MICROORGANISMS AND

THEIR EFFECTS ON
LIVING THINGS

TOPIC 1.3 : USEFUL OF

MICROORGANISMS
 FOOD
DIGESTION

DECAYING
INDUSTRY PROCESS

USEFUL
OF
MICROORGANISMS

AGRICULTURE MEDICINE
 Food Digestion (Pencernaan
Makanan)
 Certain kinds of bacteria
live in the
human intestines and animals

 They help in : (i) digestion

(ii) destroying harmful organisms

 Intestinal bacteria also produces Vitamins

 Some bacteria such as Lactobacillus
acidophilus, L.bulgaricus, Bifidobacteria
and Streptococcus thermophilus are added
into food like yoghurt.

 Herbivores have a sac inside their body

called a caecum which contains bacteria.
That bacteria produces cellulase (enzyme
that breaks cellulose  glucose)
 Decaying Process (Proses
Pereputan)
 Many bacteria help decompose (break
down) dead organisms and animals
wastes into chemical compounds such as
ammonia

 Bacteria are used to break down the solid

wastes into harmless by-products such as
CO2
 Fungi can also break down the
complex animal and plant matter into
simple compounds
 The process of decomposition
enriches the soil and makes essential
substances available to plants in a
form that they can use.
 Medicine (Perubatan)
 Antibiotics are compounds that can
weaken or destroy other microorganisms
which can cause diseases

 Penicillium notatum is one of several

green moulds that produces antibiotic
called penicilin
 Some bacteria have been genetically
engineered to produce certain vaccines
that are used to prevent infectious
diseases

 Bacteria that have been engineered can

also produce insulin to treat diabetics
 Agriculture (Agrikultur)
 Bacteria and fungi break down dead plants and
animals releasing ammonia which adds nitrogen
into the soil

 The nitrogen-fixing bacteria change the ammonia

into nitrates, which are taken by plants.

 All plants need nitrates to make amino acids

 The bacteria live in the plants’ roots
called root nodules or legumes

 Microorganisms are also used in

agriculture as pesticides
 Industry (Industri)
 Certain bacteria are used in the production
of milk, yoghurt and cheese through a
chemical process called fermentation

 Several types of bacteria are also involved

in making vinegar soy sauce, chocolate
and certain B vitamins
 Bacteria are also used in the production of
citric acid, a compound that added to candy
and most of soft drinks

 Cheese manufactures add moulds (fungi) to

ripen the cheeses.

 Yeast causes the bread to rise by producing

carbon dioxide from the carbohydrates in the
dough.