MP Board · Class 12 · Biology · Microbes in Human WelfareExplain in detail the role of microbes in household food processing and industrial production. Give suitable examples.
Step-by-Step Solution
Role of Microbes in Household Food Processing\nMicrobes play a vital role in our daily lives, particularly in the preparation of various food items. The most common example is the conversion of milk into curd by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) such as Lactobacillus. These bacteria multiply in milk and produce acids that coagulate and partially digest the milk proteins. Curd is more nutritious than milk as it increases vitamin B12 manifold. Similarly, the dough used for making foods such as dosa and idli is fermented by bacteria, producing carbon dioxide gas which gives the puffy appearance to the dough. Baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is used for fermenting bread dough. Fermented foods like Toddy, a traditional drink of southern India, are made by fermenting sap from palms.
Role of Microbes in Industrial Production\nIn industries, microbes are used on a large scale to synthesize a variety of products valuable to human beings. Fermentors, which are large vessels, are used for this purpose.
- Fermented Beverages: Brewers yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is used for fermenting malted cereals and fruit juices to produce ethanol. Depending on the type of raw material used and the type of processing, different alcoholic drinks are obtained (wine and beer are produced without distillation, whereas whisky, brandy, and rum are produced by distillation).
- Antibiotics: Antibiotics are chemical substances produced by some microbes that can kill or retard the growth of other disease-causing microbes. Penicillin was the first antibiotic discovered by Alexander Fleming from Penicillium notatum.
- Chemicals, Enzymes, and other Bioactive Molecules: Microbes are used to produce organic acids (like citric acid by Aspergillus niger, acetic acid by Acetobacter aceti), enzymes (like lipase, streptokinase), and bioactive molecules (like cyclosporin A and statins which act as blood-cholesterol lowering agents).
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