introduction to applied microbiology

Introduction.

Biology that deals with the study of the microscopic size of organisms which are invisible to our eyes.Microbiology is both a basic and applied science.A basic aspect of microbiology provides some of the most accessible research tools for probing the nature of life processes.The scope of microbiology means the use of microorganisms or their products in the daily practices of a human being other than as reacher.

or field of study.Microbial techniques are used in various disciplines which are called scope or field of applied microbiology.most of the microorganism are unicellular, in unicellular organism all the life process are performed by the single cell.

The study of microbiology has helped in the identification, nomenclature as well as classification of various types of microorganisms.not all the microorganisms are harmful to human beings but some of them are equally important to life such as in the making of yogurt cheese and wine;in the production of antibiotics like penicillin;in the process of fermentation of wine;also in the processing of industrial and household wastes etc.Such microorganisms which are useful in human life are known as beneficial. microorganisms.

Similarly, some microorganisms are harmful to human life as they cause different types of disease;spoil foods and deteriorate useful materials like wooden crafts,iron pipes,lenses etc.Such microorganisms are known as harmful or detrimental microorganisms.

Applied Microbiology.

Applied microbiology is the guideline of the human welfare through environmental,industrial and pharmaceutical microbiology.Similarly, it plays an important role in the development of food microbiology.it id the branch under microbiology which helps in the application of microorganisms and also to gain the knowledge about them.it further includes biotechnology,agriculture microbiology etc.Some of the applied fields of microbiology are described below;

Agriculture Microbiology.

It deals with the study of microorganisms found in the soil and their activities in the different natural process such as decomposition of dead organic matter, the maintainlifebiochemical transformation of different compound etc.Microorganisms play a maintain life on earth.Microorganism play both harmful and benificial role in agriculture.

Soil:

Soil has been defined as the region on the earth's crust however it may be considered as the land surfae of the earth which provides a substratum to plants and animals life.Soil consists of large number of mineral particles from the small size of clay to the larger size of pebbles and gravels which deterimines the physical structre,aeration,water holding capacity and availabilit of nutrient.the mineral constituent of soil is formed by the weathering of rock and the degradative metabolic activites of microorganisms.The microorganisms present in the soil contributes to the transformation of dead vegatation present in soil to the important nutrient matter for the soil.

Soil Microbiology:

Soil microbiology was started by Martinus W. Beijerinek91851-1931) and Sergey N.Winogradsky(1856-1953).These researchers isolated and identified new types of bacteria from soil,[articularly autotropic bacteriathat use inorganic chemicals as nutrients and as a source of energy.The relationship between legumes and bacteria in the nodules oflegume roots wass discovered by other scientists in 1888.The nodules contain a large number of bacteria called rhizobium that is capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen into compounds that can be sed by plants.The ecology fertile o soil consists of plant roots,animals and the group of microorganisms.The role of this microbial flora can be conveniently expressed in the Earth's natural cycles.

Rhizospore:

The term rhizospore was introduced in 1940 by the German scientist Hiltner to denote the region of the soil,which is subjected to influence the plantroots.The region where the soil and root make contact is called Rhizospore.Bacteria re present in rhizospore and their nutrient is released from plant tissue.the growth of a plant is influenced y the metabolic activites of bacteria releasedd into the soil.the rhizospore influence the overall plant roots which are termed as 'rhizospore effect'.

Biochemical role of soil microorganism.

Soil microorganisms serve as biochemical agents for the conversion of complex organic compounds into simple inorganisc compounds or into their constituent elements.The overall process is called mineralization.This conversion of the complex organic compound into inorganic compounds or elements provide for the continuity of elements as nutrents forplants and animals.

Nitrogen Fixation.

Nitrogen fixation is the process that causes free nitrogen to combine chemically with other elements to form more reactive nitrogen compounds such as ammonia,nitrates etc.Under ordinary condition nitrogen does not react with other elements.Nitrogen is also present in the nucleus of the living cell as a component of DNA.

Nitrogen is fixed,or combined,in nature as nitric oxide by lightening and ultraviolet rays,but more significants amounts of nitrogen are fixed as nitrates by soilmicroorganisms which are about 90% of total nitrogen fixation is affected by them.some nitrogen fixing bacteria re Azobacter,Rhizobium,Clostridium,Sprillum lipoferum etc.

Reference.

C.H.Collins. (1995). Microbiological Methods. Oxford Univ Press.

D.Greemwood, R. S. (2002). Medical Microbiology. London: Churchill Livingstone.

M.J.Pelezar. (1993). Microbiology. Tata McGraw hill.

M.T.Madigan, J. a. (1997). Biology of microorganisms. London: Prentice hall International Inc.

R.N.Atlas. (1984). Fundamentals and Applications. NewYork: MacMiHiam Publishing Co.