39: Use of microorganisms

Q&A

State all the beneficial aspects of microorganisms.

列出微⽣物對⼈類的各種好處。
Food production⾷物製造

Food processing⾷物加⼯

Vaccines 製造疫苗

Antibiotics製造抗⽣素

Industrial enzymes 製造⼯業⽤酶

Sewage treatment 污⽔處理

Biogas production⽣產沼氣

Pollution indicating organism作為污染指⽰⽣物

Explain the use of microorganisms in producing food.

解釋在⾷物製造上如何應⽤微⽣物。
Unicellular microorganisms are grown and used as single-cell proteins
for livestock and human

consumption. Mycoprotein produced by fungi as a meat substitute is an

example.

單細胞微⽣物可製成單細胞蛋⽩被牲⼝或⼈類直接⾷⽤，例⼦:利⽤真菌
蛋⽩作為⾁類代替品。

39: Use of microorganisms 1

 How are microorganism used in producing health food?
解釋如何應⽤微⽣物於⽣產健康⾷品。
Microorganisms rich in certain nutrients can be used as health food. Eg.
Spirulina is used to

produce powder capsules as a dietary supplement. It is added to normal

food products, such as milk.

富含某類營養素的微⽣物可⽤作健康⾷品，如螺旋藻可製成粉狀膠囊作為
⾷物補充劑，或加
進⽇常⾷品中，如奶類。
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of using single-cell protein?
⽐較使⽤單細胞蛋⽩的優劣。

Explain the use of microorganisms in food processing.

解釋在⾷物加⼯上如何應⽤微⽣物。
Alcoholic fermentation by yeast.

39: Use of microorganisms 2

 利⽤酵⺟菌釀酒。
Baking of bread. The carbon dioxide released by yeast is used to raise
the dough so that the

bread becomes porous and soft.

製造麵包，麵團發酵時酵⺟所釋出的⼆氧化碳在烤焗時會膨脹令麵包變得
鬆軟。
Production of butter and cheese (by some species of Penicillium).

製造⽜油和乳酪(利⽤⻘黴菌)。
Production of yoghurt (by bacteria).

製造酸乳酪(利⽤細菌)。
Production of vinegar (by fungi).

製造醋類 (利⽤真菌)。
Explain the use of microorganisms in vaccines production.
解釋在製造疫苗上如何應⽤微⽣物。
Some diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms. Whole
microorganisms, their components

(eg. antigens) or products (eg. toxins) are used to produce vaccines to

induce immunity against diseases.

有些疾病是由致病性微⽣物引起，整個微⽣物或部分⾝體(如抗原)或產品
(如毒素)皆可作為疫

苗刺激接種者產⽣免疫反應。
Whole agent vaccine:

全菌疫苗:
Vaccines containing whole microorganisms which are either weakened
or killed.

疫苗含有整個微⽣物，那是已死或減弱了的微⽣物。
Subunit vaccine:

次元疫苗:
Vaccines containing components of a pathogen rather than the whole
organism (eg. outer surface

39: Use of microorganisms 3

 protein)

疫苗含有部分微⽣物⽽⾮全體，如外殼的表⾯蛋⽩。
Explain the use of microorganisms in producing antibiotics.
解釋如何應⽤微⽣物製造抗⽣素。
Antibiotics are substances produced by microorganisms that inhibit or
kill other microorganisms.

They can be used to treat infections inside the body of both humans and
animals. eg. penicillin.

抗⽣素可殺死其他的微⽣物或阻⽌它們的⽣⻑，它們可⽤作醫治⼈類及動
物的傳染病，例如
⻘黴素。
In its mass production, the fungus grows in large fermenter. The growing
fungus secretes the

antibiotic into the culture medium. The culture medium is filtered to

obtain the liquid filtrate.

Antibiotics in the filtrate can then be extracted and purified.

於⼤量⽣產時，有關的真菌會在⼤型發酵器內⽣⻑，⽣⻑中的真菌會釋出
抗⽣素於培養液內，
培養液會被過濾以獲取濾液，其內的抗⽣素會被抽提出來及加以提純。
Explain the use of microorganisms in industrial enzymes production.
解釋在⼯業⽤酶製造上如何應⽤微⽣物。
Microorganisms are widely used to produce enzymes which are used in
many industries.

微⽣物廣泛應⽤於⽣產⼯業⽤酶。
Biological washing powder:

⽣物活性洗⾐粉:
Microorganisms are usd to produce various enzymes, such as amylase,
lipase and protease to

break down stains on clothes.

微⽣物⽤來⽣產不同的酶，如澱粉酶、脂肪酶和蛋⽩酶，這些酶可去除⾐
服上的污蹟。
39: Use of microorganisms 4
 Fruit juice extraction:

果汁的提取:
Enzymes ae used to increase the volume of juice produced and the
speed of extraction.

