Environmental Doctrines of Jainism

Author(s): S M Jain
Publisher: S M Jain

Page 47

60% energy requirement of coral reef is from photosynthesis by algae living in coral tissue. Chloroplasts in green leaves, the main functionary in photosynthesis, are complete smaller organism capable of self replication; they too live symbiotically there. There are purple bacteria or the photosynthetic bacteria, which employ their extremely sensitive molecular antenna system that absorbs individual photons and passes on to chloroplasts where splitting of water molecules and synthesis of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, chemicals etc. take place. It is through mutual interactions of numerous small life-forms that human beings. animals and other life-forms get their food and other products from plants.
Even in a human cell other life-forms like mitochondria work symbiotically and, in tum, each cell works for trillions of cells in human body and all cells work for a single cell.
In tissues of the worm Colvoluta roncoffensis a large number of algae grow, get suitable matrix for its growth and in return prepare nitrogen compounds for the host. Sea anemone Adamasia palliata grows on the shell of hermit crab Eupagurs pridaux and serves as powerful deterrent against predacious fish. A worm Neressis also lives inside the shell, keeps it clean and in return gets its food. A long tube worm of genus Riftia possesses no mouth, stomach, intestines or anus and the bacteria living in its inner nutritional tissue provides it the primitive circulatory system. In case of sloth bear green algae grows on the long grove hair making it almost green and helps camouflaging. Mixed groups of Zebras and ostriches derive mutual benefit by virtue of keen sight of ostriches and greater power of scent of zebras. An important example of symbiotic relationship is that of Dodo bird and the tree Colvillea major. The seeds of this tree germinate only after passing through the gut of Dodo. Since this bird is now extinct because of indiscriminate hunting, the seeds are not germinating and soon this tree will also become extinct.
There is mutualism between plants, animals, birds, and insects. Even human beings help trees by eating their naturally dropped fruits
and then dispersing their seeds far and wide. Animals, birds and insects are also agents for dispersal of seeds of plants. Plants provide essentials for others and are also benefitted in retum.
Micro-organisms which generally get scant attention play a vital role in the web of interrelations and productivity of essential things for higher life-forms. It is only by action of micro-organisms in soil that nutrition is made available to plants and it is plants that prepare food for animals, birds, insects and human beings. One kilogram of soil contains over a few trillion decomposer organism, fixing nitrogen, breaking rocks, making minerals available to plants, retaining moisture and aerating soil. Unfortunately the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has almost decimated these micro-organisms and the natural fertility of soil has been lost. Soils have been turned into artificial machines producing crops according to amount of artificial chemical fertilizers more and more for every next crop.
Micro-organisms are main producers of vitamin B. Many micro organisms also break up and decompose toxic pollutants as found in guts of whales, digesting naphthalene and anthracene petroleum products. Extremophiles (Bacteria) living in extremely hot boiling volcano vent, convert poisonous hydrogen sulphide into organic matter. Professor Darrek Lovely has diverted the power of extremophiles in turning dissolved gold into solid gold through an enzyme that coats microbes. Bacterium Alcaligens is used for making biodegradable mouldable polymer polyhexamurate. The DRDO scientists in India have developed microbes that clean wastes at Siachin glacier. The bacteria Agrabacterium radobactor degrades explosives down to natural compounds and minerals. Bacteria Dehalococcodies ethanogenes is a pollution eating bacteria which was found in sewage sludge by Research Scholar Rekha Sesdhari of the Institute of Genomic Research, Maryland. This bug has different strains eating different pollutants. Dermestid beetles are used to clean bones because of their unmatched ability to strip bones off desiccated flesh of mammal carcasses without damaging even the smallest most delicate specimen for long term archival