Introduction to Bacteria

What is bacterium?
Bacterium (plural: bacteria): a one-celled organism that does not have a nucleus and can only be seen under a microscope.

Where do bacteria live?

Almost everywhere! In the air, in foods that you eat and drink, on the surfaces of things you touch, in the depths of the ocean, in the soil, in and on the human body

Structure of Bacterial Cells

Rod-Shaped/Bacilli

Sphere-Shaped/Cocci

Spiral-Shaped/Spirilla

Special Features
There are thousands of kinds of bacteria. Different kinds of bacteria have different features. For example, some bacteria have a slimy outer coating that helps it stick to surfaces. Some bacteria have flagellawhiplike tails that help them move.

How do bacteria reproduce?

Usually by fissionsimplest form of asexual reproduction in which two new cells are produced with genetic material identical to each other and identical to the previous cell.

Bacteria Reproduction Continued

Sometimes by conjugationwhen two bacteria line up beside each other and exchange DNA through a tube. This results in cells with different combinations of genetic material than they had before the exchange. How might this be helpful to the bacteria?

How do bacteria get food and energy?

Some are producers. They make their own food using energy from the sun or from chemical reactions.

Most are consumers. They break down dead organisms or act as parasites of living organisms.
Can you think of examples?

Bacteria in Your Life:

Putting Bacteria to Work Only a few bacteria cause illness. Most are beneficial. Bacteria work for humans in all kinds of ways in science, medicine, and other industries. Examples include fermenting foods, combatting pests, making lumber, aiding medicine, serving science, advancing nanotechnology, powering fuel cells, producing biofuels, cleaning oil spills, eating waste, and mining minerals.

Harmful Bacteria
Some bacteria are pathogensorganisms that cause disease. Examplestrep throat. How do pathogens enter your body? Some bacterial pathogens produce toxins poisonous substances. Examplebotulism.

Harmful Bacteria
All food contains bacteria, and bacteria can cause food-borne illnesses (food poisoning). Pasteurizationa process of heating food to a temperature that kills most harmful bacteria but causes little change to the taste of food. What are some foods that are pasteurized?

Harmful Bacteria
Bacterial diseases can be treated with antibiotics. Example penicillin.

Harmful Bacteria
Some bacterial diseases can be prevented with vaccines. Vaccines are made from damaged particles taken from bacterial cell walls or from killed bacteria. If you have been injected with a vaccine, and that same type of bacteria enters your body at a later time, white blood cells in your blood recognize the bacteria and immediately attack.