Bacteria

Bacteria are small living things that can be found almost everywhere. They live
on the ground, in oceans, in the food that we eat and even in our bodies. They have
been on earth long before there were any other organisms. Bacteria are so small you
can only see them with the help of a microscope. They have only one cell and very
simple structures.

Bacteria have outer cell walls that protect the inside. A cell membrane is inside
the cell wall. It prevents harmful substances from getting in and out. Inside the
membrane is a soft, jelly-like substance called the cytoplasm. It has chemicals that help
build the parts of a cell and break down food. Within it is the nucleoid, which contains the
DNA. It controls a cell’s growth and other activities

Bacteria appear in different shapes. Spherical bacteria are round or ball-like.

Rod-shaped bacteria live in your intestine and form chains. Spiral-shaped bacteria have
a twisted form.Bacteria absorb nutrients and remove waste through their cell walls. They
reproduce by splitting themselves in the middle. The two new cells can then split into
four cells and so on. In a short time, a single bacteria can reproduce billions of times.
Some bacteria can get inside the human body, reproduce and cause an infection.
These harmful bacteria are called pathogens. Our immune system is in charge of
fighting off these bacteria. However, sometimes we need a vaccine to help fight off these
intruders. Vaccines are weak or dead forms of the bacteria itself. Such a substance
helps our body fight off bacteria in the future. Some examples of illnesses caused by
bacterial infections are tuberculosis or pneumonia.

The best way to protect yourself from bacteria is to keep yourself clean and wash
your hands. Because bacteria may be transported by air, we should cover our nose and
mouth when we sneeze. Vitamins also help strengthen our immune system and fight off
bacteria.

Bacteria can be helpful to the human body as well. They live in our stomach and
help us digest food. Other bacteria create cheese and yoghurt. Bacteria are at work in
the soil and decompose dead plants and animals.