Do You Think That Microorganism Can Survive in High Mountain?

 

Do You Think That Microorganism Can Survive in High Mountain?

 

Before knowing the survival of microorganism in high mountain, lets know some importance of microorganism.

   Photosource:https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2020/10/05/Consumers-catch-the-exercise-bug-Bringing- probiotics-into-sports-nutrition#

                 Well, very small tiny organism, which is  not seen with our naked eyes are called microorganism but can be seen with the help of microscope. Microorganism are found in everywhere, from very low temperature to very high, in acidic condition to basic condition, as a whole it is omnipresent in nature i.e., it is found everywhere.

Not all microorganism are harmful, only few pathogenic microorganism are harmful ,beside such microorganism, other are very important for sustaining the ecological process of nature. It plays key role in biogeochemical cycle, nutrient cycling, soil formation and soil aggregation, water cycle and  production of medicine ,vaccine, food etc. in industry.

Microorganism which are habitat in extreme environment, produce many enzymes and function different mechanism which are also helpful for other organism situated their.

 

 

  Microbial Diversity in High Mountain:

                      Photo  source:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mount_Everest_as_seen_from_Drukair2.jpg

                         When we think about high mountain, one main thing that we consider is stressful low temperature. Psychotolerant (cold tolerant), psychrophilic (cold loving) microorganism are found in such type of environment.  Microbial diversity of high region is mainly determined by, seasonal change, heavy snowfall, repeated freezing and thawing etc.

Such microorganism which can able to tolerate this kind of stressful environment produce cold active enzymes, cold adapted fertilizer and many metabolites which works well in extreme environment which is very beneficial for humankind and development.

Microbes of high mountain are indicator of climate change, which give many information about change in climate and temperature globally. many research have been conducted to see the changing pattern of microbial diversity due to many affecting factors.

According to some research paper, some microorganism found in high altitude are  Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi Ascomycota Acidiobacteria , Basidiomycota ,etc

 

So, how microorganism can able to survive in high altitude with extreme condition?

Well, to cope with such environment ,they produce different enzymes, proteins  and funtion many mechanism for survival. Some are:

·     Cell membrane associated change

·     Cryoprotectants

·     Cold acclimation protein(caps)

·     Cold -shock protein (csps)

·     Ice nucleator protein

·     Antifreeze protein

·     Cold adopted enzymes

 

 

Then, what are the main factor which affect the microbial diversity in high altitude?

There are many factor associated with changing pattern of microbial ecology, but some important factor are:

·     Warming /change in temperature.

·     Glacier melting .

·     Change in edaphic factor.

·     Land use/land cover change.

·     Pollution.

·     Invasive species etc.

     

       

     Day by Day with change in the ecosystem, we are losing our base of ecolological process i.e tiny unseen microorganism.

  

    Protection , Conservation and research on  such organism is needed for the protection of Nature.

    

     Do   you know other factor which affect the microbial diversity in high mountain?