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Yrsinia pestis: The Bacteria That Causes the
Bubonic Plague
The bacteria that causes the bubonic plague is usually spread through the bite of an infected rodent or flea.
This bacteria is called Yersinia pestis and infects 1,000 to 3,000 people each year. Within two to six days of
exposure to the bacteria that causes the bubonic plague, symptoms may develop, including headache, chills,
fever, and swollen lymph glands.
.
Yersinia pestis bacteria causes about 1,000 to 3,000 plague cases each year, mostly in Africa, Asia,
and South America. Between 10 to 20 cases occur annually in southwest areas of the United States.
Yersinia pestis is found most commonly in rats, but is occasionally found in other animals. Some of
these animals include:

Fleas,

Chipmunks
*
Mice
* Lice
* Prairie dogs
* Wood rats
* Cats
*Dogs
* Squirrels.
How Is the Bacteria That Causes the Bubonic Plague Transmitted?
Usually, the bacteria that causes the bubonic plague is contracted when someone is bitten
by an infected flea or rodent. In rare cases, it is possible for a piece of contaminated clothing or
other material used by an infected person to transmit bacteria through a cut or other opening in your
skin and infect you. Bubonic plague is rarely spread from person to person.
Yersinia pestis bacteria begin to multiply once they reach the lymph nodes.
(The lymph or lymphatic
system is a major component of your body's immune system. The organs within the lymphatic system
are the tonsils, adenoids, spleen, and thymus.)
Within two to six days of exposure to the bacteria that causes the bubonic plague, symptoms may
develop
including :
Swollen, tender lymph glands (called buboes, hence the name bubonic. Turn black = “black death”
).
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history,
peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350, and killing between 75 million and 200
million people.[1][2][3] Although there were several competing theories as to the etiology
of the Black Death, recent analysis of DNA from victims in northern and southern
Europe indicates that the pathogen responsible was the Yersinia pestis bacterium
probably causing several forms of plague.[4][5]
The Black Death is thought to have started in China or central Asia. [6] It then travelled
along the Silk Road and reached the Crimea by 1346. From there, it was probably
carried by Oriental rat fleas living on the black rats that were regular passengers on
merchant ships. Spreading throughout the Mediterranean and Europe, the Black Death
is estimated to have killed 30 to 60 percent of Europe's population.[7] All in all, the
plague reduced the world population from an estimated 450 million to a number
between 350 and 375 million in the 14th century.
The aftermath of the plague created a series of religious, social and economic
upheavals, which had profound effects on the course of European history. It took 150
years for Europe's population to recover. The plague reoccurred occasionally in Europe
until the 19th century.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis the bacteria which causes tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, ( TB ) is a lethal, infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.[1] The
bacteria which causes tuberculosis was first isolated in 1882 by a German physician named Robert
Koch who received the Nobel Prize for this discovery.
Tuberculosis typically attacks the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body. It is spread through
the air when people who have an active TB infection cough, sneeze, or otherwise transmit respiratory
fluids through the air.
The classic symptoms of active TB infection are a chronic cough with blood-tinged sputum, fever, night sweats, and
weight loss. Many years ago, this disease was referred to as "consumption" because without
effective treatment, these patients often lose weight and would “waste away” as if being consumed..
Today, of course, tuberculosis usually can be treated successfully with antibiotics. , if left
untreated, kills more than 50% of those so infected. TB is thought to be the all time leading
killer of human beings by a single pathogen.
One third of the world's population is thought to have been infected with M. tuberculosis,[3] with new
infections occurring at a rate of about one per second.[3] In 2007, there were an estimated 13.7 million
chronic active cases globally,[4] while in 2010, there were an estimated 8.8 million new cases and 1.5
million associated deaths, mostly occurring.
Treatment is difficult and requires administration of multiple antibiotics over a long period of time.
Social contacts are also screened. In times past.. people with TB were quarantined . This means they
were not allowed to be in contact with anyone else. Today Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem
How does a person get TB?
A person can become infected with tuberculosis bacteria when he or she inhales minute particles of
infected lung droplets called sputum from the air. The bacteria get into the air when someone who has
a tuberculosis lung infection coughs, sneezes, shouts, or spits (which is common in some cultures).
People who are nearby can then possibly breathe the bacteria into their lungs. You don't get TB by just
touching the clothes or shaking the hands of someone who is infected. Tuberculosis is spread
(transmitted) primarily from person to person by breathing infected air during close contact.
Mycobacterium leprae

the bacteria which causes Leprosy
Leprosy is a slowly developing, progressive disease that damages the skin and nervous system.

