We all know that our bodies contain bacteria. Bacteria come in all forms, all shapes and sizes. Some are harmful to our system, but yet there are species that provide positive support. For instance, our large intestine contains bacteria cell structure that produce vitamin K, an essential blood clotting factor. Bacteria and cell structure also play a part in assisting some animal species with cellulose plant digestion, thus converting nitrogen to a more usable form.
Evidence shows that the presence of bacteria cell structure on earth dates back almost 3.5 billion years, thus inhabiting our world before the dawn of man. The earliest forms of bacteria cell structure were archeans, very tiny organisms that only existed in extreme climates such as acid water or rain, sulphur volcanic eruptions and so on. It is now believed that archea and bacteria developed separately from a common ancestor almost 4 billion years ago. Although there is a resemblance between archea and bacteria cell structure, we know archea cell structure to be as different from bacteria cell structure as bacteria cell structure differs from humans.
If we look back in history we see that one of the earliest scientists to study bacteria cell structure under the microscope was Antoni van Leeuwenhoek in the late 17th century. It was during the 19th century that Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch demonstrated the role of bacteria as a disease causing agent. We know in the 20th century that many scientific advances in bacteriology, documented the family history of bacteria cell structure and its role and diversity as an important organism being studied. This knowledge has lead to the belief that bacteria are essential to our ecosystems as well as leading to the development of modern antibiotics and advances in medical treatments.
Bacteria cell structures can be grouped in two ways. They can be divided into three types based on their response to gaseous oxygen. Aerobic bacteria cannot live without the presence of oxygen and cannot be exposed to gaseous oxygen and will die upon contact. Facultative aneraobes prefer oxygen, but can live without it.
The second way of grouping bacteria is how they obtain their energy. Bacteria that have to consume and break down complex organic compounds are called heterotrophs. These species are found in decaying material as well as those that utilize fermentation or respiration. Bacteria that create their own energy from light or through chemical reactions are autotrophs.
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