Microbes in Human Welfare Test - 1

The main aim of use of herbicide resistant genetically modified crops is to reduce the herbicide accumulation in food particles for health safety. The substances that are used to destroy weeds are known as herbicides.

Yeast is used in the production of bread and beer (baking and brewing industry). S. cerevisiae is known as baker's yeast and S. ellipsoidens is known as wine yeast.

Azolla pinnata (species of fern) is an important biofertiliser for paddy crops. This property is due to the presence of nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria.

Methane producing organisms (bacteria) called methanogens are most abundant in a cattle yard. These organisms (methanogens) are present in the gut of several ruminant animals (cows and buffaloes), responsible for the production of biogas (methane).

Monascus purpureus is a yeast used in the production of blood cholesterol lowering statins. Statins are the products of fermentation by yeast Monascus purpureus, which inhibits cholesterol synthesis (Lovastatin, Pravastatin, etc.).

Biological treatment of wastewater or secondary treatment of sewage depletes 90-95% of the BOD and many pathogens are also removed.

Trichoderma harzianum has proved to be a useful microorgnism for biological control of soil-borne plant pathogens.

Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium used to control insect pests.

Rhizobium is a symbiotic bacterium found in root nodules of legume. Soybean is a legume. Thus, rhizobium is used as a biofertiliser for the yield of Soybean crop.

A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a green plant and a fungus. The plant makes organic molecules such as sugars by photosynthesis and supplies them to the fungus, and the fungus supplies to the plant water and mineral nutrients, such as phosphorus, taken from the soil.