Microorganisms: Friend and Foe (Master Notes)

85 key revision blocks

⚡ Essential Formula / LawCore Syllabus Rule

Microbe Groups: Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa, Algae | Viruses replicate only inside host cells

🎯 High-Yield Syllabus Checkpoints

1Beneficial microbes: Lactobacillus for curd, Yeast for fermentation and bread leavening, Penicillium for antibiotics.
2Food preservation techniques: Pasteurisation (heated to 70°C for 15-30s then rapidly chilled), chemical preservatives (Sodium benzoate).
3The Nitrogen Cycle: Fixation, Nitrification, Assimilation, Ammonification, and Denitrification.

⚠️ Common Student Pitfall

Classifying viruses alongside living organisms without mentioning they are non-cellular and inert outside a host.

⚠️ Common Student Pitfall

Reversing the roles of Rhizobium (nitrogen fixing) and Pseudomonas (denitrifying bacteria returning nitrogen gas to atmosphere).

Pasteurisation

A food preservation process of heating milk to about 70°C for 15–30 seconds and then suddenly chilling it to prevent the growth of microbes.

Antibiotics

Medicines produced by microorganisms that kill or stop the growth of disease-causing pathogens in the body.

Spaced Repetition Protocol:

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