Leprosy is caused by an infection with Mycobacterium leprae or M. lepromatosis bacteria.

Early symptoms begin in cooler areas of the body and include loss of sensation.

Signs of leprosy are painless ulcers, skin lesions, and eye damage (dryness, reduced blinking). Later, large
ulcerations, loss of fingers and toes, skin nodules, and facial disfigurement may develop.

The infection is thought to be spread person to person by nasal secretions or droplets. Leprosy can be
transmitted to humans from chimpanzees, and nine-banded armadillos…. by droplets or direct contact.

Susceptibility to getting leprosy may be due to certain human genes.

Antibiotics are used in the treatment of leprosy.
What is leprosy?
Leprosy is a disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae, which causes damage to the skin and the
nervous system. The disease develops slowly (from six months to 40 years!) and results in skin lesions and
deformities, most often affecting the cooler places on the body (for example, eyes, nose, earlobes, hands,
feet, ) The skin lesions and deformities can be very disfiguring and are the reason that infected individuals
historically were considered outcasts in many cultures.
Most human leprosy is transmitted from another human. , However, three other species can transfer M. leprae to
humans: 1. chimpanzees,
2. mangabey monkeys, and 3. nine-banded armadillos.
Streptococcus pyogenes
“FLESH EATING BACTERIA” causes Necrotizing
Fasciitis
What is necrotizing fasciitis?
Necrotizing fasciitis is a term that describes a disease condition of rapidly spreading infection, under
the skin. The infection is usually located in connective tissue around muscles, nerves and blood
vessels. These types of connective tissue are called “FASCIA” That is why the disease is called
necrotizing FASCIITIS”.
The infection results in dead and damaged tissue. . The disease can
occur in almost any part of the body.
Over 70% of cases are recorded in patients with one of the following clinical situations: a depressed
immune system…, diabetes,… alcoholism/drug abuse…../smoking, malignant tumors., … but also, rarely
occurs in healthy people[7]
The infection begins locally at a site of trauma, which may be severe (such as the result of surgery),
minor, or even non-apparent. Patients usually complain of intense pain that may seem excessive given
the external appearance of the skin. With progression of the disease, often within hours, tissue becomes
swollen. Diarrhea and vomiting are also common symptoms.
In the early stages, signs of inflammation may not be apparent if the bacteria are deep within the tissue. If
they are not deep, signs of inflammation, such as redness and swollen or hot skin, develop very quickly.
Skin color may progress to violet, and blisters may form, with subsequent necrosis (death) of the
subcutaneous tissues.
Furthermore, patients with necrotizing fasciitis typically have a fever and appear very ill. Mortality rates
have been noted as high as 73 percent if left untreated.[8] Without surgery and medical assistance, such
as antibiotics, the infection will rapidly progress and will eventually lead to death.[9]
Micrograph of necrotizing fasciitis, showing necrosis (center of image) of the dense connective tissue,
i.e. fascia, interposed between fat lobules (top-right and bottom-left of image). H&E stain.
"Flesh-eating bacteria" is not an accurate term. The bacteria do not actually "eat" the
tissue. They cause the destruction of skin and muscle by releasing toxins
SALMONELLA typhi:
The bacteria which causes typhoid fever.
1. Typhoid Fever
o
Typhoid fever is also called enteric fever in some cultures. Typhoid fever is
caused by the species salmonella typhi. The infection is spread from ingesting
contaminated water or food that contains fecal matter of an infected person. S.
typhi resists destruction from the host's immune system, but it is usually cleared
without medication. If the condition persists, doctors may prescribe antibiotics
such as ciprofloxacin.
Salmonellosis
o
Salmonellosis is the most common disease attributed to the Salmonella genus of
bacteria. Salmonellosis is a food borne illness that causes severe diarrhea,
vomiting and nausea. Like the previous infections, salmonellosis is spread
through contaminated water and food. It's often attributed to food poisoning from
restaurant employees. Symptoms last for up to 72 hours, and the disease is
usually cleared without treatment.
Prevention
o
Salmonella illnesses can be prevented through proper hygiene. Anyone who
handles food should wash their hands with soap and warm water. Restaurant
workers are required to wash their hands after using the restroom. If
salmonellosis is spread from a restaurant, the CDC urges patients to notify the
