Harmful microorganisms are very small organisms that cause spoilage of food materials and are also the causative agents of various diseases and infections. Microorganisms, or microbes, are tiny unicellular organisms seen only under a microscope. Some benefit humans in industrial processes and digestion, while others are harmful. In this article, we will cover the harmful microorganisms in detail.
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What are Harmful Microorganisms?
Harmful Microorganisms are the microbes that cause harm to humans, plants and animals. They spoil food materials and cause various infections and diseases. Harmful microorganisms, also known as pathogens or disease-causing agents, are organisms that have the potential to cause infection or disease. These microorganisms include bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and parasites. They can cause a wide range of diseases, from mild infections to severe and life-threatening conditions.
Harmful Microorganisms Examples
Harmful microorganisms can belong to different groups: bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, etc. Some examples of these microorganisms are as follows:
- Bacteria: Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella typhii, Vibrio cholerae, Bacillus anthracis, etc.
- Fungi: Candida albicans, Aspergillus, etc.
- Viruses: HIV, Coronavirus, influenza virus, SARs virus, Hepatitis viruses, etc.
- Parasites: Plasmodium vivax, Filarial worms, Giardia, etc.
Types of Harmful Microbes
Most of the diseases are caused by harmful microorganisms or pathogens. Such pathogens are adapted in a way that they can infect a host organism and multiply within that host to cause disease. Various types of harmful microbes can be seen. They are described below:
Pathogens Transmitted Through Carriers
- Some microorganisms require a carrier organism to cause disease to the host.
- Examples: An example of such a microbe is Plasmodium sp. It is a protist or protozoa. Protozoa are eukaryotic and unicellular organisms. It uses the female anopheles mosquito as a carrier. When this mosquito bites a human, the plasmodium enters into the host body (human) and starts to multiply. These protozoa mainly destroy the red blood cells of humans and cause malaria, anaemia, hypoxemia etc.
Pathogens Transmitted Through Contaminated Water and Air
- Some microbes enter into the human body through contaminated air, water, food or through cuts on the skin and then cause various diseases in humans.
- Examples: Bacteria (unicellular prokaryotic organisms), viruses (act as living beings within the host body), fungi (eukaryotic organisms) and protozoa can cause water-borne or food-borne diseases. Some of the water-borne diseases caused by bacteria are Cholera, Dysentery etc. Giardia, cryptosporidium etc. are some water-borne protozoan diseases. Measles, Covid etc. are some air-borne viral diseases. Aspergillosis, coccidiomycosis etc. are some air-borne fungal diseases. Streptococcus is a bacteria that can enter into the human body through small cuts of the skin and cause severe infection i.e. necrotizing fasciitis.
Communicable Pathogens
- Some diseases caused by pathogens are communicable and infectious.
- Examples: Some of the communicable viral diseases are the common cold, flu, herpes, HIV etc. MRSA, TB etc. are some of the communicable bacterial diseases. These diseases are spread from one infected person to another through body fluid, contaminated surface area, blood etc.
Effects of Harmful Microorganisms
The effects of harmful microorganisms on human body can be widespread. Some effects are listed below:
- Inflammation: Some microorganisms trigger inflammatory responses and cause inflammation. Examples include certain fugal and bacterial pathogens.
- Infection: Microorganisms acan infect healthy body cells and trigger secondary infections by other microorganisms.
- Organ Failure: Infections can cause the cells to release certain molecules called cytokines that can cause the death of healthy cells leading to organ failure. Some infections can cause internal bleeding and result in organ failure.
- Immune Dysfunctioning: Once an infection occurs the immune system gets engaded in fighting it. During this time the immune system gets weakened and secondary infections get a space to occur.
- Chronic Health Syndromes: Some infections do not have a complete cure. They remain persitent and cause long term effects. For example, persistent hepatitis.
- Neurological Effects: Some infections can even effect the nervous system causeing paralysis, headache, and confusion, One common example is Rabies virus.
Conclusion - Harmful Microorganisms
Microorganisms are tiny organisms that can not be visible by the naked eye. Harmful microorganisms are those that exhibit various harmful effects on humans. They also spoil foods and cause diseases to the plants and other animals. Bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi etc. are microbes that can exert harmful effects on humans. These harmful microbes enter the human body through contaminated air, water, and food and cause various diseases.
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