Courses
Courses for Kids
Free study material
Offline Centres
More
Store Icon
Store

Where do Microorganisms Live?

share icon
share icon

Introduction to Where do Microorganisms live

MVSAT 2024

Science is a beautiful subject that deals with the study of practical learning with the trial and error method of experimentation. It helps students understand their surroundings in a better way and without fail. The three divisions of science for students are physics, chemistry and biology. In this regard,  Biology is that stream of Science that deals with all kinds of living organisms and their functionality.


Before we delve deeper to find out the answer for, “where do microorganisms live?” Let's get familiar with the fundamentals of microorganisms first. Doing so, we will be better equipped to understand the concept better and relate it in real life scenarios more effectively.


With that being said, let’s proceed to find out more about microorganisms from below!


What are Microbes?

They are tiny organisms which can only be seen under a microscope. Microbes are either multicellular or unicellular. 


In a broader sense, microorganisms can be categorised as friendly microorganisms and harmful organisms. Now, such a distinction is made based on the role they play in our lives and surroundings.


Some of the most common types of microorganisms include bacteria, fungi, algae and protozoa. Contrary to popular belief, viruses are different when compared to other microbes. 


The point of difference lies in how they reproduce and multiply over time. To elaborate, viruses reproduce within the cells of the host organism, which can be a bacterium, plant or animal.


(Image will be upload soon)


Fun Fact: The existence of microorganisms was discovered between 1665 and 1683 by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek and Robert Hooke.


Where do Microorganisms Live?

Microorganisms can be found everywhere as they can survive in every type of environment. For instance, they are found in water, air, the body of plants and animals, etc. 


Furthermore, they can sustain in extreme conditions that prevail in deserts, equators, freezing water bodies, etc. and can adapt accordingly. Notably, most microorganisms can survive independently; however, some are parasites. 


Uses of Microorganism 

It is noteworthy that microorganisms that are considered to be friendly, are used for several purposes. Some of the uses are as follows –

  1. Preparation of bread, curd, cheese, pickles and cake.

  2. Preparation of vaccines and medicines.

  3. Production of acetic acid, wine and alcohol. 

  4. Nitrogen fixation in soil for increasing soil fertility.

  5. Management of organic waste.


In short, friendly microorganisms come in handy to meet several commercial, medical and production requirements. On that note, let’s proceed to find out the harmful impacts of such organisms.


Harmful Impact of Microorganism 

Microorganisms that tend to cause diseases are known as pathogens. The following pointers highlight the adverse impact of such organisms in brief –

  1. Spoils food.

  2. Degrades leather products, textiles, etc.


The thing about disease-causing microorganisms is that most of them cause diseases that are communicable and can spread rapidly. Mostly air, water, food and physical contact are the standard means to spread diseases caused by microorganisms.


On the other hand, certain diseases are spread through carriers like a housefly, mosquitoes, etc. Check out the table below to gain some insight into some disease-causing pathogens.


Disease

Pathogen

Mode of Transmission

Malaria 

Protozoa

Carrier

Tuberculosis

bacteria

Air 

Chicken Pox

Virus

Air/ Physical contact

Cholera 

Bacteria 

Food/ Water

Hepatitis B

Virus 

Water

Typhoid 

Bacteria 

Water

Measles

Virus

Air

Polio

Virus

Air/Water


Table: Diseases caused by microorganisms in human beings

Other than these, the foot and mouth disease rampant in cattle is also caused by a virus. Similarly, Anthrax is fatal for both human beings and cattle and is caused by bacteria.

Take a quick look at the table below for the common diseases in plants that are caused by pathogens.


Disease

Pathogen

Mode of Transmission

Rust of wheat

Fungi

Seeds and carriers

Citrus Canker

Bacteria 

Air

Yellow vein mosaic 

Virus 

Carriers


Table: Diseases caused by microorganisms in plants

Do you want to learn about microorganisms in detail? Join our live online classes and find answers to questions like – where do microorganisms live, what are their types, uses, etc. 


Also, download our latest study solutions to improve your understanding of these concepts and other important topics effectively.


Get the Vedantu App now to benefit in more than one way!


What does Vedantu provide for students to Help them Excel in Learning and in Exams?


