What Microbes have you been Eating Lately?

What Microbes have you been Eating Lately?

Probably a lot, but don’t worry, some microbes are good for you. Microbes are microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungus, virus, algae and protozoa. They can only be seen with a microscope and they are the oldest form of life in the world. The microbial world includes many diverse different organisms that live in all kinds of environments (Alcamo 17). Scientists believe that microbes were the first living things billion of years ago. When we think about microbes, must of us think about the diseases that they cause, but the microbes’ role goes far beyond causing diseases. Microbes make more than 3,500 foods worldwide; therefore, we may find microbes daily in our table, at lunch or dinner time. Many tasty foods, including cheese, bread, olives, chocolate, and many others are produced with the help of microbes.
A legend says that one day a young boy filled his goatskin pouch with milk and set off on a trip. At midday he stopped to eat, only to find out that the contents of his pouch had turned to large white lumps. The sun’s heat and the microbes in the lining of the stomach pouch changed the milk into curds and cheese whey. He was very hungry; thus, he decided to taste the lumps and found them to be delicious. He continued his way… having discovered cheese. Cheese is one of the most important products of microbial action on milk (Alcamo 303). The job of the bacterium is to coagulate the protein in the milk to produce cheese.   Different types of cheese owe their specific tastes and textures to the specific bacterium used. For example, the bacteria called streptococcus durans and faecalis are used for soft Italian, cheddar and some Swiss cheeses. Streptococcus lactis and cremoris are used for cottage cheese (Microbiology, Nov 30).
Cheese is good to your health because is a good source of calcium. Calcium helps to build healthy bones and teeth; it helps the heart to beat regularly, and helps blood to clot. Cheese may help...