The importance of bacteria (or microbes/ microorganisms)
Microbes are beneficial for all organisms as they provide us with nutrients
that will ensure that we will survive.
In the nutrient cycle, nitrates are ions that are essential for plants.
Saprobiants decompose decaying mater, which contains DNA and
proteins, into ammonium compounds in the soil. Nitrogen fixating
bacteria, fixes nitrogen from the air into the soil by converting nitrogen
gas into ammonium compounds. Nitrifying bacteria, such as
Nitrosomonas, converts ammonium compounds into nitrites, by oxidation,
and then oxidises the nitrites into nitrates. Denitrifying bacteria converts
nitrates into nitrogen gas which is then released into the atmosphere.
This shows the importance of microbes because if there were no microbes
then no nitrogen from the air would be converted into ammonium
compounds, less ammonium compounds would be released from
decaying matter, no ammonium compounds oxidised to nitrites and
nitrates therefore less nitrates is available for the plant to absorb so the
plant wouldn’t be able to grow and survive.
Another way that enzymes are vital is that they are used for In Vivo gene
cloning. Restriction endonuclease is needed to cut out the desired gene
and to inset it into a plasmid. Restriction endonuclease has a specific 3-D
tertiary structure that is complementary in shape to one recognition site
therefore it will make a cut to make sticky or blunt ends. The recognition
sequences are palindromic as the base
sequences on one strand is the same as the sequence on the other strand
but reading in the opposite direction. The same restrictive endonuclease
is used to for the plasmid to cut at a specific recognition site for the
desired gene to bind to. Ligase is then used to bind the gene and the
plasmid together and reforming the sugar phosphate backbone. This
shows the importance of microbes because if microbes don’t exist then
we won’t be able to clone certain genes which are beneficial for
medicines there we cannot make medications to treat illnesses such as
diabetes. Therefore this can lead to the individual having to suffer with
their disease for a longer period of time which can eventually kill the
individual if it is left untreated.
Microbes are beneficial for all organisms as they provide us with nutrients
that will ensure that we will survive.
In the nutrient cycle, nitrates are ions that are essential for plants.
Saprobiants decompose decaying mater, which contains DNA and
proteins, into ammonium compounds in the soil. Nitrogen fixating
bacteria, fixes nitrogen from the air into the soil by converting nitrogen
gas into ammonium compounds. Nitrifying bacteria, such as
Nitrosomonas, converts ammonium compounds into nitrites, by oxidation,
and then oxidises the nitrites into nitrates. Denitrifying bacteria converts
nitrates into nitrogen gas which is then released into the atmosphere.
This shows the importance of microbes because if there were no microbes
then no nitrogen from the air would be converted into ammonium
compounds, less ammonium compounds would be released from
decaying matter, no ammonium compounds oxidised to nitrites and
nitrates therefore less nitrates is available for the plant to absorb so the
plant wouldn’t be able to grow and survive.
Another way that enzymes are vital is that they are used for In Vivo gene
cloning. Restriction endonuclease is needed to cut out the desired gene
and to inset it into a plasmid. Restriction endonuclease has a specific 3-D
tertiary structure that is complementary in shape to one recognition site
therefore it will make a cut to make sticky or blunt ends. The recognition
sequences are palindromic as the base
sequences on one strand is the same as the sequence on the other strand
but reading in the opposite direction. The same restrictive endonuclease
is used to for the plasmid to cut at a specific recognition site for the
desired gene to bind to. Ligase is then used to bind the gene and the
plasmid together and reforming the sugar phosphate backbone. This
shows the importance of microbes because if microbes don’t exist then
we won’t be able to clone certain genes which are beneficial for
medicines there we cannot make medications to treat illnesses such as
diabetes. Therefore this can lead to the individual having to suffer with
their disease for a longer period of time which can eventually kill the
individual if it is left untreated.
