7. Economic importance of viruses and bacteria

Economic importance of viruses and bacteria

1. Economic importance of viruses and bacteria Dhole N. A. Department of Botany, Digambarrao Bindu ACS College, Bhokar

2. Economic i mportance of viruses: Phages are used as scavengers to eradi­cate the bacteria present in the polluted water . Viruses are utilised in the production of vaccines, used to develop immunity against viral infection . By holding both the living and non­living characters, viruses got the impor­tance in determining the origin of life. Virus is used in lab, as the simplest living model. In the research of genetics, virus used mostly. It is an important subject in genetic engineering.

3. Virus plays a vital role to acquire knowledge about the trend of evolution and the process of formation of living organisms . T2 bacteriophage virus saves humans from dysentery by spoiling some harmful bacteria, like, e-coli . viruses, including particularly bacteriophages (lambda), used for the construction of cloning and expression vectors. E xpression of heterologous proteins by viruses is used for the production of various pharmaceutical proteins, vaccine antigens and antibodies.

4. Economic importance of bacteria: Role in Agriculture: (i) Decay and decomposition: (ii) Soil fertility: ( a) Ammonifying Bacteria: ( b) Nitrifying Bacteria: ( c) Nitrogen-fixing Bacteria : (d) Phosphorus solubilizing Bacteria: (iii) Bacteria as biofertilizers :

5. Role of Bacteria in Industries: The butter and cheese industries entirely depend upon the activities of the lactic acid bacteria. The curing of tea, tobacco and manufacture of indigo are other examples of useful chemical activities of bacteria which have been controlled for the benefit of mankind. The process of tanning hides in leather making and preparing sponges also involve the use of bacteria.

6. The production of linen is impossible without bacterial activity. The tough fibres , which are left behind, are separated. These fibres are spun and woven into linen cloth, ropes, etc. Lactic acid: It is useful in tanning industries. Citric acid: It is used to give aroma and flavour to beverages, sweets and other foodstuffs. Vitamins: Vitamin B is the product of fermentation of sugars and starch by Clostridium acetobutilicum . The vitamins are used in medicinal preparations . Butyl alcohol : Butyl alcohol, acetone and ethyl alcohol are produced in one fermentation operation when a certain bacterium is allowed to act on cooked com starch. These products are important commercial solvents. Acetone: It is an important ingredient of explosives and is also used in the manufacture of photographic films .

7. Wine production Beer Production Cheese making Curd production Butter production Yogurt production Bread production Production of fermented foods Vinegar Production Use of bacteria in production of genetically modified plants Transgenic plants Bioremediation Production of biogas Production of biodegradable plastic

8. Role of Bacteria in Medicine: The milder antibiotics of bacterial origin are tyrothricin , subtilin , polymyxin B, and bacitracin. Bacillius subtilis is the source of subtilin . Bacitracin is obtained from a stain very much like Bacillius subtilis . The actionomycetes which are filamentous, bacteria-like organisms produce more powerful antibiotics such as streptomycin, aureomycin and terramycin .

9. References : https://www.academia.edu/35269671/Economic_Importance_of_Bacteria_and_Viruses_1._ Economic_Importance_of_Bacteria https://www.biologydiscussion.com/viruses/viruses-meaning-characters-and-importance/47089

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