Microorganisms In Our Environment

ABSTRACT

Microbes and their biosynthetic capabilities have been invaluable in finding solutions for several intractable problems mankind has encountered in maintaining the quality of the environment. They have, for example, been used to positive effect and also negative effect in human and animal health, genetic engineering, environmental protection, and municipal and industrial waste treatment. Microorganisms have enabled feasible and cost-effective responses which would have been impossible via straightforward chemical or physical engineering methods. Microbial technologies have of late been applied to a range of environmental problems, with considerable success.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWELDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

1.0      INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

• STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
• AIM OF THE STUDY
• OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
• LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
• SCOPE OF THE STUDY
• METHODOLOGY
• PROJECT ORGANISATION

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

• OVERVIEW OF MICROORGANISM
• HISTORICAL AND DISCOVERY BACKGROUND OF MICROBES
• CLASSIFICATION AND STRUCTURE OF MICROORGANISMS
• ECOLOGY OF MICROORGANISMS
• APPLICATIONS OF MICROORGANISMS
• THE IMPACT OF MICROBES ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES

CHAPTER THREE

3.0      RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

• INTRODUCTION
• STUDY AREA
• SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
• MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
• ANALYSIS OF DATA

CHAPTER FOUR

4.1      RESULT AND DISCUSSION

CHAPTER FIVE

• CONCLUSION
• REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                        INTRODUCTION

1.1                                               BACKGROUND  OF STUDY

Microorganisms is a microscopic organism, which may be a single cell or multicellular organism. The study of microorganisms is called microbiology, a subject that began with Antonie van Leeuwenhoek’s discovery of microorganisms in 1675, using a microscope of his own design.

Microorganisms are very diverse and include all of the bacteria and archaea and almost all of the protozoa. They also include some members of the fungi, algae, and animals such as rotifers. Many macro animals and plants have juvenile stages which are also microorganisms. Some microbiologists also classify viruses as microorganisms, but others consider these as nonliving. Most microorganisms are microscopic, but there are some bacteria such as Thiomargarita namibiensis and some protozoa such as Stentor, which are macroscopic and visible to the naked eye.

Environmental microbiology is the study of the composition and physiology of microbial communities in the environment. The environment in this case means the soil, water, air and sediments covering the planet and can also include the animals and plants that inhabit these areas. Environmental microbiology also includes the study of microorganisms that exist in artificial environments such as bioreactors.

Molecular biology has revolutionized the study of microorganisms in the environment and improved our understanding of the composition, phylogeny, and physiology of microbial communities. The current molecular toolbox encompasses a range of DNA-based technologies and new methods for the study of RNA and proteins extracted from environmental samples. Currently there is a major emphasis on the application of “omics” approaches to determine the identities and functions of microbes inhabiting different environments.

Microbial life is amazingly diverse and microorganisms literally cover the planet. It is estimated that we know fewer than 1% of the microbial species on Earth. Microorganisms can survive in some of the most extreme environments on the planet and some can survive high temperatures, often above 100°C, as found in geysers, black smokers, and oil wells. Some are found in very cold habitats and others in highly salt|saline, acidic, or alkaline water.

An average gram of soil contains approximately one billion (1,000,000,000) microbes representing probably several thousand species. Microorganisms have special impact on the whole biosphere. They are the backbone of ecosystems of the zones where light cannot approach. In such zones, chemosynthetic bacteria are present which provide energy and carbon to the other organisms there. Some microbes are decomposers which have ability to recycle the nutrients. So, microbes have a special role in biogeochemical cycles. Microbes, especially bacteria, are of great importance in the sense that their symbiotic relationship (either positive or negative) have special effects on the ecosystem.

Microorganisms are cost effective agents for in-situ remediation of domestic, agricultural and industrial wastes and subsurface pollution in soils, sediments and marine environments. The ability of each microorganism to degrade toxic waste depends on the nature of each contaminant. Since most sites are typically comprised of multiple pollutant types, the most effective approach to microbial biodegradation is to use a mixture of bacterial species/strains, each specific to the degradation of one or more types of contaminants. It is vital to monitor the composition of the indigenous and added bacterial consortium in order to evaluate the activity level of the bacteria, and to permit modifications of the nutrients and other conditions for optimizing the bioremediation process.

1.2                                          STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Safe food is a basic human right despite many foods are frequently contaminated with naturally occurring pathogenic microorganisms. Such pathogens cannot be detected organoleptically (seen, smelled or tasted), but can cause disease of varying severity, including death specially if the way they are conserved during exposition for sales provides conditions for those microorganisms to grow and reach considerable levels of contamination. Thus, food safety issues are of major importance to world health (WHO, 2000).

The global incidence of food borne illnesses is difficult to estimate but it has been reported that in 2000 alone 2.1 million people died from diarrhoeal diseases. A great proportion of these cases can be attributed to contamination of pastry food. This study evaluates different microorganism found in our environment in different city of Owerri.

1.3                          AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The aim of this work is to study the effects of microbes derive from their metabolic activities in the environment, their associations with plants and animals, and from their use in food production and biotechnological processes.

At the end of this work. The student involved will be able to:

1. To isolate and identify how micro-organism affects our environment.
2. To isolate and identify it those micro-organisms are responsible for the spoilage
3. To compare the extent of spoilage in the area of colection (tree) with that of market Grow microorganisms found in our
4. Introduction to microorganisms
5. The effect of microorganism on human health
6. How to carry out microorganism test on pastry foods

1.3      HYPOTHESIS

HO:     Microbial organisms do not cause spoilage in our environment at either in the field or during exposure for sale.

Hg       = Microorganisms (Fungi and Bacteria) are responsible for spoilage in our environment.

1.4                                           SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be useful to farmers, fruit juice industries and consumers of food. T he outcome of this research will guide users environment on the best method of preserving to avoid spoilage, the research work also will add to the literature and information existing about our environment

1.5                             LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

There are many or different type of microorganism that causes spoilage in our environment in general, focus is made only on fungi and bacterial because they are the major organisms associated with our environment.

1.6                                                   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, are all around us. This study allows students to collect samples from the world around them and grow the microorganisms so that students can visualize the microorganisms.  This teaches students how to plate and grow microorganisms.

1.7                                              RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In the course of carrying this study, numerous sources were used which most of them are by visiting libraries, consulting journal and news papers and online research which Google was the major source that was used.

1.8                                               STRUCTURE OF THE STUDY

The work is organized as follows: chapter one discuses the introductory part of the work,   chapter two presents the literature review of the related works,  chapter three describes laws and institutional framework for the protection of right of domestic servants, chapter four discusses protection of the rights of domestic servants, chapter five is on summary of findings, conclusion and recommendation.