EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Soil microorganisms encompass archaea, bacteria, fungi and protozoa. They are responsible for the majority of enzymatic processes in soil and store energy and nutrients in their biomass (Jenkinson and Ladd, 1981).

Detailed explanation-2: -Soil bacteria and soil fungi are the start of the soil food web that supports other soil organisms and the functions of a healthy soil. Diverse populations of soil bacteria and fungi can suppress root diseases.

Detailed explanation-3: -There are four major groups of soil fungus: Zygomycota, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Deuteromycota. Zygomycota are less than 1, 000 species and are mostly common bread molds. Ascomycetes have about 30, 000 species and are mostly yeasts used in baking.

Detailed explanation-4: -Like all living things, soil microbes need access to nutrition and water and therefore tend to concentrate near sources of soil organic matter. Microbial biomass and diversity tend to be much higher in soil immediately surrounding plant roots, an area known as the rhizosphere, and other organic matter deposits.

Detailed explanation-5: -Fungi are eukaryotic microorganisms. Fungi can occur as yeasts, molds, or as a combination of both forms. Some fungi are capable of causing superficial, cutaneous, subcutaneous, systemic or allergic diseases. Yeasts are microscopic fungi consisting of solitary cells that reproduce by budding.