state public health facility.
Treatment
o
o
Treatment for salmonella illnesses involves mostly supportive care. Patients are
urged to replace fluids and electrolytes since diarrhea and vomiting causes the
body to lose important liquids. If a patient has a deficient immune system or
symptoms persist for longer than three weeks, doctors may prescribe antibiotics
to help
TYPHOID MARY… Spread typhoid fever without ever getting ill herself.
Individuals can develop typhoid fever after ingesting food or water contaminated during handling by a
human carrier. The human carrier may be a healthy person who has survived a previous episode of
typhoid fever yet who continues to shed the associated bacteria, Salmonella typhi, in feces and urine.
Washing hands with soap before touching or preparing food, washing dishes and utensils with soap and
water, and only eating cooked food are all ways to reduce the risk of typhoid infection.[2]
Mary Mallon (September 23, 1869 – November 11, 1938), better known as Typhoid Mary, was
the first person in the United States identified as an asymptomatic carrier of the pathogen
associated with typhoid fever. She was presumed to have infected some 51 people, three of
whom died, over the course of her career as a cook.[1] She was forcibly isolated twice by public
health authorities and died after a total of nearly three decades in isolation .
Mary Mallon was born in 1869 in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Ireland (now Northern
Ireland). She immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1884. From 1900 to 1907
she worked as a cook in the New York City area.
In 1900, Mary worked in Mamaroneck, New York, where, within two weeks of her
employment, the residents developed typhoid fever. She moved to Manhattan in 1901,
and members of the family for whom she worked developed fevers and diarrhea and the
laundress died. Mallon then went to work for a lawyer until seven of the eight household
members developed typhoid.[3]
In 1906, she took a position in Oyster Bay, Long Island, where, within two weeks, ten of
eleven family members were hospitalized with typhoid. She changed employment
again, and similar occurrences happened in three more households.
In Oyster Bay, she worked as a cook for a wealthy New York banker, Charles Henry
Warren, and his family. When the Warrens rented a house in Oyster Bay for the
summer of 1906, Mallon came along. From August 27 to September 3, six of the eleven
people in the house came down with typhoid fever. Typhoid fever in Oyster Bay at that
time was "unusual", according to three doctors who practiced medicine there.
Mary was subsequently hired by other families, and outbreaks followed her. [
Borrelia burgdorferi… the bacteria which causes
LYME DISEASE
Lyme disease facts

Lyme disease is a bacterial illness that is spread by tick bites.

Lyme disease can affect the skin, joints, heart, and the nervous system.

Lyme disease occurs in phases -- the early phase beginning at the site of the tick bite with an expanding ring of
redness.

Lyme disease is diagnosed based on the patient's clinical signs of illness and the detection of Lyme antibodies
in the blood.

Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics… but it is difficult to kill this bacteria and infections can remain even
after treatment.
What is Lyme disease? What causes Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is a bacterial illness caused by a spiral shaped bacterium called a "spirochete."
In the United States, the actual name of the bacterium is Borrelia burgdorferi. Certain deer ticks contain this
bacterium in their stomachs. Lyme disease is spread by these ticks when they bite the skin, which permits the
bacterium to infect the body. Lyme disease is not contagious from an affected person to someone else. Lyme disease
can cause abnormalities in the skin, joints, heart, and nervous system.
What is the history of Lyme disease?
Interestingly, the disease only became known in 1975 when mothers of a group of children who lived near each other
in Lyme County Connecticut, made researchers aware that their children had all been diagnosed with rheumatoid
arthritis. This unusual grouping of arthritis in young children eventually led researchers to the discover the bacterial
cause of the children's condition. In 1982 the disease became known as LYME DISEASE
Ticks are carriers of the Lyme bacterium in their stomachs. The ticks then are vectors that can transmit the bacterium
to humans with a tick bite. The number of cases of the disease in an area depends on the number of ticks present
and how often the ticks are infected with the bacteria
Clostridium botulinum
The bacteria which causes botulism… and produces “Botox”

