CHAPTER 08: DYNAMIC ECOSYSTEM

P R E PA R E D B Y M . I R FA N
Microorganisms are widely used in the field of biotechnology.

Biotechnology is defined as the application

of organisms or microorganisms or
biological processes in the production of
materials for use in medicine and industry.

Production of antibiotics, vaccines and hormones

Production of energy from biomass

Cleaning of oil spills

Wa s t e t r e a t m e n t

Food processing

Production of biodegradable plastic (bioplastic)

Production of antibiotics, vaccines and hormones

1. Antibiotics are obtained from

microorganisms.
2. Common antibiotics include
streptomycin which is produced by
Streptomyces sp. and penicillin which is
produced by Penicillium
chrysogenum. They are used to treat
various infections.

1. An example of vaccine produced

commercially is the Sabine vaccine
which is used to treat poliomyelitis.
2. Genetically modified bacteria are also
used to produce the insulin hormone
on a large scale.
A hormone made by the pancreas that allows your
body to use sugar (glucose) from carbohydrates in
the food that you eat for energy or to store
glucose for future use. Insulin helps to keep your
blood sugar level from getting too high
(hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia).
PRODUCTION OF ENERGY FROM BIOMASS

1. Two sources of energy that are generated through the activities

of microorganisms are biogas and gasohol
2. Biogas is a gas produced by the anaerobic fermentation of
organic matter or waste in a bioreactor. This gas is similar to
natural gas.
3. The fermentation of organic matter involves the use of different
communities of microorganisms at different stages. Biogas,
which is accumulated at the top of the bioreactor, is collected
and used as domestic fuel or compressed in cylinders to be
used in cars and tractors.
4. Gasohol or biofuel is a combination of 10% ethanol and
90% petrol.
5. Sugar cane and maize are the main sources of gasohol. The
cane or maize is crushed and the sucrose is extracted to form a
sweet syrup.
6. This syrup contains glucose and fructose which when fermented
by yeast, will produce ethanol. The ethanol is distilled before it is
used.
7. Gasohol is used widely as fuel or as an alternative to petrol in
some countries.
 Oil spills at the sea are the result of collisions between the oil
tankers and other ocean vessels.

Instead of using chemicals which are usually harmful to marine

ecosystems, spills can be cleaned by using genetically engineered
bacteria.

When sprayed on the surface of oil spills, these bacteria convert the
oil into less harmful molecules which are environment friendly.

Cleaning of oil spills

 W A S T E T R E AT M E N T

1. Sewage is waste matter from

6. Here, anaerobic bacteria
households and industries.
continue to decompose the organic
matter to methane and carbon
2. It is rich in organic matter, bacteria and
dioxide, along with water and other
other microorganisms.
minerals
3. Sewage from various households and
7. The methane gas is collected and
industries is piped into large settling
used as fuel for the engine pumps
tanks in sewage treatment plants.
in the sewage plants.
4. In the waste treatment process, millions
8. The digested sludge is rich in
of aerobic bacteria in the sewage
nitrates and phosphates and when it
decompose the organic matter in the
is tried, it can be used as fertilizers
presence of oxygen.
by the farmers.
5. Most of the sludge that settles to the
bottom of the settling tanks is pumped
into sedimentation tanks where
fermentation takes place.
.
 FOOD PROCESSING
1. The commercial use of microorganisms in food processing is
based on fermentation.

2. The main ingredients of bread are yeast, flour, sugar and water. The
most commonly used species of yeast in bread making is
Saccaharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast).

3. The yeast produces enzymes which break down starch into

glucose. Fermentation by the yeast produces carbon dioxide which
helps the dough to rise.

4. Beer is brewed from barley grains. In commercial beer-making, two

commonly used yeast species are the Saccharomyces cervisiae and
Saccharomyces carlsbergensis (brewer’s yeas)
 Wine is made through the
fermentation of grape juices.
During fermentation, ethanol and
carbon dioxide are released.

Soya sauce is made from soya

beans fermented by the action of
fungi

Yoghurt is made from the fermentation of milk by

bacteria such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and
Streptococcus Thermophillus. These bacteria
convert sugar into lactic acid with coagulates casein
(milk protein), producing thick creamy yoghurt.

Cheese is made by mixing bacteria (for example,

Streptococcus sp.) with rennin. The bacteria
ferment milk sugar to lactic acid. The solid part of
the milk (the curd) is separated from the liquid
portion (the whey). The curds are pressed and
moulded and then left to mature/ripen.
 A specific nutrient Bioplastic such as The species of
(nitrogen) is then Biopol can be bacteria
PRODUCTION OF
depleted from the broken down into commonly used
BIODEGRADABLE
cultured medium. inorganic in producing
PLASTIC
compounds by bioplastic is the
(BIOPLASTIC)
certain bacteria. Erwina sp.

The bacteria Bioplastic is

Bioplastic is used
react by It calls bioplastic produced by
to make credit
producing has been culturing bacteria
cards and bottles.
bioplastic as a successfully in a nutrient-rich
Some bioplastic
storage produced. medium (glucose)
is used to make
component in on a large scale.
medical gums.
their cells.