Economic Importance of Bacteria

The bacteria are generally looked upon as enemies of man, for many of them are responsible for spoiling of our food and drink, and causing diseases like tuberculosis, tetanus,diphtheria and and cholera. They are of prime importance of mankind since they exert both deleterious and beneficial effects upon human life.

Bacteria as Decomposers

Soil fertility

• Nitrifying bacteria –Nitrosomonas & Nitrobacter
• Ammonifying bacteria
• Nitrogen fixing type of bacteria-Rhizobium leguminosarum, Clostridium & Azotobacter

Food that use bacteria in their production include

• Soy sauce-Pediococcus species
• Cheese-Lactobacillus
• Vinegar-Acinetobacter species

Bacteria in various industries

Fibre retting

• Clostridium felsineum & Clostridium pectinovorum

Industrial production of organic compound

• Acetone & Isopropanol-Clostridium species
• Acrylic acid & Proplene Glycol- Bacillus species

Bacteria in dairy products

• Lactic acid bacteria

Bacteria in the production of vitamins

• Riboflavin (Vitamin B) - Clostridium butylicum
• Cobalamine (Vitamin B12) -Pseudomonas denitrificans

Bacteria in the production of antibiotics

• Bacitracin- Bacillus subtilis
• Aureomycin – Streptomyces species
• Terramycin – Streptomyces rimosus
• Streptomycin-Streptomyces griseus

Bacteria in the production of enzymes

• Streptokinase-Streptococcus pyogenes
• Proteokinase- Bacillus subtilis
• Amylase-Bacillus species

Bacteria in the production of Steroids

• Cornyebacterium & Streptomyces