Question

How microorganisms are useful in the field of medicine?

Answer 1

Role of microbes in medicine:
We obtain antibiotics and vaccines from microbes.

1. Antibiotics: It is a substance produced by living organisms which is toxic to other organisms. The antibiotic penicillin got from the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum is used to treat diseases like tetanus, diphtheria. Streptomycin got from streptomyces bacteria is used to cure bacterial infections like the plague.
2. Vaccines: They are prepared from dead or weakened microbes. When a vaccine is injected into the body of a patient, it produces antibodies to fight the germs. These antibodies protect the body from infections in the future. Example: MMR vaccine for measles.