Bacteria: The Two Faced Truth Dasha Fayvinova

Bacteria are defined as “microscopic organisms whose single cells have neither a membrane-bounded nucleus nor other membrane-bounded organelles like mitochondria and chloroplasts.”-( Bacteria: Good or Bad?) Even in this definition, bacteria are not grouped as either bad or good. Yet to most people bacteria is the “enemy” that your parents say covers every surface of your dirty room, bathrooms, subway rails or doorknobs. Millions of people imagine bacteria as an invisible danger that looms in unknown places. This may be out of pure upbringing, but research shows that sometimes your mother was right to put you in a bubble suit before letting you go out and play.

Some bacteria are known to infect organisms, such as plants or animals, which could eventually lead to their sickness or even death. Bacteria can do this is two main ways. One is attacking the organism’s cells directly or the other, by producing toxins (poisons). Both ways damage the cells within that particular organism.

This may not be important to you, but the truth is bacteria don’t just stick to plants and animals. Some such as Cholera, E. coli, Yersinia pestis (bubonic plague)

are directly harmful to humans. But mother dearest never told you about the good bacteria. As a complete shock to most not ALL bacteria are bad. In fact the earth NEEDS bacteria. With out them plants and animals would not receive all the nutrients they need. They also help digest food in both humans and animals. One type of bacteria even eats oil and is used to help clean up oil spills.

At this very moment the so called “enemy” is used in research at the University of Nottingham. By using specific bacteria, they are trying to help purify water sources from contaminates that may be harmful to humans and animals. “These one-celled organisms eat the contaminants present in water — whether it is being treated prior to industrial use or even for drinking — in a process called bioremediation.”-(Bacteria and Nanofilters-The Future of Clean Water Technology)

Even though bacteria seem to get bad press, whether from your own parents or Lysol commercials, the truth of the matter is that bacteria is a two faced character. The more research is done, the more distinguished becomes the two faced truth.

References:

1. http://www.beyondbooks.com/lif72/2b.asp

2. http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/bio99/bio99760.htm

3. http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2008/02/22/bacteria_and_nanofilters_the_future_of_clean_water_technology.html

4. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/zentral/ztl/grafiken_bilder/bilder/e-coli.jpg&imgrefurl=http://therealpotato.com/category/food-politics/&h=418&w=343&sz=40&hl=en&start=8&um=1&tbnid=aE8pkMFWYDLhuM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=103&prev=/images%3Fq%3De%2Bcoli%2Bbacteria%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

5. http://www.pimahealth.org/images/anthrax-bacteria.jpg