20 Examples of Bacteria

The bacteria They are living beingsunicellularand they areprokaryotic organisms. This means that its genetic material, a double-stranded circular DNA molecule, is free in the cytoplasm, not enclosed within a nucleus. For example: Escherichia coli, Bacillus thuringiensis, Clostridium botulinum.

Since microfossils and stromatolites (fossil colonies of bacteria mixed with minerals) in sediments of various geological eras, and even in sedimentary rocks of more than 3.5 billion years, it is claimed that bacteria have existed since very ancient times.

So much so that they have existed for a long period of Earth's history in which there were not even other forms of life. In fact, bacteria introduced very significant evolutionary events.

Types of bacteria

It is usually distinguished today into two large groups:

The great evolutionary success of bacteria is largely attributed to their surprising metabolic versatility. It can be said that all the possible mechanisms for obtaining matter and energy exist distributed in the various classes of bacteria.

Examples of bacteria

Importance of bacteria

Bacteria are extremely important in nature, as they are present in natural cycles of the most important elements for life: nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, sulfur, etc.

They can transform organic into inorganic substances and vice versa. While many bacteria are pathogenic and cause disease in plants Y animals (including human).

Many others are used in various industrial processes, such as food processing and alcoholic drinks, of drugs, of antibiotics, etc.

Bacteria characteristics

Bacteria are microscopic and outside the membrane that encloses their cytoplasm there is a structure called cellular wall. More externally still, some bacteria form a jelly-like structure called capsule.

Bacteria reproduce by Binary fission and very quickly, so that they are very abundant. Due to their highly varied metabolism, they can thrive in countless environments such as:

Many bacteria group together forming pairs, chains or bundles; they are often mobile; the flagellum (a species with a long appendage) is the structure that usually contributes to motility, but not the only one. The set of bacteria in culture is called a colony.