The botulism neurotoxin is one of the most Deadly substances known.

Botulism is a disease caused by this neurotoxin (or specifically A, B, E, or F type neurotoxin).

The neurotoxin is produced by bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. The neurotoxin paralyzes
muscles and can be deadly.

Food-borne botulism is usually caused by eating contaminated home-canned foods. Never
taste-test food that may have gone bad.

Wound botulism is due to Clostridium bacteria infecting a wound and releasing the neurotoxin.

In infant botulism, the baby consumes spores of the bacteria which then grow in the baby's
intestine and release the neurotoxin.

Honey can contain spores of the bacteria and should not be fed to babies less than 1 year of
age.

Botulism neurotoxin is listed as a potential biological weapon. ( see next page )

Botulism neurotoxin is used in dilute concentration to treat medical and cosmetic conditions.
The use of BOTOX to treat (wrinkles and frown lines) was approved in 2002 by the FDA for
cosmetic improvements; the FDA has approved many additional uses (for example, underarm
sweating, and muscle pain disorders) since 2002.
Botulism is the one of the world's deadliest tools for biological warfare or biological terrorism.
Botulism is a "biotoxin," a natural poison given off by the cell structure of a tiny microscopic
organism called botulinum. Botulinum itself does not make you sick. The poisons it produces are
what kill you. The concentrated form of botulinum is called botulinus toxin.
How dangerous is botulism? It only takes two one-hundredths of a milligram (0.02 mg) of
botulism to kill a full grown adult. That means that one milligram (1 mg) can kill fifty (50)
people, one gram (1 gm) can kill fifty thousand (50,000) people, and one kilogram (about two
and a half pounds) can kill fifty million (50,000,000) people! Botulism can be absorbed through
the skin, through the lungs, through the eyes, or through the mucous membranes. In as little as
six hours you start the rapid slide to a gruesome and ugly death. First there is paralysis and then
respiratory failure. Death comes in 3 to 8 days depending on the dose.
Botulism is a favorite weapon of rogue nations and terrorist groups for biological warfare and
biological terrorism for two reasons. First, the botulinum microbe occurs normally in nature. For
example, it occurs in the soil and occurs naturally in low acids foods that have spoiled. We put
nitrites in canned foods to keep them from becoming contaminated with botulism. There is a
ready supply of the original microbe for development as a weapon. One live cell is all you need
to start your precursor batch to finally make the thousands of gallons. Second, botulinum is the
most deadly of all naturally occurring biotoxins.
Understanding the Threat
To understand the seriousness of the threat, remember that one ounce equals 28.350 grams. This
means that one ounce of pure botulinus toxin can kill one million four hundred seventeen
thousand five hundred (1,417,500) people. This represents the entire population of the Hampton
Roads area of Virginia.
One pound of botulinus toxin can kill twenty-two million six hundred eighty thousand
(22,680,000) people. One quart (two pounds) of botulinus toxin can kill forty-five million three
hundred sixty thousand (45,360,000) people. Pure botulinus toxin in an amount equal to two 20
ounce soft drinks has enough poison to kill almost 57 million people, or nearly the entire
population of France!
Vibrio Cholerae… the bacteria which causes cholera in humans
Key facts






Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease that can kill within hours if left untreated.
There are an estimated 3–5 million cholera cases and 100 000–120 000 deaths due to cholera
every year.
Up to 80% of cases can be successfully treated with oral rehydration salts.
Effective control measures rely on prevention, preparedness and response.
Provision of safe water and sanitation is critical in reducing the impact of cholera and other
waterborne diseases.
Oral cholera vaccines are considered an additional means to control cholera, but should not
replace conventional control measures.
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio
cholerae. Every year, there are an estimated 3–5 million cholera cases and 100 000–120 000 deaths due to cholera.
The short incubation period of two hours to five days, enhances the potentially explosive pattern of outbreaks.
Symptoms
Cholera is an extremely virulent disease. It affects both children and adults and can kill within hours.
About 75% of people infected with V. cholerae do not develop any symptoms, although the bacteria are present in
their faeces for 7–14 days after infection and are shed back into the environment, potentially infecting other people.
Among people who develop symptoms, 80% have mild or moderate symptoms, while around 20% develop acute
watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration. This can lead to death if untreated.
People with low immunity – such as malnourished children or people living with HIV – are at a greater risk of death if
infected.
History
During the 19th century, cholera spread across the world from its original reservoir in the Ganges delta in India. Six
subsequent pandemics killed millions of people across all continents. The current (seventh) pandemic started in
South Asia in 1961, and reached Africa in 1971 and the Americas in 1991. Cholera is now endemic in many
countries.
Lactobacillus bulgaricus
making bacteria
bacteria … one of the yogurt
Lactobacillus acidophilus is a helpful natural bacterium, and a member of the family microflora, that can
fight harmful bacteria that may invade your digestive system. L. bulgaricus is a specific type of microorganism that is known as a probiotic. "Probiotics are 'live microorganisms, which, when administered in
adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host,'" according to the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations.
How does Lactobacillus Bulgaricus do Its Work?
L. bulgaricus lives in the intestinal mucosa, the mucous membrane that lines the gastrointestinal tract. L.
bulgaricus is hardy enough to be able to withstand the acidic digestive juices secreted by the stomach.
The organism grows when it's needed and diminishes when it's not. L. bulgaricus is called a symbiotic
bacterium; it lives in harmony with the other helpful bacteria that normally live in your gastrointestinal
tract. Here the micro-organism helps neutralize toxins and kill harmful bacteria by producing its own
natural antibiotics.
To Make Yogurt
1.
Heat milk until a skin starts to form. This step “kills” any competition for the yogurt making bacteria.
2.
Let milk cool til you can touch it comfortably
3.
Add 2 tablespoons PLAIN yogurt per guart of milk.
4.
Place mixture in a closed thermos bottle
In the warm milk… the bacteria from the yogurt will eat the milk sugar..and ferment that sugar to make ATP.
As the bacteria ferment the lactose sugar… they release acid into the milk. The acid curdles the milk into yogurt.
Bacillus thuringensis ( Bt ) bacteria … the mosquito killer
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is bacterium that produces crystals protein (cry proteins), which are toxic to
many species of insects.
How does Bt work?
Bt has to be eaten to cause mortality. The Bt toxin dissolve in the high pH insect gut and become active. The toxins
then attack the gut cells of the insect, punching holes in the lining. The Bt spores spills out of the gut and germinate
in the insect causing death within a couple days.
.
Since 1996 plants have been modified with short sequences of genes from Bt to express the crystal
protein Bt makes. With this method, plants themselves can produce the proteins and protect themselves
from insects without any external Bt and/or synthetic pesticide sprays. In 1999, 29 million acres of Bt
corn, potato and cotton were grown globally. It has been estimated that by using Bt protected cotton, the
United States was able to save approximately $92 million.
Bt is used for mosquito control Bt bacteria are released into ponds where mosquito larva live.
Mosquito Dunk Biological Mosquito Control
General Information
Active Ingredients: Bacillus thuringiensis ... 10.00%
Each dunk kills mosquito larvae for 30 days or more. Mosquito Dunks float on
