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| Agricultural Research Service. (n.d.). Escherichia coli magnified |
One may call them the doers of all things. Microorganisms are vastly becoming the rock stars of the scientific world with their diverse applications in industrial, commercial and biomedical fields. The majority of microorganisms scientists use are fungi (yeast and molds) because of their genetic properties and ability to rapidly reproduce, in addition to the prokaryotic organism Streptomyces (Madigan, Martinko, Stahl, and Clark, 2012).
Microorganisms have the ability to benefit humans, and some have the ability to make humans sick. The primary goal is to balance the beneficial bacteria and maintain the health of those internal and external organisms. The human body is complex, as are Earth's ecosystems. There will be instances when beneficial bacteria become weak, or experience die-off allowing harmful bacteria to flourish. Prior to the discovery of microorganisms, many humans died from simple food borne bacteria or the common flu. At the turn of the 19th century, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek and Louis Pasteur make significant advancement in the study of microorganisms. Leeuwenhoek is considered the father of the microscope, and Pasteur is the father of debunking the theory of spontaneous generation. In addition to discovering that bacteria travel through the air, Pasteur discovered that some microorganisms die at varying temperatures, giving way to the process of Pasteurization (Madigan et al., 2012).
In 2014, it is difficult (in industrialized societies) to understand a world where one may die from contaminated drinking water or food borne bacteria. Although these problems are still a devastating issue in countries around the world, the instances of death are less now than they were 100 years ago. There remains a long way to go in solving the problem, however; inventions like the life straw help make a difference.
Microbes are used in nearly every aspect of modern day living, from the gasoline we fuel our vehicles with, to the supplemental vitamins we ingest to improve health. Perhaps one of the most widely accepted and readily consumed microbe exists in beer, wine, and distilled spirits. The misconception that one bacteria excrement is somehow better for health than another seems somewhat hypocritical, given that only one (alcohol) is carcinogenic and the other (aspartame) is not. Although there are plenty of people in the media who defend their stance on its cancer causing effects with no proof to back it up (National Institute of Health, 2014).
Despite the overwhelming evidence that genetically engineered microorganisms are not toxic or cause cancer, the media, environmental groups, and social groups insist otherwise. Perhaps a visit to the National Institute of Health's toxic substances data bank will reveal more answers to those skeptics.
Food
The most significant bacterial component of food in stores today is vinegar. Vinegar is produced by the fermentation of alcohol by acetic acid bacteria. Vinegar has many uses in addition to preserving food and its traditional tang. Vinegar is highly acidic and has mild corrosive properties in low concentrations. As a food sales representative, I was challenged by a co-worker to examine the first three ingredients of the entire middle section of the grocery store. I was shocked to discover that the first three ingredients include bacteria (vinegar) and the bacteria food (sugar). Although vinegar is not dangerous, certain vinegars can have an adverse effect on cell metabolism, specifically balsamic (National LIbrary of Medicine, 2010).
References:
Agricultural Research Service. (n.d.). Escherichia coli [Photo] Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microorganism#mediaviewer/File:E_coli_at_10000x,_original.jpg
Madigan, M., Martinko, J.M., Stahl, D.A., and Clark, D. P. (2012). Brock Biology of Microorganisms (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New York: Pearson Education.
National Institute of Health. (2014). Ethanol. Retrieved from http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search2/f?./temp/~X8RMzZ:1
National Library of Medicine. (2010). Inhibitory effects of balsamic vinegar on LDL oxidation and lipid accumulation in THP-1 macrophages. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21422711
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