Chapter – 2

Micro-organisms: Friend and Foe

1.Why are microorganisms called so?

Microorganisms or microbes are so small in size that they cannot be seen with
the unaided eye. Some of these, such as the fungus that grows on bread, can
be seen with a magnifying glass. Others cannot be seen without the help of a
microscope. That is why these are called microorganisms or microbes.
2.What are the major groups of microorganism?
Microorganisms are classified into four major groups. These groups are
bacteria, fungi, protozoa and some algae.

3.Write a note on viruses?

Viruses are also microscopic. They, however, reproduce only inside the cells of
the host organism, which may be a bacterium, plant or animal.Common
ailments like cold, influenza (flu) and most coughs are caused by viruses.
Serious diseases like polio and chicken pox are also caused by viruses.

4.Name some bacterial and protozoan diseases.

Diseases like dysentery and malaria are caused by protozoans whereas typhoid
and tuberculosis (TB) are bacterial diseases.
5. Where do Microorganisms Live?
Microorganisms can survive under all types of environment, ranging from ice
cold climate to hot springs and deserts to marshy lands. They are also found
inside the bodies of animals including humans. Some microorganisms grow on
other organisms while others exist freely. Microorganisms like amoeba can live
alone, while fungi and bacteria may live in colonies.
6.Name the bacteria found in curd.
Curd contains several microorganisms. Of these, the bacterium Lactobacillus
promotes the formation of curd. It multiplies in milk and converts it into curd.
7.What is Fermentation .Write an activity to show how sugar is fermented to
alcohol.
Process of conversion of sugar into alcohol is known as fermentation. Write
activity 2.4 from text
8.Discuss commercial use of microorganism.
Microorganisms are used for the large scale production of alcohol, wine and
acetic acid (vinegar). Yeast is used for commercial production of alcohol and
wine. For this purpose yeast is grown on natural sugars present in grains like
barley, wheat, rice and crushed fruit juices, etc.
9.What are antibiotics?Write its uses
Medicines that kill or stop the growth of the disease-causing microorganisms.
Such medicines are called antibiotics. These days a number of antibiotics are
being produced from bacteria and fungi. The antibiotics are manufactured by
growing specific microorganisms and are used to cure a variety of diseases.
Antibiotics are even mixed with the feed of livestock and poultry to check
microbial infection in animals. They are also used to control many plant
diseases. Eg:Streptomycin, tetracycline and erythromycin.
10.Describe how penicillin was discovered.
In 1929, Alexander Fleming was working on a culture of disease causing
bacteria. Suddenly he found the spores of a little green mould in one of his
culture plates. He observed that the presence of mould prevented the growth
of bacteria. In fact, it also killed many of these bacteria. From this the mould
penicillin was prepared.
11. Explain why antibiotics should be taken only on the advice of a qualified
doctor. Also state why you must finish the course prescribed by the doctor?
If you take antibiotics when not needed or in wrong doses, it may make the
drug less effective when you might need it in future. Also antibiotics taken
unnecessarily may kill the beneficial bacteria in the body. Antibiotics, however,
are not effective against cold and flu as these are caused by viruses.
12. Why are children/ infants given vaccination? or
How do vaccine work?
When a disease-carrying microbe enters our body, the body produces
antibodies to fight the invader. The body also remembers how to fight the
microbe if it enters again. So, if dead or weakened microbes are introduced in
a healthy body, the body fights and kills them by producing suitable antibodies.
The antibodies remain in the body and we are protected from the disease
causing microbes. This is how a vaccine works. Several diseases, including
cholera, tuberculosis, smallpox and hepatitis can be prevented by vaccination.
13.Who discovered vaccine forsmallpox?
Edward Jenner discovered the vaccine for smallpox in 1798.
14. How do large amounts of dead organic matter in the form of decaying
plants and sometimes dead animals on the ground disappear after some
time?
Microorganisms decompose dead organic waste of plants and animals
converting them into simple substances. These substances are again used by
other plants and animals. Thus, microorganisms can be used to degrade the
harmful and smelly substances and thereby clean up the environment.
15.Describe an activity to show that the polythene bags, empty glasses,
bottles and broken toy parts do not get decomposed by microbes?
copy activity 2.5
16.List down the uses Of Microorganisms

1.Curdling Of Milk

2.Fermentation

3.Digestion Of Food

4.Medicinal Use

5.Nitrogen Fixation

6.Gobar Gas Production (As Fuel)

7.Environmental Protection.

