The Small And Negatively Talked About Things You Would Be Dead Without

They are small and we never see them as being of any good, that if we can see them at all. We only talk about them negatively, parroting the disadvantage we derive from them. However we owe them our very lives. What could these things be?

Although they are usually unicellular and too small to be seen with our naked eye, Microorganisms play very important role in the ecosystem of the planet earth. To be candid, if there were no microorganisms on earth, the ecosystem including human life would have long gone on extinction. What are the basic facts about them? What role do they play in the ecosystem?

Some simple facts about microorganisms

Though they are very small but they possess proper functions of life.

They contain proper double stranded DNA which has the complete genetic information in it.

They can be found in any habitat whether it is very cold environment or very hot environment for example, deserts, rocks, ice and many other areas.

They simply divide by cell division.

Functions Of microorganism in our ecosystem

There are many important functions of the microorganisms in the ecosystem of the earth. Some of them are as follows.

Decompositions

Microorganisms are the main source of decomposition. When an animal or human die, they penetrate in their bodies and deep inside, they start digesting the dead skin and other organs. When the microorganisms decompose a body, in that process many useful nutrients are released from the body which help in many processes. If there were no microorganisms then it would be impossible for the dead body to decompose and nutrients replenished to the soil. The would be stocked with tonnes upon tonnes of dead matter and waste. what a horrible place the would have been. Due to the process of decomposition by microorganisms, the soil becomes fertile and is thus suitable for the production of plants. In simple words, the soil cannot be fertilized without microorganisms.

Production of Oxygen

Another area in which microorganisms play an important is the production of oxygen. The rainforests are considered to be the lungs of the world but still they provide half of the oxygen, the other half is provided by the microorganisms. It is a fact that microorganisms are the source of producing oxygen in the environment. Single celled green plants especially include in this category of microorganisms like cyanobacteria and blue green algae. The habitat of these plants is the oceans, lakes and ponds. It is not that these plants only produce oxygen but they also produce food that is why they are called as autotrophs. So a world without microorganisms would be an oxygen deficient world since even the rainforest would not survive without nutrients from the soil which are provided by decomposition carried out by microorganisms

Microorganism are also responsible for the cycling of many other important compounds in — and between — ecosystems, including oxygen, carbon and nitrogen. Many microbes use the energy of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, which we need to breathe. As they do this, they create new organic material — themselves — which are then eaten by other organisms. In this way, the cycling of nutrients and energy continues.

Parasitic nature of microorganisms

Though it seems negative of the microorganisms that they cause diseases to living organisms due to the parasitic characteristics in them, but if we see from other aspect, they are the cause of bringing evolution of many species because weak organisms die out due to the disease and strong and beneficent organisms are left out in the ecosystem. It is their parasitic nature which kills the weaker members of a specie from the community and leaves enough food for the strong to survive so that they can grow and reproduce efficiently and healthily, breeding a stronger next generation.

Symbiotic properties

One more important role of the microorganisms is that they create symbiotic relationship with higher organisms like cows and camels and sheep etc. when cow eats grass, it cannot digest it independently but there are certain microbes involved which help it to digest the food. Another of such point is when termites eat wood. Termites are not able to digest wood they eat but there is a special microorganism in their gut which helps to digest wood. Now to humans, when humans are concerned, they are also not able to digest their food without microbes. There is bacterial specie in our intestine E.coli which helps to digest the food properly.

Plants also create symbiotic relationships with microorganisms. For example, higher plants have fungi which live in their roots. It helps plant to grow by providing nutrients to it and in return it takes its food from the plant. Similarly some bacteria live in the legumes roots. They help them to take nitrogen that is present in the soil. Similarly there are some microorganisms which help create symbiotic relationship with the marine ecosystem.

Microorganism and our industries

Microbes are so efficient at what they do that scientists use them in many industrial applications. Decomposing microbes are active in wastewater treatment plants, composting facilities and landfills. They break down food scraps and waste materials into compost or fertilizer that can be used on gardens or in agriculture. Some industrial facilities capture methane gas that is produced during certain types of decomposition. The methane can then be used to make ethanol for cars or to generate electricity.

Many types of scientific research involve altering the DNA of microbes, or using their DNA to alter other organisms. By changing the DNA sequence of microbes, scientists can use them to create compounds that the microbes would not normally produce. This includes medical products like insulin, or sources of fuel. Microbes are also used to change the DNA sequence of other organisms, such as changing plants to become resistant to insects or viruses.