Vedantu is an e-learning platform for students to provide better academic learning from the best teachers nationwide all at your home. 


1) Vedantu provides free access to an online learning library of academic books of CBSE, ICSE, State boards and their Solved exercises like NCERT solutions, Reference Solutions of important books like Lakhmir Singh, exemplar, HC Verma, RD Sharma, RS Aggarwal and many more. This is applicable for the students of both English medium and Hindi medium. Vedantu also provides Keynotes and revision notes, Important Questions, solved Sample Question Papers and Previous Year's question papers solved by Expert and talented teachers at Vedantu. 


2) Vedantu also provides several free Micro courses on various subjects of all classes with topic wise explanations for all the students. 


3) Parents, teachers and guardians can also find several Personalised and learning Courses for Kids on English reading, Spoken English Course, Maths classes for the students of age 4 to 14 and coding Classes for the students of class 1 to 8. As a result, students can learn to become a pro in a very small time and at home. 


4) Vedantu provides a Live Learning experience for the students to enhance their skills and master any topic of learning by LIVE and interactive teaching, regular doubt sessions, regular quizzing with surprise gifts, Objective tests like V-maths, V-brainer, turbo maths etc. and other opportunities and a national-level recognition for the students.

Want to read offline? download full PDF here
Download full PDF
Is this page helpful?
like-imagedislike-image

FAQs on Where do Microorganisms Live?

What are Microorganisms?

They are either unicellular or multicellular living organisms which are microscopic. The most common microorganisms are bacteria, fungi, algae, virus and protozoa.

Where do Microbes Live?

Microorganisms are present everywhere be it air, water and bodies of animals and plants. Also, they can sustain in any environment and are quick to adapt to their surroundings and prevailing situation. 

What are the Uses of Microorganisms?

Friendly microorganisms are extensively used for commercial, agricultural and medicinal purposes. For example, certain organisms are used to produce bread, cheese, alcohol as well as vaccines and potent medicines. 

How long will it take for the students of biology to read and understand the topic "where do organisms live" from the above article of Vedantu?

As an easy and undemanding topic of biology, this reading will take approximately 30 to 40 minutes of focused reading by the student to get the essence of the topic and understand the concept of microbes.

Why should students learn and prepare only from Vedantu?

Vedantu provides a Vedantu Improvement Promise (VIP) to every student who learns from the courses available at Vedantu that assures a money-back guarantee for every student who fails to get any progress from learning at Vedantu, without asking any questions. This makes Vedantu a safe alternative to offline and other online coaching institutes that fail to provide this service. Vedantu also provides a 7 day FREE trial for all the students where students can unlock tests, notes and get masterclasses from the expert teachers all for free for a consecutive 7 days. Students can also win guaranteed scholarships and recognition at a national level by applying for the free MEGA scholarship test conducted by Vedantu.

Why is online learning so important these days?

While there are several offline coaching institutes available for the preparation of students for both entrance exams and school learning, a lot of students have switched from offline coaching to online classes after the pandemic hit the country and world on a massive scale that affected the learning of students badly. In this regard, Vedantu is an ideal online learning platform that provides the best quality study material for free and several other entrance exam courses at a very affordable price by the best of all teachers in every subject.

What are some other courses available at Vedantu for students to prepare for entrance exams and other competitive exams?

Vedantu provides a wide variety of foundation courses for the students who wish to clear entrance exams like IIT JEE (Mains and Advanced), NEET exam and others. In this regard, Vedantu also provides crash courses for the students of grade 10 and for the NEET exam to get an AIR level preparation in just 70 days of learning at an affordable price. Download the Vedantu app available at both the play store and app store or students can also Register themselves at vedantu.com to kickstart their best academic adventure now!

Are there any offline availability of private tutions by Vedantu for the students?

Vedantu provides several excellent Private Home tuitions for the students of CBSE, ICSE, State boards and other entrance exams like IIT JEE (Mains and Advanced), NEET etc. in the selected cities of India like Hyderabad, Chennai, Surat, Indore, Visakhapatnam, Lucknow Agra, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Jaipur Kolkata, Guwahati etc. and in several foreign cities of Singapore, Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Riyadh and many more. It is worth mentioning that these are available through online mode and not in offline mode.