CBSE Class –VIII Science

NCERT SOLUTION
Chapter-2
Microorganisms: Friend and Foe

1. Fill in the blanks.

(a) Microorganisms can be seen with the help of a________________.

(b) Blue-green algae fix ______________ directly from air to enhance

fertility of soil.

(c) Alcohol is produced with the help of __________.

(d) Cholera is caused by  ____________.

Ans. Fill in the blanks.

(a) Microorganisms can be seen with the help of a microscope.

(b) Blue-green algae fix nitrogen directly from air to enhance fertility of soil.

(c) Alcohol is produced with the help of yeast.

(d) Cholera is caused by a bacteria.

2. Tick the correct answer.

(a) Yeast is used in the production of 

(i) Sugar  
(ii) alcohol
(iii) hydrochloric acid
(iv) oxygen

(b) The following is an antibiotic

(i) Sodium bicarbonate

(ii) Streptomycin
(iii) Alcohol  
(iv) Yeast

(c) Carrier of malaria-causing protozoan is

(i) Female Anopheles mosquito

(ii) cockroach
(iii) housefly    
(iv) butterfly

(d) The most common carrier of communicable diseases is

(i) ant   
(ii) housefly
(iii) dragonfly  
(iv) spider

(e)  The bread or idli dough rises because of

(i) heat  
(ii) grinding
(iii) growth of yeast cells  
(iv) kneading

(f) The process of conversion of sugar into alcohol is called

(i) nitrogen fixation 

(ii) moulding
(iii) fermentation 
(iv) infection.
Ans. (a) (ii) alcohol.

(b) (ii) Streptomycin

(c) (i) female anopheles mosquito

(d) (ii) housefly

(e) (iii) growth of yeast cells

(f) (iii) fermentation.

3. Match the organisms in Column A with their action in Column B.

   A     B
 (i) Bacteria    (a) Fixing nitrogen
 (ii) Rhizobium    (b) Setting curd
 (iii) Lactobacillus (c)  Baking bread
  (iv) Yeast     (d) Causing malaria
 (v) A protozoan    (e) Causing cholera
 (vi) A virus    (f) Causing AIDS
 (g) Producing
 
antibodies

Ans. Match the following:-

Column A Column B
(i) Bacteria  (e)Causing cholera 
(ii) Rhizobium  (a)Fixing nitrogen
(iii) Lactobacillus (b)Setting curd
(iv) Yeast   (c) Baking bread
(v) A protozoan  (d)Causing malaria
(vi) A virus  (f) Causing AIDS

4. Can microorganisms be seen with the naked eyes? If not, how can
they be seen?

Ans. Microorganisms are too small so they cannot be seen with naked eye.

They can be seen with the help of a magnifying glass or microscope.
5. What are the major groups of microorganisms?

Ans. The major groups of microorganisms are:

 Bacteria: They are single celled disease

causing microorganisms. They can be spiral or rodshaped.
 Fungi: They are mostly multicellular disease causing microbes.
Bread moulds are common examples of fungi.
 Protozoa: They mainly include organisms such as Amoeba,
Plasmodium,etc. They can be unicellular or multicellular.
 Virus: Viruses are disease causing microbes that reproduce only
inside the host organism.
 Algae: They include multicellular, photosynthetic organisms such as
Spirogyra, Chlamydomonas, etc.

6. Name the microorganisms which can fix atmospheric nitrogen in

the soil.

Ans. The microorganisms which can fix atmospheric nitrogen are

Rhizobium, Azatobactor, Blue green algae etc.

7. Write 10 lines on the usefulness of microorganisms in our lives.

Ans. The usefulness of microorganisms are as follows:

 Lactobacillus is used to form curd from milk.

 Rhizobium present in the roots of pulse plants fix nitrogen from air
and supply nitrogen compounds to the pulse plants.
 Microorganisms are also used in winemaking, baking, pickling, and
other food making processes.
 Alcoholic fermentation by yeast is widely used in the preparation of
wine and bread.
 Microbes are used to reduce pollution. For example, decomposers
such as bacteria and fungi break down dead bodies and excreta to
form inorganic compounds, which can be absorbed by plants.
 Microbes also play an important role in the preparation of medicines.
Antibiotics are chemicals produced by microorganisms to kill
bacteria. Penicillin is an antibiotic made from Penicilium.
 Bacteria present in our intestine helps in proper digestion and release
Vitamin B which is absorbed by intestine.
 Many vaccines are prepared from microorganisms. These vaccines
are given to children to protect them from disease.
  Certain microbes are also used in the biological treatment of sewage
and industrial effluents.
 Yeast is used in making idlis, bread, pastries and cakes.
 

