Bacteria are prokaryotic microorganisms of the cellular structure. Their sizes are from 0.1 to 30 microns.
Germs are extremely common. They live in soil, air, water, in snow and even hot springs, on the body of animals, as well as inside living organisms, including the human body.
The main types of bacteria
The distribution of bacteria into species is based on several criteria, among which the shape of microorganisms and their spatial distribution are most often taken into account. So, in the form of cells, bacteria are divided into:
• Coca - micro-, diplo-, strepto-, staphylococci, as well as sarcinomas;
• rod-shaped - monobacteria, diplobacteria and streptobacteria;
• convoluted species - vibrios and spirochetes.
The classification of bacteria also includes the state of the bacterial wall:
1. gram-positive bacteria with a thin cell wall - myxobacteria, photosynthetic forms of microorganisms that secrete oxygen (cyanobacteria);
2. gram-positive bacteria with a thick cell wall (clostridia and actinomycetes);
3. gram-negative bacteria that do not have a cell wall (mycoplasma);
4. bacteria that have an inferior cell wall - this group of microorganisms includes ancient forms that can form methane.
There is a special group of microorganisms - pathogenic bacteria, which are also called pathogenic microbes. They parasitize on other organisms, cause various infectious diseases of humans, animals or plants.
Consider the most common pathogenic bacteria that infect humans.
• Kokh vibrio - causes cholera. Infection with these microorganisms occurs through water, food, dirty hands and objects infected with vibrios. The source of the spread of the disease are patients and carriers in which cholera does not develop, but which spread pathogenic microbes to other people;
• Bacillus Sonne and Flexner - causes the development of dysentery, spreads among the population in the same ways as the previous microorganism;
• Koch bacillus - is the causative agent of tuberculosis. It is transmitted to other people from patients through the air and drops released from the respiratory system when coughing infected people;
• Bacillus clostridium tetanus - causes a serious illness - tetanus. Infection occurs through contact with soil contaminated with clostridia, as well as the transfer of pathogenic microorganisms from a sick animal or person;
• Yersinia pestis - the causative agent of the plague, causes not only the bubonic form of the disease, but also severe lung damage;
• mycobacterium leprosy - causes the development of leprosy, which is popularly called leprosy and is characterized by damage to the skin and mucous membranes of the peripheral nervous system;
• Corynebacterium diphtheria - microorganisms that cause diphtheria - a serious pathology that is characterized by damage to the mucous membranes of the oropharynx with the formation of fibrous films, intoxication, damage to the heart, nervous system and kidneys;
• pale treponema - is the causative agent of syphilis, which is a sexually transmitted disease and causes damage to the skin, mucous membranes, internal organs, bones, as well as the nervous system;
• Helicobacter pylori - a microorganism that causes the development of peptic ulcer.
Pathogenic bacteria can cause many other serious diseases with damage to various organs that require appropriate treatment. c
Pathogenic bacteria can cause a systemic inflammatory response of the body, severe pneumonia, meningitis and even sepsis with the development of a shock state, which leads to death, therefore it is important to prevent the pathogenic flora from entering the body. For this purpose, various methods of antiseptics and disinfection are used.