water and will keep on working for 30 days or longer under typical environmental
conditions. While floating, they slowly release a long-term, biological mosquito
larvicide at the water's surface. This larvicide gradually settles in the water where
it is eaten by mosquito larvae growing there.
Colonizing e-coli bacteria in humans
Although we are born free of bacteria. Children and adult Human have trillions of bacteria living on
and in our body. We have more bacteria cells on us and in us than human cells!! The mass of
bacteria in the body varies from 1 kg to 2.6 kg, or about 6 lbs of bacteria. These bacteria are
found mostly in the intestine where they help in the process of digestion.
Some bacteria are helpful in maintaining the pH of the body. Some protect the skin from
infections. Bacteria are also helpful in the production of vitamin K and have an important role to play
in the functioning of immune system.
One of the most common bacteria which are helpful for humans is Escherichia coli. This bacteria is
associated with the process of digestion. E. coli is present in the intestine where the maximum
digestion takes place. These bacteria release enzymes which help in the process of digestion. They
also help to make various vitamins and nutrients. Beneficial bacteria also protects newborn babies
from fungal infections.
The relationship between the gut and well-behaved bacteria is mutually beneficial. Because the gut is porous (that’s
how it absorbs nutrients from food), it’s also vulnerable to invasion. Over a person’s lifetime, the GI tract handles
roughly 60 tons of food. While food brings nourishment, it can also be a Trojan horse for disease. That was the case
in Europe last spring, where contaminated vegetable sprouts killed 29 people and made nearly 3,000 extremely ill.
And it was the case for a great many tainted hamburgers before that.
Good bacteria act as microscopic bouncers for the bowels, waving in desirable nutrients and slamming the door on
dangerous viruses and killer bugs. , It’s a job that requires mind-boggling numbers.
One hundred trillion bacteria cram inside the average intestine . Scoop them up and they would weigh 2 to 3 pounds.
Linked end-to-end, they would circle the globe two and a half times. Without them, you couldn’t digest any food.
we’ve got a well-established and mutualistic partnership going., Bacteria have found a niche for themselves inside
our bodies. It’s important to remember that we need them every bit as much as they need us.
“The bottom line is that we would be dead without them
Rhizobium…. The NITROGEN FIXING BACTERIA
These bacteria take N2 gas which plants can not use…
and fix it into forms which plants can use…
such as Nitrates / Nitrites
and Ammonia
Have you ever wondered why farmers may replant corn fields with alfalfa, soybean, or
clover in a crop rotation?
Well, certain kinds of bacteria called rhizobium live in nodules on the roots of these
plants in symbiosis.
Rhizobium bacteria do the nitrogen cycling. Green plants cannot use the N2 form of
nitrogen in the air. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria change N2 nitrogen from the air into
substances call nitrites. Nitrites are needed by green plants.
Think about this: In order to make protein, a cow needs nitrogen. This comes from eating
grass, which gets its nitrogen from bacteria. Then we eat the cow. So this little chain
affects a lot of living things.
If there were no nitrogen-fixing bacteria, there would be no plants because the nitrogen
in the soil would be used up too quickly. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria helps to replace the
nitrogen in the soil so that green plants can survive and flourish.
Without nitrogen fixing bacteria there would be massive starvation and
nowhere near enough food produced on the planet for the plants and
animals which live here.
OIL EATING BACTERIA
ALCANIVORAX BORKUMENSIS:
A rod-shaped bacterium, A. borkumensis has played a role in oil spill cleanups from Alaska (Exxon
Valdez) to the Mediterranean waters near Spain (Prestige). Although it persists in low numbers at all
times, the bacterium blooms after an oil spill—and has the ability to both break down the alkanes
that make up part of the oil as well as spread a biodispersant that helps other microbes feast on other
constituents of the spill. As a result, scientists have been attempting to "soup up" this oil-eater via
genetic engineering in order to make a spill-fighting “supermicrobe”. So far, they have not
improved on evolution's design.
An oil spill is an environmental hazard that is dangerous to many species of plants and
animals. One of the methods of cleaning up oil spills that has been investigated is the
use of oil-eating bacteria.
