Bacteria are the simplest microorganisms. Most often they have only one cell. Both beneficial and harmful microorganisms are found in nature. One way or another, all of them are united by a primitive structure and small size. After reading the article, you can find out how bacteria feed, multiply and breathe.
General bacteria information
Bacteria are an overdead of prokaryotic microorganisms. Today, over five thousand of its representatives are known. Scientists say that in fact there are many more microscopic creatures. Bacteriology is a branch of science that studies the simplest microorganisms.
Their size averages 0.5-5 microns. All of them are divided into two subgroups - unicellular and multicellular. The former carry out absolutely all the processes that are inherent in a living organism. It is worth noting that most bacteria are mobile.
The term "bacterium" as an independent unit arose in the late 70s of the last century. Previously, it was a synonym for prokaryotes. As a result of research in 1977, it was found that they are divided into two subgroups. The concept of "bacterium" is applied to one of them.
Bacteria respiration
Many microorganisms, like humans, need oxygen to reproduce the respiration process. Such representatives are called aerobes. However, there are those simple bacteria that do not need air. Oxygen for such microscopic creatures is a kind of poison. Their scientific name is anaerobes.
They live in the upper as well as loose layers of soil, in food and water. They perform their vital activities at great depths in soil, water bodies, and also directly in silt. It is worth noting that the respiration of aerobic bacteria is not possible where anaerobes live.
It is no secret that the vital activity of microorganisms can cause fermentation. The respiration of bacteria is a kind of provocateur of this process. The most striking example is yeast. As a result of their fermentation, carbon dioxide and water are formed.
Nutrition of the simplest microorganisms. Parasitism
How do bacteria eat and what is parasitism? These questions are often of interest not only to biologists, but also simply to inquisitive people. You can find answers to them in our article.
Microorganisms that feed on organic matter are divided into two groups - saprotrophs and parasites. The former consume rotten food debris, while the latter live off other animals. Today, parasitism is a fairly common phenomenon. It occurs both in microorganisms themselves and in humans, as well as in animals. Often it is parasitism that can cause a serious illness.
Microorganisms are known to have two ways of feeding. Heterotrophic organisms are microscopic creatures that use prepared organic substances for their development. The second group includes autotrophs - microorganisms that themselves provide themselves with food. These are cyanobacteria, iron bacteria, and also sulfur bacteria. The former play an important role in the process of photosynthesis. It is cyanobacteria that create organic from inorganic substances.
Heterotrophic organisms can be divided into three groups: parasites, saprophytes and symbionts. As a rule, parasitic bacteria carry out their activity in the body of animals, birds, fish or people. They can also live on the surface of the skin. Bacteria can often parasitize on plants. It is worth noting that heterotrophic bacteria cannot carry out their activities on a healthy representative of the flora. This can only happen if there are fresh wounds on its surface. Often infected become seeds and bulbs. In this case, the infection is transmitted vegetatively. The cause of a bacterial disease can be rain or artificial watering. Most often the infection is spread by insects, ticks and birds. In the human body, parasitism can cause tuberculosis, flu, diarrhea, cholera and plague.
Saprophytes and symbionts
Saprophytes are bacteria that feed on dead organic matter. They extract micronutrients from non-living material, and then leave their enzymes there. They absorb dissolved substances.
Symbionts are bacteria that not only live together with other organisms, but also bring them invaluable benefits. For example, such microscopic creatures live in legume tubers. They absorb nitrogen, which is fertilizer for the plant. In the human and animal body, symbionts are also present. They allow you to process the resulting food as efficiently as possible, and also secrete vitamins that are invaluable to health.
Useful properties of bacteria
Surprisingly, the total weight of microorganisms that fill our body is about two kilograms. The beneficial bacteria that inhabit the body of a living creature are called microbiota. In every organism there are more than a million of them. Microbiota is responsible for good health. Beneficial bacteria protect the body from pathogens.
The most important microbiota distribution area is the intestines. Beneficial bacteria create an acidic environment that is not tolerated by pathogens.
Natural defense
The properties of bacteria that are in the respiratory tract of a person and on the surface of his skin include the protection of his environment. The most dangerous pathogens that attack these zones are streptococcus, staphylococcus and micrococcus.
Over the past few centuries, the natural protection of human skin has undergone many significant changes. This is due to the fact that society has moved from a close relationship with nature to constant contact with chemicals. Scientists have proven that the microbiota kit that is on the surface of the skin today is significantly different from the one that existed previously.
