• Viruses can only be seen with an electron microscope.

Bacteria: Cholera, Typhoid, Tuberculosis

Protozoa: Malaria

Virus: Hepatitis A, chicken pox, Polio, Measles

Fungi: Food poisoning, Ringworm

Where do Microorganisms Live?

Microbes can survive in all kinds of environments – from icy cold climates to hot springs (any kind of
temperature); and deserts to marshy lands (any humidity level). Some live independently while others
live as parasites – inside the bodies of other organisms (including animals and human beings).

Streptomycin, tetracycline and erythromycin are some of the commonly known antibiotics.

Non-Communicable Disease

The diseases that do not spread through sick to a healthy person are called non – communicable
diseases. We can also say that the non-communicable diseases are those which cannot be transferred
from one person to another person. For example: Lung Cancer or liver damage.

Preventing the spread of Communicable diseases:

Some simple methods of limiting the spread of communicable diseases are:

✓ To keep the infected person separated from others and to advice him/ her to keep a handkerchief on
the nose and mouth while sneezing.

✓ To keep our environment or surrounding clean.

✓ Never let garbage collect in the neighbourhood.

✓ Timely vaccination against diseases.

✓ To prevent mosquitoes from breeding, we should not allow water to collect anywhere in our
neighborhood.

Diseases Caused by Microorganisms in Animals

Anthrax: A dangerous disease that affects human and cattle caused by a bacterium called Bacillus
Anthracis. Foot and mouth disease in Cattle: It is caused by a virus called Foot-and-mouth-disease Virus
(FMDV).

Q8. Why are children vaccinated?

A8.A vaccine contains an agent that resembles disease-causing microorganisms and is often made from
weakened or killed forms of the microbes. The agent stimulates the body’s immune system to recognise
the agent as a threat which can then destroy it, and keep a record of it so that the immune system can
more easily recognise and destroy any of these microorganisms that it may encounter later. Vaccination
develops immunity of the body against several diseases. Therefore, children are vaccinated.

o Bacteria are one of the oldest life forms

o They inhabit soil, water, radioactive waste & the deep portions
of Earth's crust. In fact, they also live in plant /animal bodies
o They live in colonies

o Some of them are autotrophic (prepare their own food), while

others are heterotrophic (depend on others for their food)

o Fungi are multicellular e. they are made up of multiple cells

o They are Heterotrophic (Depend on others for their food)
o They live in colonies and prefer warm & moist places to grow
o They are immobile

PROTOZOA
o Some of them are autotrophic (prepare their own food), while
others are heterotrophic (depend on others for their food)
o They prefer moist & aquatic habitats

o They can live singly, unlike bacteria & fungi

o Algae
o They are multicellular i.e. Made of multiple cells

o They prefer mostly aquatic habitats

o Some common examples of protozoa are: Spirogyra, Ulothrix,

Chlamydomonas
 Following changes lead to the formation of curd from milk:
o A small amount of curd (starter) is added to milk
o Lactobacillus (present in curd) converts sugars in milk (Lactose) into
lactic acid
o Lactic acid imparts sour taste to curd

o Increased acidity causes milk proteins (casein) to turn into solid

masses. This changes the texture of curd.
Yeast is used as a raising agent in baking. Most commonly used
yeast is Saccharomyces cerevisiae .
These Urad seeds contain Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB).
Alexander Fleming, a Scottish scientist discovered the first antibiotic &
named it ‘Penicillin’.

Penicillin discovery was ‘a chance’ discovery. Fleming was

experimenting with Staphylococcus bacteria. A petridish (cell culture
dish) had been left open by mistake, was found to be contaminated by
blue-green mold. This visible mold growth inhibited bacterial growth
around itself.
 Fleming concluded that mould released a substance that inhibited
bacterial growth. This substance was the antibiotic which was named
‘Penicillin’ after the mold Penicillium notatum.
o Penicillin was named after Penicillium notatum

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is popularly termed as Brewer’s yeast.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae ferment fruit juices & malted cereals.
Molecules like glucose, fructose and sucrose are converted into
C2H5OH and CO2 and release energy. Yeasts perform this conversion
in absence of oxygen.
C6H12O6 --> 2C2H5OH + 2CO2
This reaction takes place in presence of enzyme Zymase. Alcohol
(Ethanol) is produced as a result if this reaction. CO2 released is used
as raising agent in making bread.
Several chemicals are produced by Microbes like organic acids,
enzymes and alcohol. Some of the examples of microbes which
produce various organic acids are as follows:
o Lactobacillus Lactic acid
o Acetobacter aceti Acetic acid

o Clostridium butylicum Butyric acid

o Aspergillus niger Citric acid

Diseases in Humans: Typhoid

o Pathogen
o Bacteria, Salmonella typhi
o Pathogen’s entry
o Contaminated food & water

o Primarily reach small intestine

o Symptoms

o High fever

o Headache

o Weakness

o Stomachache

o Constipation

o Loss of appetite

o Treatment

o Diagnosed using Blood culture/ Urine culture or Widal test

o Treated with a course of antibiotic medication

Diseases in Humans: Pneumonia

o Pathogen

o Bacteria, Streptococcus pneumoniae

o Bacteria, Haemophilus influenzae

o Pathogen’s entry
o Through contaminated air

o Inhalation of droplets released by infected person

o Primarily reach lungs

o Alveoli gets infected

o Symptoms
o High fever

o Chills

o Cough

o Short of breath
 o Headache
o Bluish lips & finger nails
o Weakness

o Treatment
o Diagnosed using Urine test/Mucous test/ Chest X-ray

o Treated with a course of antibiotic medication

Diseases in Humans: Common Cold

o Pathogen

o Viruses (e.g: Rhino virus)

