Fungi: Yeast is
used in the production of alcohol; and raising dough in baking; production of
vitamins B2 and B12 and for beer brewing; some mushrooms
are used as food; Saprophytic fungi such as Mucor
spp/Rhizopus spp cause food
spoilage; are also used in retting of natural fibres such as flax; and in the
curing of tea and tobacco; The fungi also decompose organic matter helping to
clean the environment and recycle materials. Saprophytic fungi are also used to
make silage; compost; and digesting sewage in sewage treatment plants; Penicillium spp is used for the
manufacture of antibiotics; Fungi is used for making ghee and cheese in
dairies; parasitic fungisuch as Phytophthora
spp infest crops e.g. potatoes and tomatoes and destroy them/cause blight;
somefungi such as Aspergillus spp
produce food poisons and is also used in the synthesis of enzyme amylase;
Mycorrizae fungi enable trees e.g. pinus to absorb water amd mineral salts more
efficiently in silviculture/man-made forests; some fungi such as and Tinus spp cause diseases such as yeast
infections (Candidiasis, ‘Athlete’s foot’) and ‘ringworms’ respectively; some Candida spp is used in making enriched food/single-celled proteins used in
animal feeds/silage; Gibberella spp
is used in the synthesis of Gibberellins for plant growth; it also causes poor
crop growth through bolting of plants e.g. rice and wheat;
Bacteria: Some
bacteria e.g. Vibrio spp cause
disease to humans and other animals (any one disease); Clostridium spp and Bacillus
spp bacteria are used in retting of flax; Lactobacillus spp are important in the manufacture of
yoghurt/silage; and lactic acid; some bacteria e.g. Streptomyces are used in making antibiotics (Streptomycin); organic
acids such ac acetic and ethanoic acids are made using Acetobacter spp of bacteria; some bacteria like the soil bacteria
(Bacillus spp) make enzymes
used in detergents; Escherichia coli (E.
coli)/colon bacteria contaminates drinking water and may cause diseases;
bacteria such as Bacillus spp and are
used in making hormones such as insulin through genetic
engineering/modification; all saprophytic bacteria such as E. coli/Bacillus spp/Pseudomonas spp are used in the production of
methane/biogas; Rhizobium spp of
bacteria helps in nitrogen fixation making soils fertile;
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