Pectinase is used to digest pectin in cell walls and helps release more
juice than can be achieved

by squeezing. Pectinase can also make the juice clearer and sweeter.

利⽤適當的酶可增加果汁提取的體積及加快提取速度，果膠酶可分解⽔果
的細胞壁，將果
膠移除，⽤於果汁抽取時，⽐直接搾取獲得更多的果汁，果膠酶亦可令果
汁更清及更甜。
Explain the use of microorganisms in sewage treatment.
解釋在污⽔處理上如何應⽤微⽣物。
In secondary treatment, aerobic microorganisms present in the sewage
or added from the previously

digested sludge break down the organic wastes into harmless inorganic
compounds in aerobic condition.

在次級污⽔處理，需氧微⽣物在有氧的情況下，將有機物分解為無害的無
機物。
The sludge is digested by anaerobic microorganisms in the digester to
produce methane gas.

餘下的污泥會送往缺氧消化池，於缺氧情況下，被微⽣物分解為甲烷。
Explain the use of microorganisms in biogas production.
解釋在⽣產沼氣上如何應⽤微⽣物。
Biogas consists mainly of methane which is an excellent fuel. It burns
cleanly and is produced from

the fermentation of organic wastes in a digester.

沼氣主要成分是甲烷，它是⼀種極佳的燃料，燃燒後很清潔，由有機廢物
在缺氧消化池發酵⽽⽣。
In the digester, the organic wastes are broken down by different types of
anaerobic microorganisms,

39: Use of microorganisms 5

 including methogens, into methane.

在消化池，不同的缺氧微⽣物，尤其是甲烷菌，會將有機廢物分解為甲
烷。
How can microorganisms be used as pollution indicating organism?
微⽣物如何可應⽤於作為污染指⽰⽣物 ?

E. coli is a kind of bacteria that is frequently used as a biological

indicator of water pollution (both

marine and fresh water). The number of it increases with the degree of
pollution caused by organic

matters (like human and animal faeces). Since faeces are a potential
vector for spreading intestinal

pathogens, detection of it in water sources suggests the water has a

high risk of causing intestinal

diseases. The water source is not safe for human consumption or

leisure activities.

⼤腸桿菌E. coli常⽤作⽔質污染的指標（海⽔及淡⽔皆適⽤），它的數量
隨著由有機物(如⼈
類及動物糞便)引起的污染程度增加⽽增加，因為糞便是傳播腸道疾病的
媒體，若在⽔體中出
現將表⽰有⾼度傳播腸道疾病⾵險，那⽔源不適合⼈類飲⽤或作消閑活
動。
What is recombinant DNA technology?
何謂重組 DNA 技術?

A fragment of DNA (containing the target gene) from one organism

combines with the DNA of a

different organism. The resulting DNA contains a new combination of

genes from two different

organisms. This new DNA is called recombinant DNA.

⼀⽣物的DNA(含有⽬標基因)與另⼀不同⽣物的DNA結合，形成的DNA含
有新的遺傳組合，
此新DNA名為重組DNA。

39: Use of microorganisms 6

 What are genetically modified organisms?
什麼是基因改造⽣物 ?

Organisms produced by recombinant DNA technology are called

transgenic or genetically modified

organisms, of which the majority are microorganisms.

由重組DNA技術產⽣的⽣物名為轉基因⽣物或稱基因改造⽣物，其中⼤部
分都是微⽣物。
Explain the use of genetically modified microorganisms.
解釋基因改造微⽣物的應⽤。
GM microorganisms have great contributions to medical, industrial and
agricultural areas. They are

the living factories for producing drugs, hormones, enzymes and

vaccines.

基因改造微⽣物廣泛應⽤於醫療、⼯業和農業上，它們是⽣產藥物、激
素、酶和疫苗的活⼯廠。
Example (1):

Insulin is produced by GM bacteria.

胰島素是由基因改造細菌所製造。
Example (2):

Hepatitis B vaccine is produced by GM yeasts (a gene codes for protein

coat in hepatitis B virus is

introduced into the yeast cell).

⼄型肝炎疫苗是由基因改造酵⺟所製造(將製造⼄肝病毒蛋⽩外殼的基因
導⼊酵⺟細胞)
Example (3):

The enzymes required by the synthesis of fructose are produced by GM

bacteria.

⽤於⽣產果糖的酶是由基因改造細菌所製造。
State the potential hazards of the applications of genetically modified
microorganisms.
說出使⽤基因改造微⽣物的潛在⾵險。

39: Use of microorganisms 7

 It may enhance the development of super pathogens.

可能製造出「超級病原體」。
It may upset the ecological balance when GM microorganisms
accidentally released into the nature.

當意外地釋放⾄⾃然環境中，可能會⼲擾⽣態平衡。
It may be used as biological weapon by terrorist.

可能被恐怖分⼦⽤作⽣物武器。

39: Use of microorganisms 8