Tag: medicinal use of microorganism

In a strenuous workout, the oxygen supply to the body tissues is not received completely. To produce the necessary energy in the absence of oxygen, the pyruvate molecule at the end of glycolysis is utilised in fermentation to produce lactic acid.

• Rhizobium is a nitrogen fixation bacteria found in soil.
• Penicillium is an antibiotic used for making medicines and antibiotics.

Pyruvate is the output of glycolysis where one molecule of glucose breaks down into two molecules of pyruvate. Anaerobically, pyruvic acid is broken down to form lactate in animals and ethanol  in plants and microorganisms. In alcoholic fermentation, pyruvate from glycolysis is converted to acetaldehyde and then ethanol and carbon dioxide. Ethanol fermentation which is a biological process of converting sugars to cellular energy is performed by yeasts in the absence of oxygen. hence this is considered as a anaerobic process. 

In non biological fixation of nitrogen when the plant dies the fixed nitrogen is released making it available to other plants and this helps to fertilize the soil. The great majority of legumes have this association but a few genera do not. In farming practices fields are rotated through various crops like clover and buckwheat which are known as green manure.

By the use of Haber process, fixation of nitrogen can be done artifically.

Phosphate rock is too insoluble for direct use, and is commonly treated with sulfuric acid to make a mixture of calcium sulfate and the more soluble calcium hydrogen phosphate, called superphosphate.The use of superphosphate usually supplies adequate calcium. 

Nitrogen fixation is a process in which nitrogen(N₂) in the atmosphere is converted into ammonia (NH₃) and useful compounds. Atmospheric nitrogen or molecular dinitrogen (N₂) is relatively inert: it does not easily react with other chemicals to form new compounds.