CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Environment is a broad phrase that refers to all of the elements that make up one’s surroundings. The environment refers to the air we breathe, the land we live on, the water we drink, and all of the living and non-living elements that make up our surroundings1. Ecosystems include environmental components. An ecosystem is an ecological unit made up of a community of microorganisms and their physical and chemical environment. The ecosphere, often known as the biosphere, organizes all living things on Earth as well as their abiotic environs. To identify the shares of the global expense occupied by living beings in air, water, and soil environments, it can be separated into atmosphere, hydrosphere, and litho-ecosphere.By way of natural selection and elimination, the environment has played a crucial role in the evolution of the biological spectrum. Since ancient times, the environment has shaped and structured people’s lives.
Microorganisms, for example, can be found in the environment. Microorganisms are found in the ecospheres’ environments. The habitat is just one part of the ecological niche, which encompasses not only where an organism lives but also the functions it performs. The functional role of an organism within an ecosystem is defined by its niche. Microbes can be autochthonous, or native, or allochthonous, or alien. Microorganisms have an impact on the entire ecosystem due to their omnipresence.
They can be found in almost every ecosystem on the globe, including some of the most severe, ranging from acidic lakes to the deepest oceans, and from freezing conditions to hydrothermal vents. Each of the three domains of life include microorganisms: Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya2.
Bacteria and their phages are the planet’s oldest and most common life forms. Bacteria are basic organisms with only one cell. Bacteria are robust and clever organisms that can survive in harsh environments despite their small size.Bacteria are also helpful in understanding basic life processes that all organisms require, such as central metabolism, replication, transcription, translation, protein targeting, macromolecular complex assembly and structure, protein folding, stress responses, error correction mechanisms, signal transduction, and developmental programs. Because microorganisms provide such tractable experimental systems, these processes are easier to characterize in model bacteria and their phages than in other organisms.The vast array of genetic and biochemical tools and data gleaned from basic bacterial research is critical for unraveling the intricate metabolic and regulatory networks that govern these processes3. Although we live in a world teeming with bacteria that can cause a wide range of human diseases, bacteria have been shown to be beneficial to the environment because they enable the survival of green plants and, by extension, animals, because plants are the only source of food for animals.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Microbes are found all across the biosphere, and their presence has an impact on the habitat in which they thrive. While certain microorganisms are hazardous to humans and the environment, others are vital to the economy. The advantages and disadvantages of every organism to nature, humans, and the environment are referred to as its economic importance. According to the impact of microorganisms such as bacteria on their environment can be beneficial, harmful, or undetectable when measured or observed by humans. Bacteria and their phages are the planet’s oldest and most common life forms. Bacteria have developed alongside humans and are useful to our health. Our bodies contain roughly 10 times more bacteria than human cells, and this natural microbiota is critical for appropriate development, nutrition, and disease resistance. Bacteria are significant in a variety of fields, including agriculture and industry4. In general, there are few studies and focus on the interactions between bacteria and the environment, which influence the delicate ecological balance between humans and microbes and, as a result, define the balance between health and disease. As a result, the researcher felt forced to investigate the economic significance of bacteria in the environment.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The goal of this research is to look at the economic value of bacteria in the environment.
The study’s objectives are as follows:
To see if bacteria affects the balance between humans and the environment.
To learn more about bacteria’s involvement in agriculture and industries.
To see if microorganisms have a role in keeping the balance between health and sickness.
1.4 Research Question
Does bacteria affect the balance of plants, animals, and the environment?
In agriculture and industry, what role do bacteria play?
Is bacterial balance between health and disease economically important?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings of this investigation will be empirically and practically meaningful. Microbes have favorable benefits due to their metabolic activity in the environment, their interactions with plants and animals, and their usage in food production and biotechnological processes. In practice, the study’s findings will inform scientists about the economic value of bacteria in fields including clinical sciences, medicines, manufacturing, and environmental biology. Empirically, the findings of this study will contribute to the overall body of knowledge and serve as a reference resource for researchers and students interested in conducting additional research in a related field.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This research is limited to the economic value of bacteria in the environment. The study will also examine the classification of bacteria, as well as their relative value to human health, plants, and the environment. Microbiology students from Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture in Abia State will be sampled for the study.
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The researchers faced some limitations while conducting the study, as with any human endeavor. The scarcity of literature on the economic importance of microorganisms in the environment was a serious barrier. So much work and organization went into locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as the data collection process. In addition, the study has a small sample size and is limited to microbiology students at Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture in Abia State. As a result of these discoveries
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