Microbes In Human Welfare – Notes

Microbes In Household Products
Lactobacillus, also known as lactic acid bacteria (LAB), helps make curd from milk.
Microbes help in curing of tea, cheese and tobacco.
Different varieties of cheese are distinguished by their characteristic texture, flavour and taste, all of which depend on he choice of microbe used.
Microbes also help in the making of food items like bread, idli-dosa, dhokla and khaman.
Several traditional drinks such as toddy are prepared by fermentation due to microbes.
Microbes are also used to ferment fish, soyabean and bamboo shoots to prepare different foods.

Microbes In Industrial Products
Saccharomyces cervisiae, also known as brewer’s yeast, ferments different malted cereals and fruit juices to produce ethanol.
Other than alcoholic beverages, microbes help in the industrial production of antibiotics, chemicals, enzymes and other such bioactive molecules.
Bacteria and fungi are also used in microbiological cultures, where they are grown on nutritive solutions and allowed to colonise so that they can be studied.