These strains of soil bacteria naturally use oils in the environment as their food. They
also need some inorganic nutrients, oxygen and water in their environment in order to
survive. The oil-digesting abilities of soil bacteria are thought to vary depending on the
amount of oil found in the natural environment of different bacterial strains.
CHEMOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA
There are many species of chemosynthetic bacteria. These bacteria allow life to exist in places where sunlight
does not reach. The most important areas are the ocean bottom vent communities. These communities of living
things live on the 45,000 mile long mid-oceanic ridge. The chemosynthetic bacteria are the PRODUCERS of food
for these communities… The bacteria use energy from chemicals in the volcano to produce sugars. These sugars
are passed through the living community to worms, crabs, fish and other creatures. These communities of living
things may be the oldest on earth!! They also may be some of the largest communities on earth.
So, without Chemosynthetic bacteria… large parts of the earth which now support life… would be barren of life.
Scientists also tell us that the first life on earth was most likely a chemosynthetic bacteria…. So chemosynthetic
bacteria may have been the oldest ancestor of all the life on earth!
STREPTOMYCETES
Bacteria
( many species )
While the ground you step on may seem like dirt, it is really a complex ecosystem composed of billions
of microorganisms competing against each other for nutrients. One group of microbes that is highly
adapted to this competitive environment. is a genus group called Streptomyces. These bacteria
produce a number of antibiotics. One antibiotic produced by the Streptomecetes bacteria is called
“streptomycin”
Streptomycin stops bacterial growth by damaging cell membranes and inhibiting protein synthesis at the
bacterias ribosomes. Human ribosomes are different than bacterial ribosomes… so the antibiotic will not
harm human cells…. Only bacteria cells. Streptomycin was the first antibiotic shown to cure
Tuberculosis… Tuberculosis is probably the leading all-time killer of human beings. Plague ( black death
) is also treated with streptomycin
In the picture below… Notice how other bacteria will not grow near the 2 colonies of streptomycetes bacteria.
This is because those bacteria are producing an antibiotic chemical which kills many other species of
bacteria. How to kill our germ enemies?? Nature provides us the answer : )
used to treat tuberculosis, plague, used in livestock feed and sprayed on
crops and orchards to discourage bacterial growth
Genetically Engineered bacteria
All species…
Used for..
Producing plastics
Producing insulin for people with diabetes
Producing Factor 8 for people suffering from hemophilia
Producing pest resistant crops
Copying genes wo the genes can be moved from one animal or plant to
another… as in the case of spider goats and glowfish.
Bacteria
Borrelia burgdorferi
Nelson, ASM
MicrobeLibrary
Bacteria consist of only a single cell, but don't let their small size and seeming simplicity fool you. They're an
amazingly complex and fascinating group of creatures. Bacteria have been found that can live in
temperatures above the boiling point and in cold that would freeze your blood. They "eat" everything from
sugar and starch to sunlight, sulfur and iron.
There's even a species of bacteria—Deinococcus radiodurans—that can withstand blasts of radiation 1,000
times greater than would kill a human being.
Classification
Bacteria fall into a category of life called the Prokaryotes (pro-carry-oats). Prokaryotes'
genetic material, or DNA, is not enclosed in a cellular compartment called the nucleus.
Bacteria and archaea are the only prokaryotes. All other life forms are Eukaryotes
(you-carry-oats), creatures whose cells have nuclei.
(Note: viruses are not considered true cells, so they don't fit into either of these
categories.)
Early Origins
Leucothrix mucor
Appl. Environ.
Microbiol. 55:14351446, 1989
Bacteria are among the earliest forms of life that appeared on Earth billions of years
ago. Scientists think that they helped shape and change the young planet's
environment, eventually creating atmospheric oxygen that enabled other, more
complex life forms to develop. Many believe that more complex cells developed as once
free-living bacteria took up residence in other cells, eventually becoming the organelles
in modern complex cells. The mitochondria (mite-oh-con-dree-uh) that make energy for your body cells is
one example of such an organelle.
What They Look Like
There are thousands of species of bacteria, but all of them are basically one of three
different shapes. Some are rod- or stick-shaped and called bacilli (buh-sill-eye).
Others are shaped like little balls and called cocci (cox-eye).
