Question

Match the following list of microbes and their importance.

List one	List two
Saccharomyces cerevisiae	A. Production of immunosuppressive agents.
Monascus purpureus	B. Ripening of swiss cheese
Trichoderma	C. Commercial production of ethanol
Propionibacterium shermanii	D. Production of blood cholesterol-lowering agents

Answer 1

Hint: The microbes play an important role in food as well as in health. It helps to ferment foods and to treat sewage. It is also used to produce fuel, enzymes, and other bioactive compounds. Microbes are the essential tools in biology as model organisms and have been put to use in biological warfare and bioterrorism.

Complete step by step answer:
A. The source of ethanol for industrial use was from the fermentation of sugars by yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).
B. The red yeast rice is the substance that is extracted from the rice that has been fermented with a type of yeast called Monascus purpureus. The red yeast rice is the traditional Chinese medicine that has been used to lower the cholesterol.
C. The Trichoderma is used as an immunosuppressant prescribed in organ transplants to prevent rejection.
D. There are the three primary types of the bacteria that are used to make the Swiss cheese: Streptococcus thermophilus; Lactobacillus helveticus; and Propionibacterium shermanii. It is the Propionibacterium shermanii that is responsible for the holes in the Swiss cheese.

Additional information: The Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a species of yeast. This species has been useful in the process of winemaking, baking, and brewing since ancient times. The Monascus purpureus is the rice fermented with the red yeast. It contains several derivatives of the mevinic acids, including the lovastatin. The Trichoderma is a genus of fungi present in the family of Hypocreaceae that is present in all soils, where they are the most prevalent culturable fungi.

Note: Microbiology is the study of all living organisms that are too small to be visible with the naked eye. This includes bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, prions, protozoa and algae, collectively known as the 'microbes'.