Specimen Prep - Microbes in Human Welfare

Specimen Prep Guide: Microbes in Human Welfare

Key Concepts (Recall & Understanding)

• Household Products: Know the role of microbes in the production of curd, dough, toddy, and cheese.
• Industrial Products: Understand the role of microbes in the production of fermented beverages, antibiotics, organic acids, enzymes, and bioactive molecules.
• Sewage Treatment: Know the different stages of sewage treatment (primary, secondary, tertiary) and the role of microbes in each stage.
• Biogas Production: Understand the process of biogas production and the role of methanogens.
• Biocontrol Agents & Biofertilizers: Know the examples of microbes used as biocontrol agents and biofertilizers.

Application Corner

• Problem Type: Identifying the microbe responsible for the production of a particular product (e.g., Swiss cheese, penicillin).
• Example: Which microbe is used for the production of statins, a blood cholesterol-lowering agent? (Answer: Monascus purpureus).

Analytical Thinking

• Scenario: Why is the secondary treatment of sewage also called biological treatment?
• Analysis: Because it involves the use of aerobic microbes to break down the organic matter present in the sewage.
• Diagram Interpretation: Be able to interpret a diagram of a biogas plant.

Key Case Study

• The discovery of Penicillin: Alexander Fleming's accidental discovery of penicillin from the mold Penicillium notatum revolutionized medicine and ushered in the age of antibiotics.

Assertion-Reason Practice

1. Assertion: Biogas is a mixture of gases, predominantly methane. Reason: It is produced by the microbial activity of methanogens.

   • (a) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is the correct explanation for Assertion.

2. Assertion: The bacterium Propionibacterium shermanii is used in the production of Swiss cheese. Reason: The large holes in Swiss cheese are due to the production of a large amount of CO₂ by this bacterium.

   • (a) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is the correct explanation for Assertion.

HOTS (Higher-Order Thinking Skills) Question

• Why are organic farmers reluctant to use chemical pesticides?
  • Answer: Chemical pesticides can be toxic to non-target organisms, pollute the environment, and can accumulate in the food chain. Organic farmers prefer to use biocontrol agents, which are specific to the target pest and do not harm the environment.