Page 21 - Innovator's Science-8

roots, or other parts and observe these tiny creatures. This shows how
adaptable and varied microorganisms are, surviving in places that seem

impossible for life.
How does the diversity of microorganisms play a role in our daily life? How
do they help clean the environment?

KEY PLAYERS IN CLEANING THE ENVIRONMENT
Let us attempt to understand this by doing an activity.

If you take an empty container and fill it halfway with garden soil, then add
fruit and vegetable peels on top, and cover them with another layer of soil,
after leaving it for 2 to 3 weeks, you will notice some changes. The fruit and

vegetable peels will begin to break down and decompose. This happens
because tiny living things in the soil, called microorganisms, feed on the
peels and gradually turn them into smaller parts. The peels may become
softer, shrink, change color, or even disappear as they decompose. This
shows how soil microbes help recycle organic waste and turn it into
Science nutrients that make the soil healthy and good for plants.
Bytes

When fruit and vegetable peels break down and turn into dark-coloured
Testimony
Microbes as a source of material, it is called manure. Manure is rich in nutrients that help the soil
biogas. Many become fertile and better for plants. The
microorganisms, like
bacteria and fungi, live in peels turn into manure because the soil
environments without contains many microorganisms such as fungi
oxygen and help
decompose plant and and bacteria. These tiny living things slowly
animal waste present in act on the plant waste, breaking it down into
the environment or simpler substances filled with nutrients.
household wastewater.
During the process, they Gardeners collect dry leaves and plant waste
release a mixture of gases and put them in pits to let this natural process
containing carbon Recycling of nutrients
dioxide, and a high happen, making natural manure that can be by making manure
propor on of another used to nourish the soil and help plants grow
gas, methane. This gas healthy.
has been used as a fuel
source for cooking, Microorganism not only clean the environment but can also be used by
hea ng, genera ng scientists to solve modern problems.
electricity, and to even
run vehicles. According to Scientist

Dr Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty was a scientist who used bacteria to solve
major environmental problems. He created a special type of bacterium
that could break down oil spills, helping to clean up pollution in the

environment. This invention was so important that he received a patent for
it, which means no one else can copy or use it without permission.

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