8. Write a short paragraph on the harms caused by microorganisms?

Ans. Microorganisms cause diseases in animals. For example, in humans,

bacteria cause diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid, etc. In
cattle, the foot and mouth disease is caused by a virus. Also, several
microbes cause diseases in plants. For example, the productivity of wheat,
orange, apple, etc. is reduced due to microbial diseases in plants.
Certain microbes, on entering into our body, produce toxic
substances. This leads to food poisoning. Some microorganisms such
as fungus spoil our food. For example, bread when left unused under moist
conditions gets spoilt by fungus, producing a white cottonlike growth on the
bread.

9. What are antibiotics? What precautions must be taken while taking

antibiotics?

Ans. The medicines that kill or stop the growth of the disease-causing

microorganism are called antibiotic. Streptomycin, tetracycline,
erythromycin etc. are common antibiotics. They are manufactured by
growing specific micro-organisms and are used to cure a variety of
diseases.

Following precautions must be taken in using antibiotics-

 These medicines should be taken only on the advice of a qualified

doctor.
 One must finish the course prescribed by the doctor.
 If anybody takes antibiotics when not needed, his or her body may
develop resistance against that antibiotic.

ASSIGNMENT (DO IN CW NOTE BOOK ITSELF)

1.  Watering the crops is called:
      (a)   sowing
(b)   manuring
(c)   tilling
(d)   irrigation
1.  Spyrogyra is
      I.     An algae
      II.    A fungi
      III.   A protozoa
      IV.   A bacteria
2.  Vaccine for small pox is discorvered by
      I.      Louis Pasteur
      II.    Alexander Fleming
      III.   Edward Jenner
      IV.   John Mendal
3.  Amount of nitrogen in the atmosohere is
      I.      58%
      II.    68%
      III.   78%
      IV.   88%
4.  Mushroom belongs to
      I.      Algae
      II.    Virus
      III.   Fungi
      IV.   None of these
5.  Amoeba belongs to
      I.      Algae
      II.    Fungi
      III.   Protozoa
      IV.   Virus
6.  Scientist who discovered fermentation is
      I.      Alexander Fleming
      II.    Louis Pasteur
      III.   John Mendal
       IV.   Edward Jenner
7.   Rhizobium becteria
      I.      Help in digestion
      II.    Help in nitrogen fixation
      III.   Cause diseases
      IV.   All of the above
8.  Malaria Is caused by
      I.      Protozoa
      II.    Virus
      III.   Algae
      IV.   Bacteria
9.  Penicillium is a
      I.      Algae
      II.    Fungus
      III.   Bacteria
      IV.   Yeast
10.  Microorganisms are
      I.      Unicellular
      II.    Multi-cellular
      III.   Both
      IV.   None of these

 1. What are viruses? Name some common diseases in human

caused by virus.
2.  Explain the formation of curd from the milk.
3.  Mention some beneficial effects of bacteria.
4.  Explain the discovery of Pencillin.
5.  How do microorganisms spoil food?
6.  What are carriers of disease causing microbes? Explain with
the help of two examples.
7.  Explain nitrogen cycle and draw a schematic diagram of
nitrogen cycle.
8.  Name some common plant diseases their causative
microorganisms mode of transmission with the help of the figures.
9.  Explain the uses of Bacteria, Fungi and Algae.
10.  What are food preservatives? Explain some common food
preservatives

SELF TEST (TO BE DONE IN TEST NOTE BOOK)

1.  What are food preservatives? Name some common food
preservatives.
      2 marks
2.  Draw a systematic diagram of nitrogen cycle and explain it.
      4 marks
3.  Explain the process of Pasteurization in brief.
      3 marks
4.  Explain in detail how vaccination works?
      3 marks
5.  What are good microorganisms? Explain some of the uses of
good microorganisms.
      2 marks
6.  Explain various types of bacteria.
      4 marks
7.  What are food poisoning and food preservation (short notes)?
      4 marks
8.  Explain the discovery of Penicillin.
      3 marks
9.  What are antibiotics? Explain with the help of examples.
      3 marks
10.  What are harmful microorganisms? Explain by giving the
example of two diseasecarrying microbes.
          5 marks
11.  What are the indications required to detect spoilage in food?

Answers
      1)     II
      2)     III
      3)     III
      4)     III
      5)     III
      6)     II
      7)     II
      8)     I
      9)     II
      10)  II