Thanks to microbiology, the knowledge of the different structures and the composition of bacteria, as well as determining whether bacteria are unicellular or multicellular, It has allowed to better understand how the relationships that bacteria maintain with the different organisms of the planet are. Thus, the advancement of the science of microbiology together with medicine, have allowed the understanding and application of different mechanisms of action for the elaboration of antibiotics that allow to end those bacteria that are harmful to both human beings, and for the rest of animals and also for plant crops.
If you want to know the answer to the curious question: Are bacteria living beings?continue reading this ecology article in which you will find all the information you need to learn more about these mysterious microorganisms.
Are bacteria living beings or not?
Despite being invisible to the human eye and having structures and functions different from those of eukaryotic cells and multicellular organisms, Science does recognize bacteria as living beings. In fact, they are one of the most primitive groups of living beings, that is, they appeared at the beginning of the beginning of life on earth.
What are bacteria – definition
Bacteria are unicellular microorganismsconstituted by a single prokaryotic cell (from the Greek “pro”, primitive and “cariot”, nucleus). The vast majority of bacteria are free, except those that are forced intracellular life. However, all of them have mechanisms that produce energy and genetic material, both necessary for their growth and development.
In the next section we will see more characteristics of these amazing microorganisms to learn to differentiate them from other types of microorganisms and living beings. In addition, we recommend you read this other ecology article about the difference between viruses and bacteria.
Characteristics of bacteria
As we have already seen in the previous section, Bacteria are prokaryotic unicellular microorganisms But what others Characteristics of bacteria can we observe?
- In their cellular structure they lack intracellular compartments delimited by membranes, and its DNA is always circular and closed.
- They have a resistant cell wall that allows them to survive in extreme environmental conditions. Fimbrias, Pilis or Flagelos appear on this wall, which use the bacteria to communicate with each other, as well as to perceive chemical information of their surroundings, or even to move inside aqueous environments.
- The reproduction of bacteria is always asexual, and is carried out by means of a simple division method known as binary fission (as opposed to the mitosis division process used by eukaryotic cells). Thus, during binary fission, the cell that constitutes the bacteria is growing and forming an intracellular protein, which will allow the formation of two daughter cells, which contain an identical duplicate of the stem cell genome.
- Most bacteria multiply rapidly, forming bacteria colonies in a few hours, provided they have a temperature and atmosphere that favors their development.
The variety of Bacteria families that exist in nature is really extensive and varied. In the next section we will see What types of bacteria exist And how we can group them.
Types of bacteria
By observing bacteria with different chemical colorations to the optical microscope, it is possible to identify their structures and shapes. In this way, it is possible Classify the types of bacteria as follows:
- Spirile (spiral).
- Coconuts (spherical or oval).
- Bacilli (cylindrical or canes; straight or curved).
On the other hand, it is possible to differentiate two large groups of bacteria according to the environment in which they live and the absence/ presence of peptidoglycan in its cell walls:
- Archeobacteria: They lack peptidoglycan and live in anaerobic and acid environments with high temperatures, such as marine depths.
- Eubacteria: They have peptidoglycan in their cell wall. They live freely in multiple environments such as soil and water; but also inside living organisms. To this group belong the bacteria of medical interest, the green bacteria and photosynthetic purple, as well as the cyanobacteria.
Examples of names of bacteria and diseases that produce
To learn more about some of the most abundant and known bacteria, let’s see some of the names of bacteria and diseases that cause:
- Botulism: Clostridium botulinum
- Diphtheria: Corynebacterium diphtheriae
- Anger: Vibrio Cholerae
- Gastritis: Helicobacter pylori
- Gonorrhea: Neisseria gonorrhoeae
- Leprosy: Mycobacterium leprae
- Meningitis: Neisseria meningitidis
- Pneumonia: Aureus staphylococcus
- Plague: Yersinia Pestis
- Salmonella: Escherichia coli
- Tetanus: Clostridium tetani
- Whooping cough: Bordetella pertussis
- Tuberculosis: Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Are bacteria good or bad?
Despite all Disease -caus bacteria That we have seen in the previous section, there are also a large number of species of bacteria that create symbiosis and positive relationships with living beings. Know more about what symbiosis in ecology and biology is examples here.
Therefore, we can affirm that Bacteria are living beings and good and bad microorganismsaccording to the kind of bacteria and its relationship with one or another living organism. Thus, within the beneficial symbiotic relationships In which some bacteria participate we can highlight:
- The bacterial flora present in the digestive system of humans and other animals such as ruminants.
- Nitrogen -fixing nodulant bacteria that live in the nodules of the roots of legume plants.
- The bacteria of the probiotics frequently used as supplements in the diet.
- The bacteria that live in association with algae for the decontamination of water and in the decomposition of bioplastic.
If you want to learn more about bacteria, you can also read this other article about the Monera kingdom: what is, characteristics, classification and examples, because this kingdom of nature belongs bacteria and other living beings.
If you want to read more articles similar to Are bacteria living beings?we recommend that you enter our biology category.
- Pérez, M. & Mota, M. (2000) Morphology and bacterial structure. Magazine Bacteriology and Medical Virology. Volume 23.
- Reig, Al & Blanco, J. (2002) Prebiotics and probiotics, a beneficial relationship. Cuban Food and Nutrition Magazine, Food Nutrition and Hygiene Institute. Volume 16 (1), pp: 8-63.
