Bacteria? Many People Believe That Bacteria Only

¶ … Bacteria?

Many people believe that bacteria only cause disease and death. This is not technically true. While we have all suffered from some kind of an infection which we are told is caused some noxious form of bacteria, this is just a small part of what bacteria contribute to out lives.

First, it would be well to add a bit of science to be clear about what bacteria are. Defined most correctly, bacteria are a large group of one-celled microorganisms widely distributed in nature. Search any microbiological text book and you will see that there are thousands of different types of bacteria in the world, everywhere around us, although only about two thousand species of bacteria have actually been identified. On the most part, bacteria simply share the world with us and are of no specific harm to any human being. They are remarkable organisms for their simplicity of form, their efficiency of life and their rapid ability to reproduce. It has been said that it is possible for some species of bacteria, within the correct environment, to reproduce themselves in the span of about twenty minutes, although most do not reproduce quite so rapidly. . As far as we know, bacteria have been present upon the earth for billions of years and are generally considered to be one of the oldest and simplest forms of life. Most bacteria are very simple as far as their structure and function goes. They have a hard outer wall which is called a capsule; inside this capsule there exists a cell wall which guards the inner workings of the cell, called the cytoplasm. From within the cytoplasm comes the material from which the bacteria are able to reproduce. Interestingly enough, there are no organelles, which are small structures within cells that perform dedicated functions. As the name implies, you can think of organelles as small organs.

Most of us go through our lives never actually seeing any kind of bacteria ourselves, because they are so small. One must consider, however that within one gram of soil it is possible that up to 2.5 billion bacteria live in this environment. Bacteria can normally only be seen under a microscope. .

We know that bacteria are disease causing organisms, but it is important to remember that bacteria are an essential part of our ecosystem, and that without them it in unlikely that we would be able to survive as a species. One of the most important functions bacteria perform is that of decomposition and mineralization. Bacteria proliferate in dead material, which provides the bacteria with food and an adequate space to reproduce. When the bacteria assist in decomposition, they release carbon into to the atmosphere which plants use to perform their own specialized chemical processes. No carbon, no carbon dioxide. No carbon dioxide, no photosynthesis which we would not be able to renew our oxygen source. No oxygen, no plants. No plants, no food. Along with this element of decomposition, bacteria also make it possible for nutrients within the decomposing tissue to be released back into the air and the soil.

We don't have to wait until an organism is dead to see the beneficial effects of bacteria. We all walk around every day with lots and lots of bacteria in our body, which live within places like our gastrointestinal tract carrying out a symbiotic relationship with the human host. Were it not for bacteria, we would have difficulty digesting certain foods and producing vitamins as a byproduct. Not only are those, bacteria also used in the production of certain foods, such as cheese, yogurt and sour cream.

Bacteria also help in the production of fuel. The work of bacteria in the decomposition of garbage helps to make methane, which is used as a natural gas. Bacteria are also very useful in the medical field. Some research studies actually use dead or attenuated bacteria to develop vaccines which can help prevent other diseases. When you get a shot for step meningitides, which will hopefully keep you from getting meningitis, a deadly brain inflammation, you can actually thank a bacterium. Some bacteria are also used by pharmaceutical companies to make drugs or produce antibodies to certain diseases. It is funny to think that something that can make one so sick can also cure the disease as well.