Question

Why are microorganisms important in our daily life?

Answer 1

Even though micro-organisms cannot be seen by our naked eyes, they are very important for us for things from food to medicines and from beverages to de-composting our waste.

Complete answer: Microorganisms play a very important role in our daily lives. Some micro-organisms like Lactobacilli help in the fermentation process of curd. Micro-organisms like yeast, release carbon-dioxide when they respire which makes cake and dhoklas fluffy and soft. Micro-organisms are also used to ferment raw materials used for making beverages like wine and beer.
-An entire industry of dairy works on microorganisms where they help in making dairy-based products from milk like curd, yogurt, paneer, cheese, buttermilk, etc. Micro-organisms also have medicinal uses. The toxins and chemicals made by them have very efficient antibiotic properties which are used in the manufacturing of antibiotic medicines.
-These compounds are added to drugs for fighting against invading pathogens. Some of the commonly used antibiotics are penicillin, streptomycin, neomycin, etc. The probiotic medicines which are consumed for improving the gut microflora which is a colony of good bacteria are also made using these microorganisms. These are also consumed for improving immunity and digestive health.
-Various kinds of organic acids like acidic acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, etc, are made using these organisms. They are also used in the process of food preservation. Vitamins like vitamin B, C, D are also manufactured by using these microorganisms. They are also used for decomposing the garbage and waste we produce and help in keeping our environment clean. And hence microorganisms are important in our daily life.

Note: The word Microorganism is made up of two words, ‘micro’ means tiny or small and ‘organism’ means living creature. This class of living creatures contains bacteria, fungus, alga, viruses, and protozoa. Some of these microorganisms can also be bad when they are disease-causing.