sewage treatment is divided into two major stages to prevent environmental water pollution:
Primary Treatment (Physical Process)
Involves physical removal of large and small particles through sequential filtration and sedimentation. Floating debris is removed by filtration. Soil and small pebbles (grit) are removed by sedimentation. The sediment forms the primary sludge , and the supernatant forms the effluent.
Secondary Treatment (Biological Process)
Primary effluent is passed into large aeration tanks where it is constantly agitated mechanically and air is pumped into it.