Microworld recovery
It is known that the microbiota of an organism is updated quite quickly. The nutrition of bacteria directly depends on the diet of their carrier. The most dangerous products for microorganisms are those containing antibiotics, preservatives and artificial colors. These substances destroy the natural microcosm of man. With this in the future, a wide variety of health problems can be associated.
It is important enough to understand that the microworld requires careful attention. We strongly recommend periodically restoring the microbiota to prevent a number of diseases. To do this, you need to use a course of probiotics. To maintain your own microworld, you will need to consume more vegetables, do fasting days and have breakfast with natural porridge.
Many are interested in the question of how the bacteria that are in our body eat. We found that beneficial microorganisms use the same thing as their carrier. For this reason, in order to maintain strong immunity, it is first necessary to review your diet.
Enzymes to improve overall health
Each of us is probably familiar with the situation when, after overeating, the general state of health noticeably worsens. In this case, bacterial enzymes will be indispensable . Where can they be found and how exactly do they affect the human body?
Many note that after the holiday excesses they feel bad for several days. They complain of dysbiosis, weakness and lack of appetite. All these symptoms indicate that harmful bacteria are trying to displace healthy ones. To cope with this process and restore well-being, it is necessary to include in the diet products that contain bacterial enzymes. These include cottage cheese, hard cheese, kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk and other sour-milk foods. Experts also recommend taking medications that contain probiotics. Before starting treatment, we strongly recommend consulting with your doctor.
Sensational discovery. Bacteria that feed on plastic
The structure and activity of bacteria is of interest to biologists from around the world. They believe that microorganisms are not as primitive as they seem. This is confirmed by the discovery made by a group of Chinese biochemists and microbiologists. Two years ago, they discovered bacteria that feed on plastic. According to scientists, this will save the planet from environmental disaster.
The discovery was made by accident. The team leader notes that he always has a slight mess at home. Once he noticed that in a plastic bag with the remains of cereals there is a huge number of small larvae that eat one-time packaging. This incident led the researcher to the idea that this could help save the planet from global pollution.
After conducting a series of experiments, the group leader found out that the larvae not only eat plastic and polyethylene, but also digest it. It turned out that this is due to the fact that in the intestine of the caterpillar there are a number of bacteria. They digest toxic substances. A group of scientists located experimental larvae on the surface of polyethylene. Surprisingly, after a month they examined the package under a microscope. Nutrition of bacteria allows not to send plastic for processing, but to destroy it as soon as possible.
Harmful bacteria habitat
There are both beneficial and parasitic bacteria. The latter can cause a number of health problems. To protect your body from harmful bacteria as much as possible, you need to know exactly where they live.
- The dirtiest item in the house that dangerous bacteria love to be on is a dish sponge. After a week of use, it urgently needs to be replaced. A wet sponge, on which particles of food remain, is a favorable environment for the development of parasitic microorganisms.
- Another item that microscopic creatures love so much is a toothbrush. A rare replacement of such an accessory can lead to the development of a variety of infectious diseases, such as SARS.
- Few people think, but the remote control from the TV is an object on which a huge number of bacteria dangerous to human life live. To protect yourself from their effects, it is necessary to treat the item with a disinfectant at least once a week. In the event that someone has an infectious disease in the family, this must be done daily.
To protect yourself from a number of harmful bacteria, you need to wash your hands as often as possible. For greater effect, always use a disinfector.
Propagation of microorganisms
For those who want to learn more about simple microorganisms, it is important not only how the bacteria feed, but also how they multiply. This information is of interest to many novice microbiologists. Most bacteria multiply by dividing the cell into two parts. If the microorganism has an oval shape, then it can be divided only across. There are also species that breed by budding. The sexual process is extremely rare and, as a rule, only in Escherichia coli.
The process of reproduction in bacteria occurs quite quickly. However, division can only take place under certain circumstances. Under adverse conditions, some subspecies of bacteria can form spores. Surprisingly, several billion individuals can appear from one cell. Most young offspring die as a result of exposure to adverse environmental conditions.
To summarize
Bacteria are the simplest organisms that surround us everywhere. They can have both positive and negative effects on the environment and human health. Many microbiologists believe that bacteria are not as simple as they seem. Already today, microorganisms are known that can help cope with environmental disasters around the world. In our article, you can find out not only how bacteria feed, but also how they multiply and breathe.