What are bacteria?

Bacteria are a very delicate organism, they are not classified as plants or even animals but belong to a group of their own.

While one milliliter of fresh water may contain about one million bacteria cells, the planet Earth contains at least five mil billion bacteria.



What are the components of bacterial cells?

The bacterial cell is different from plants and animals cells. Nucleus is absent in bacteria, except ribosome all the organelle are bounded by membrane.

Bacteria also have hairs (Pili), flagella, and a cell sac, and this distinguishes them from the cells of animals and plants, noting that an organism that does not have a nucleus is called a prokaryote, and it is worth noting that a bacterial cell contains:

Core body: It holds the base of the flagellum allowing it to rotate and rotate.

Cell cyst: an outer layer of the cell wall, noting that this cyst is not present in all types of bacteria.

Cell wall: a thin layer outside the plasma membrane, and is located within the boundaries of the cell sac, if any.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA): It contains all the genetic components used in the development and functioning of bacteria, and is present in the cytoplasm.

Cytoplasm: It is a gelatinous substance inside the plasma membrane, where the genetic components and ribosomes are present .

Flagella: This is what bacteria use for movement and propulsion, noting that some types of bacteria have more than one flagella.

 Hairs: These enable bacteria to attach to surfaces and transfer genetic compounds to other cells.

Plasma membrane: It works to generate energy and transport chemicals, these substances are able to cross through the membrane.

Ribosomes: This is where proteins are synthesized, which are small organelles made of RNA - rich granules.


Where are the different types of bacteria found?

There are three main forms of bacteria, which are:

Spherical: It is usually the simplest form of bacteria, and in this case it is called Cocci.

Penis shape: Bacteria characterized by this shape are called Bacillus, but some types of these bacteria are curved and called Vibrio.

Spiral in shape: it is known as (Spirilla), but if the coil in the bacteria is very narrow, in this case it is called (Spirochetes).

It should be noted that there are many differences in the groups of forms of the same bacteria, as bacteria are found in many places such as:

Soil and water.

Radioactive waste.

plants and animals.

depths of the earth's crust.

organic matter.

Arctic ice and avalanches.

Stratosphere.

ocean depths.

Of course, bacteria are not found in these places only, but specialists in bacteriology indicate that they are found almost everywhere except for the places and areas that humans sterilize, even those places with very high or low temperatures or that contain toxic chemicals, you can find bacteria in them .

The bacteria that live in these conditions are known as tough, they are able to adapt to difficult living conditions and can survive in them.

How do bacteria feed?

There are several ways bacteria can feed themselves, and they include:

1. Heterotrophs

That is, they feed on other living organisms, and some types of bacteria kill the organism they feed on, while others help them.

2. Autotrophs

That is, this type of bacteria makes its own food, and this is done in two ways:

  • Photosynthesis

Where sunlight, carbon dioxide (CO2) and water are used to make food for bacteria.

  • Chemosynthesis

In this method, bacteria use carbon dioxide, water, and some chemicals such as ammonia to make their own food.

Why does a person need bacteria?

The human body contains a large amount of beneficial bacteria that do not cause any harm to the human being, but may help him in some functions. Bacteria in the digestive system are important for the analysis of some types of food, such as complex sugars, so that the body can use them.

The beneficial bacteria also protect us from harmful bacteria by occupying the places in the body where harmful bacteria are linked, and in return, harmful bacteria cause harm to humans and infect them with diseases.

Among the most important bacterial diseases that may affect some individuals are the following:

  • Cholera;
  • Diphtheria .
  • Dysentery.
  • Plague (Plague).
  • Pneumonia (pneumonia).
  • Tuberculosis.