The Good
For the most part, bacteria are incredibly helpful to the Earth. Life on Earth would not exist without bacteria.
- Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria consume nitrogen from the air and change it into a form plants can use. All living things need nitrogen for DNA - remember the nitrogen bases: Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, Thymine?
- Recycling-Bacteria break down the dead and release nutrients back into the soil.
- Bioremediation- Using bacteria to clean up industrial and agricultural pollutants and change them into harmless chemicals.
- Medicine: Genetically engineered bacteria are helpful in producing medication. Antibiotics- Using bacteria to fight bacteria. Bacteria are used to mass produce antibiotics. Insulin- Scientists use E. coli to make insulin needed by people who have diabetes and cannot make their own
- Food- Thank you bacteria, for giving us cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, sourdough bread, sausage, and pickles.
The Bad
Although bacteria are invaluable to the planet, they can be quite harmful, causing diseases. Pathogenic bacteria are not discerning in what organisms they attack. They cause diseases in other animals besides humans, plants, protists, fungi, and even other bacteria.
Recognize any of these diseases?
Bubonic Plague
Ulcers
Leprosy
Cavities
Lyme Disease
Strep Throat
Food Poisoning
Bubonic Plague
Ulcers
Leprosy
Cavities
Lyme Disease
Strep Throat
Food Poisoning