Microbial Interactions & Microbial Ecology

Biodegradation is the process in which the decay is carried out by a huge assortment of bacteria, fungi, insects, worms, and other organisms that eat dead material. In nature microbial organisms transform or alter waste products and organic matter into nutrients through metabolic or enzymatic action. Basically biodegradation is nature’s waste management and recycling system where organic (carbon-based) material is changed through chemical processes from complex molecules into simpler molecules, eventually returning the molecules into the environment. For example, a banana peel can be reduced from cellulose to water, carbon dioxide gas, and humus in a compost pile. Biodegradation is a natural process necessary to keep our planet clean and healthy.