Microbes have been used for centuries to provide us with food. We owe our beer and wine to similar little yeast that convert sugars into alcohol for our consumption. Yogurt and cheese are produced by bacterial fermentation of lactose, the sugar in milk. Microbes such as phytoplankton also serve as the nutrient source that indirectly feeds all marine animals. And microbial symbioses with plants allow them to grow strong and increase productivity - sometimes they are even essential for plant survival.
Microorganisms are responsible for getting rid the waste generated by industry and households.
They detoxify acid mine drainage and other toxins that we dump into the soil and water. The nutrients gained from the breakdown of these products then go to feed plants or algae, which in turn feed all animals. Waste Water Treatment. When we flush things down the drain or the toilet, they go to a septic system or waste water treatment plant at the end of the line. After primary mechanical treatment and aeration microbes remove organic materials from the filthy waters that flow into these systems and, eventually, water can safely be returned to the rivers and streams.