Others still are helical or spiral in shape, like the Borrelia pictured at the top of this
page.
Some bacterial cells exist as individuals while others cluster together to form pairs,
chains, squares or other groupings.
Where They're Found
Ball-shaped
Streptococci
Bacteria live on or in just about every material and environment
on Earth from soil to water to air, and from your house to arctic
ice to volcanic vents. Each square centimeter of your skin averages about 100,000
bacteria. A single teaspoon of topsoil contains more than a billion (1,000,000,000)
bacteria.
Bacteria that live in
guts of surgeon fish
Courtesy Norm Pace
Some bacteria move about their environment by means of long, whip-like
structures called flagella. They rotate their flagella like tiny outboard motors
to propel themselves through liquid environments. They may also reverse
the direction in which their flagella rotate so that they tumble about in one
place. Other bacteria secrete a slime layer and ooze over surfaces like slugs.
Others are fairly stationary.
Because bacteria and viruses cause many of the diseases we're familiar
with, people often confuse these two microbes. But viruses are as different
Bacterium with flagella
from bacteria as goldfish are fromgiraffes. For one thing, they differ greatly
Harwood, ASM MicrobeLibrary in size. The biggest viruses are only as large as the tiniest bacteria. Another
difference is their structure. Bacteria are complex compared to viruses.
How They Move
A typical bacterium has a rigid cell wall and a thin, rubbery cell membrane
surrounding the fluid, or cytoplasm (sigh-toe-plasm), inside the cell. A
bacterium contains all of the genetic information needed to make copies of
itself—its DNA—in a structure called a chromosome (crow-moe-soam). In
addition, it may have extra loose bits of DNA called plasmids floating in the
cytoplasm. Bacteria also have ribosomes (rye-bo-soams), tools necessary for
copying DNA so bacteria can reproduce. Some have threadlike structures called
flagella that they use to move.
© Eric MacDicken
A virus may or may not have an outermost spiky layer called the envelope. All viruses have a protein coat
and a core of genetic material, either DNA or RNA. And that's it. Period.
Which brings us to the main difference between viruses and bacteria—the way
they reproduce.
Viral vs. Bacterial Reproduction
Bacteria contain the genetic blueprint (DNA) and all the tools (ribosomes,
proteins, etc.) they need to reproduce themselves. Viruses are moochers. They
contain only a limited genetic blueprint and they don't have the necessary building tools. They have to
invade other cells and hijack their cellular machinery to reproduce. Viruses invade by attaching to a cell and
injecting their genes or by being swallowed up by the cell.
What They Eat
Bacteria have a wide range of environmental and nutritive requirements.
Some bacteria are photosynthetic (foe-toe-sin-theh-tick)—they can make their own food from sunlight, just
like plants. Also like plants, they give off oxygen. Other bacteria absorb food from the material they live on
or in. Some of these bacteria can live off unusual "foods" such as iron or sulfur. The microbes that live in
your gut absorb nutrients from the digested food you've eaten.
Most bacteria may be placed into one of three groups based on their response to gaseous oxygen. Aerobic
bacteria thrive in the presence of oxygen and require it for their continued growth and existence. Other
bacteria are anaerobic, and cannot tolerate gaseous oxygen, such as those bacteria that live in deep
underwater sediments or those which cause bacterial food poisoning. The third group is the facultative
anaerobes, which prefer growing in the presence of oxygen, but can continue to grow without it.
Bacteria may also be classified both by the mode by which they obtain their energy. Classified by the source
of their energy, bacteria fall into two categories: heterotrophs and autotrophs. Heterotrophs derive energy
from breaking down complex organic compounds that they must take in from the environment -- this
includes saprobic bacteria found in decaying material, as well as those that rely on fermentation or
respiration.
The other group, the autotrophs, fixes carbon dioxide to make their own food source; this may be fueled
by light energy (photoautotrophic), or by oxidation of nitrogen, sulfur, or other elements
(chemoautotrophic). While chemoautotrophs are uncommon, photoautotrophs are common and quite
diverse. They include the cyanobacteria, green sulfur bacteria, purple sulfur bacteria, and purple nonsulfur
bacteria. The sulfur bacteria are particularly interesting, since they use hydrogen sulfide as hydrogen donor,
instead of water like most other photosynthetic organisms