Session:2021-22

GRADE VIII
SCIENCE
MLP
L-2: Microorganisms: FRIEND AND FOE

1. Can microorganisms be seen with the naked eye? If not, how can they be seen?

Answer : Microorganisms cannot be seen with naked eyes. Microorganisms are too
small and are not visible to the unaided eye. Some of these, such as the fungus that grows
on bread, can be seen with a magnifying glass. Others cannot be seen without the help of a
microscope.

2. What are the major groups of microorganisms?

Answer: Microorganisms are classified into four major groups.

a) Bacteria
b) Fungi
c) Protozoa
d) Algae

3. Name the microorganisms which can fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil.

Answer: Bacteria like Rhizobium and blue green algae are microorganisms which can fix
atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, thus increase soil fertility. These microbes are commonly
called biological nitrogen fixers.

4. Write 10 lines on the usefulness of microorganisms in our lives.

Answer: Microorganisms are useful in our lives in many ways:

i. Yeast - a microorganism is used for the large-scale production of alcohol, wine. It is
also used in baking industry for making breads, pastries and cakes.
ii. Lactobacillus- a bacterial microorganism helps in turning milk into curd.
iii. Bacteria are also used for commercial production of antibiotics - streptomycin,
tetracycline and erythromycin.
iv. They help in increasing soil fertility. Microorganisms like Rhizobium bacteria are of
great importance in agriculture as they fix atmospheric nitrogen.
 v. Some microorganisms decompose the organic waste and dead plants and animals
into simple substances and clean up the environment.

5. Write a short paragraph on the harms caused by microorganisms.

Answer: Microorganisms are harmful in many ways. Some of the microorganisms cause
diseases in human beings, plants and animals. Such disease-causing microorganisms are
called pathogens. Pathogens spread a number of microbial diseases or communicable
diseases like cholera, common cold, chicken pox and tuberculosis from an infected person
to a healthy person through air, water, food or physical contact.
Some microorganisms spoil food, clothing and leather.

6. What are antibiotics? What precautions must be taken while taking antibiotics?

Answer: Antibiotics are medicines which kill or stop the growth of the disease-causing
microorganisms in human and animals. The antibiotics are manufactured by growing
specific microorganisms and are used to cure a variety of diseases. Antibiotics like
Streptomycin, tetracycline and erythromycin are commercially produced from bacteria and
fungi.

Precautions in taking antibiotics

• It is important to remember that antibiotics should be taken only on the advice of a
qualified doctor.
• We must finish the course prescribed by the doctor.
• If we take antibiotics when not needed or in wrong doses, it may make the drug less
effective when we might need it in future.
• Also, antibiotics taken unnecessarily may kill the beneficial bacteria in our body.

7. What are the various methods of food preservation?

Answer:
i. Chemical method - by adding preservatives like sodium benzoate and sodium
metabisulphite
ii. Preservation by common salt – Used to preserve meat, fish, raw mangoes,
tamarind etc.
iii. Preservation by sugar – Sugar reduces the moisture content which inhibits the
growth of bacteria which spoils food. Jams, jellies and squashes are preserved
using sugar.
iv. Preservation by oil is done by adding oil as bacteria and fungi cannot live in an
environment of oil.
v. Preservation by vinegar is done by adding vinegar as microorganisms cannot live
in sour environment.
 vi. Pasteurization is a method of preserving milk. Louis Pasteur discovered the
process of pasteurization.During pasteurization, milk is first heated to about 70
degrees Celsius for 15 to 30 seconds and then suddenly chilled. Sudden chilling
of milk is done to prevent the growth of microbes.

GRADE VIII
SCIENCE
HLP
L-2: Microorganisms: FRIEND AND FOE

1. The mosquito P is a carrier of virus and spreads a disease Q. Another mosquito R is a

carrier of protozoan S and spreads a disease called T.

i. Name mosquito P and R.

ii. What is the gender of mosquitoes P and R?

iii. Name protozoan S.

iv. Identify the diseases Q and T.

2. Name a fungal disorder that commonly affects poultry birds.

3. Name the programme organized by government for giving polio drops to children.

4. Name one free living bacteria and one blue green algae which fixes nitrogen from
atmosphere.

5. What is bacteria explain?

6. Mention two ways in which fungi harm us?

7. Mention three ways in which we use fungi?

8. Curd is added while making idlis and bhaturas. Why?

9. After consuming a dish of mutton, a person complained of nausea, vomiting , diarrhoea

and pain in abdomen.

i. What type of disease he is suffering from?

 ii. What causes this disease?

Answer Key

HLP

Microorganisms

1. i. P- Aedes mosquito R- Anopheles mosquito

ii. Both are females

iii. Plasmodium iv. Q- Dengue T- malaria

2. Aspergillosis

3. Pulse Polio Programme.

4. Azotobacter, Anabena

5. Bacteria are unicellular and microscopic.The study of bacteria is called Bacteriology.

Bacteria were first observed under a microscope by the Dutch Scientist Anton
VonLeeuwenhoek in 1675.The bacterial cell is a prokaryotic cell. It has a rigid cell
wall protecting the cell and giving a definite
shape to it.

6. Mould a kind of fungi spoil cooked food. Moulds and mildew grow on leather goods
and cloths and furniture in monsoon and spoil them. Fungi cause diseases in plants and
animals

7. (i) Mushroom a kind of fungi eaten as a food.

(ii) Yeast is a kind of fungi used to prepare alcoholic drink, bakery product,

(iii) Penicillin and some other antibiotics are made from certain moulds
8. To make them soft and spongy as it contains a bacteria called Lactobacillus.
9. i. Food poisoning
ii. Microorganisms like bacteria and fungi in mutton.