o Pathogen’s entry
o Through contaminated air/ objects

o Inhalation of droplets released by infected person

o Nose & respiratory passage gets infected

o Lungs remain unaffected

o Symptoms
o Sore throat

o Cough

o Headache

o Nasal congestion

o Nasal discharge

o Hoarseness

o Treatment
 o Treated with medication like pain killers, cough syrups
or nasal sprays
o Antibiotics do not help a viral infection

o Pathogen
o Protozoa, Plasmodium

(P. vivax, P. falciparum, P. malaria)

o Pathogen’s entry
o Through bite of female Anopheles mosquito

o Female Anopheles mosquito acts as Transmitting agent

o RBCs are ruptured

o Symptoms
o High fever

o Chills

o Headache

o Bodyache

o Nausea

o Vomiting

o Treatment
o Diagnosed using Blood tests & Liver Function tests

o Treated with anti-malarial drugs

Lifecycle of Malarial parasite

 Plasmodium parasite has 2 hosts. This parasite spends half of
its lifecycle inside human beings & the remaining half inside
mosquitoes. Thus, Humans & mosquitoes are two hosts of
Plasmodium parasite.
1. Mosquito bites an infected person
2. Takes up gametocytes
3. Development of gametocytes occurs in mosquito
4. Sporozoites are formed & stored in salivary glands of
mosquitoes
5. The same mosquito then bites a normal person
6. Injects the sporozoites
7. Development of the sporozoites occur in liver cells inside the
body of that person
8. RBCs rupture, the person thus suffers from malaria
9. Gametocytes are formed, which get picked up by mosquitoes
when they bite this person again.

Diseases in Humans: Cholera

o Pathogen

o Bacteria, Vibrio cholerae

o Pathogen’s entry
o Contaminated food & water

o Pathogen releases toxin in intestine

o Symptoms

o Watery diarrhea

o Vomiting

o Dehydration

o Weakness

o Muscle cramps

o Thirst

o Treatment

o Oral/ intravenous solutions to compensate for

dehydration
o Extreme cases can be treated with antibiotic
medication
Diseases in Humans: Measles
o Pathogen

o Virus, paramyxovirus

o Pathogen’s entry
o Transmitted through droplets from nose/ throat/ mouth

o Highly infectious
 o Children are more prone to infection
Symptoms
Dry cough
o

o Watery eyes

o Sneezing

o Mild fever

Treatment
Treated with medication like cough syrups, paracetamol
o
or Vitamin A supplements
o Antibiotics do not help a viral infection

Diseases in Humans: Chicken pox

o Pathogen

o Virus, varicella

o Pathogen’s entry
o Transmitted through droplets from sneeze/cough or
contact
o Highly infectious as long as rashes exist

o Symptoms
o Itchy rash

o Fever

o Loss of appetite
 o Headache
o Cough
o Sore throat

o Treatment
o Treated with anti-viral; drugs

o Antibiotics do not help a viral infection

iseases in Animals: Anthrax

o Pathogen
o Bacterium, Bacillus anthracis

o Pathogen’s entry
o Very common in farm animals (cattle)

o Transmitted through direct contact, inhaling or ingesting

the pathogen

o Symptoms
o No prominent initial symptoms

o Swollen affected area

o Bleeding through body openings

o Difficulty in breathing

o Fever

o Fatal & can cause death

o Treatment
 o Completely treated if medication given at an early stage
o Effective vaccine available

iseases in Animals: Foot & Mouth disease

o Pathogen

o Virus (7 types exists)

o Pathogen’s entry
o Transmitted through saliva, mucus, milk or faeces

o Infection spreads through inhalation/ ingestion / direct

contact
o Common in cattle, pigs, sheep

o Symptoms
o Fever

o Decreased milk production

o Weight loss

o Loss of appetite

o Lameness

o Treatment
o Completely treated if medication given at an early stage

o Vaccination available for prevention against certain

stains of pathogen
revention of Infectious diseases in animals

Following things should be taken care to prevent the spread

of infectious diseases in animals:
oProper feeding of cattle
o Maintain hygiene

o Regular checkup by veterinary doctor

o Isolation of an infected animal

o Timely vaccination of animals

Diseases in Plants: Rust of Wheat

o Pathogen

o Puccinia rust fungus

o Puccinia triticina causes 'black rust',
o Recondite causes 'brown rust'
o Striiformis causes 'Yellow rust'

o Pathogen’s entry
o Transmission via soil through infectious spores

o Symptoms
o Small elevated structures (pustules) on leaf blades

o Patches formed in extreme cases

o Pustules on stems

o Treatment
o Applying fungicides at an early stage can be helpful

o
Diseases in Plants: Late blight of potato
o Pathogen

o Fungus-like organism, Phytophthora infestans

o Pathogen’s entry
o Infectious spores transmitted by water/ wind

o Wet/ humid conditions favor infection

o Affects potato, tomato etc.

o Symptoms
o Potato leaf lesions

o Reddish brown discoloration of potato tuber

o Brown lesions on stem

o Treatment
o Applying appropriate fungicides at appropriate time can
be helpful

Diseases in Plants: Citrus Canker

o Pathogen

o Bacterium, Xanthomonas axonopodis

o Pathogen’s entry
o Entry through stomata/ wounds on leaves

o Infection can spread through rain/ wind or contaminated

equipments
o Affects citrus plants

o Symptoms
o Premature fall of leaves

o Lesions on leaves, stems & fruits

o Premature drop of fruits

o Treatment
o No specific treatment procedure so far

o Citrus farming becomes difficult & expensive

o Sodium metabishulphite HELPS IN PRESERVING

o Dried fruits/ vegetables, syrups, fruit juices