Bacteria – types, role, research. Pathogenic bacteria

Each of us has a specific set of microorganisms that we exchange with our loved ones. Most of the bacteria that are characteristic of us are found in our homes – we also take them with us to new apartments. We get sick when someone brings to our home a pathogen unknown to our environment and our immune system.

Bacteria – definition

Bacteria are unicellular microorganisms with prokaryotic cells, which are single cells that have no organelles or a true nucleus, and are less complex than eukaryotic cells. Bacteria with a capital B refers to the domain Bacteria, one of the three domains of life.

The other two domains of life are archaea, whose members also include unicellular organisms with prokaryotes, and eukaryotes. Bacteria are extremely numerous, and the total biomass of bacteria on Earth is greater than that of all plants and animals combined.

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Bacteria – evolution

Bacteria first appeared on Earth about 4 billion years ago and were the first life forms on Earth. For 3 billion years, bacteria and archaea were the most common types of organisms on Earth.

Multicellular eukaryotes only appeared about 1,6-2 billion years ago. The eukaryotic cells that make up all the protists, fungi, animals and plants also contain what were once bacteria; Mitochondria in eukaryotes are thought to produce energy through cellular respiration, and chloroplasts in plants and algae, which produce energy through photosynthesis, both evolved from bacteria that were absorbed by cells in an endosymbiotic relationship (to their mutual benefit) that became permanent over time.

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Bacteria – classification

The division of bacteria according to their morphology is based on their shape. There are three basic groups:

1. rod-shaped bacteria,
2. spherical-shaped bacteria,
3. spiral shaped bacteria.

Each of the above groups of bacteria will be characterized below.

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Rod-shaped bacteria – characteristics

Rod-shaped bacteria are referred to in Latin as Bacillus. This name means “stick”, which describes the shape of the stamen of this type of bacteria. Bacteria of the genus Bacillus they are mainly found in soil and water, with E. coli (Escherichia coli) being the best known example. They can be identified by the system: single cells (bacillus), pairs (diplobacilli) and chains (streptobacilli). Oval-shaped sticks are known as coccobacili.

Examples of these rod-shaped bacteria include:

1. Aeromonas hydrophila (causes travelers’ diarrhea)
2. Arcanobacterium bemolyticum (causes pharyngitis and sinusitis)
3. Bacillus anthracis (causes anthrax; can spread from animals to humans),
4. Bacillus cereus (causes food poisoning),
5. Bordetella pertussis (causes whooping cough)
6. Capnocytophaga canimorsus (transmitted from dogs and cats; may cause bacterial infections in humans),
7. Chlamydophila pneumoniae (causes bacterial pneumonia),
8. Chlamydophila psittaci (causes psittacosis and pneumonia in humans when in contact with infected birds),
9. Citrobacter freundii (found in healthy gut systems but can cause serious infection when contaminated in other areas)
10. Clostridium botulinum (causes botulism),
11. Clostridium difficile (causes severe diarrhea and colitis).

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Spherical-shaped bacteria – characteristics

Bacteria coccus or Cocci are spherical or oval-shaped bacteria that grow in chains or clusters. They cause many bacterial infections in humans, including strep throat (Streptococcus pyogenes). However, some cocci are also helpful for humans, such as the bacteria that make up the normal flora of the human skin (Staphylococcus epidermidis).

Cocci appear as single cells (coccus), pairs (diplococci), chains (streptococci), clusters of four cells (tetrads), irregular clusters (staphylococci) or large cuboidal clusters (packages).

Examples of ball-shaped kernels include:

1. Aerococcus urine (causes urinary tract infections),
2. Chlamydia trachomatis (causes sexually transmitted diseases, e.g. chlamydia),
3. Enterococcus faecalis (causes tooth and intestinal infections),
4. Fusobacterium necrophorum (causes Lemierre’s syndrome),
5. Fusobacterium nucleatum (causes periodontal disease),
6. Moraxella catarrhalis (causes eye, nervous system and joint infections),
7. Neisseria gonorrhoeae (causes sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea),
8. Neisseria meningitidis (causes meningococcal disease),
9. Pediococcus acidilactici (helpful gut bacteria)
10. Pediococcus harmful (found in fermented drinks and spoiled foods)
11. Stomach bag (found in soil with low pH),
12. Sporosarcina ureae (found in soil with a lot of urine),
13. Sporosarcina aquimarina (found in sea water),
14. Staphylococcus aureus (causes pneumonia and skin infections)
15. Staphylococcus epidermidis (a common part of normal skin flora).

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Spiral-shaped bacteria – characteristics

Spiral-shaped bacteria are mainly found in stagnant water. Like Rickettsia bacteria, some types of spiral bacteria are transmitted by ticks. They usually come in two main forms: long, stiff spirals (spirilla) and thin, flexible spirals (spirochetes). Take a look at these examples of bacteria in spiral shapes:

1. Borrelia afzelii (causes Lyme disease),
2. Borrelia burgdorferi (causes Lyme disease),
3. Borrelia hermsii (causes recurrent fever)
4. Campylobacter coli (causes campylobacteriosis and food borne diseases),
5. Campylobacter jejuni (the most common cause of food poisoning),
6. Campylobacter rectus (causes periodontitis),
7. Helicobacter hepaticus (occurs in hepatitis and colorectal cancer)
8. Helicobacter pylori (causes stomach ulcers),
9. Leptospira questioning (causes leptospirosis and Weil’s syndrome),
10. Less spirulina (believed to cause fever when bitten by a rat)
11. Turning the spire (found in fresh water),
12. Spirillum winogradskyi (found in sewage),
13. Treponema pallidum (causes syphilis),
14. Treponema karateum (causes pint, an African skin disease),
15. Treponema denticola (causes chronic periodontitis).

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Mycoplasma bacteria – characteristics

Some bacteria do not have cell walls, making it difficult to classify their shapes as spherical, rod, or spiral. Bacteria Mycoplasma they are resistant to many antibiotics due to the lack of cell walls and are the smallest form of bacterial cells.

Examples of mycoplasmas include:

1. Mycoplasma fermentans (causes respiratory and rheumatoid diseases),
2. Mycoplasma gallisepticum (causes chronic respiratory disease in humans and animals – mainly birds),
3. Mycoplasma genitalium (causes urethritis and pelvic inflammation),
4. Mycoplasma haemofelis (causes bloodstream infections in cats)
5. Mycoplasma (causes bacterial vaginosis),
6. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (causes pneumonia in pigs),
7. Mycoplasma unknown (affects the immune system; may be a pathogen for HIV and Parkinson’s disease),
8. Mycoplasma penetrating (occurs in people with immunodeficiency; causes pelvic inflammatory disease),
9. Mycoplasma pneumoniae (causes mild pneumonia),
10. Mycoplasma salivarium (found in healthy mouth and oral flora).

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Gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria

Bacteria are classified as either gram positive or gram negative. Their classification is based on a test result called “Gram staining”. This test is named after the inventor of the Danish scientist Hans Christian Gram (1853-1938). Cells are stained with a purple dye (“crystal violet”) that binds only to a substance called peptidoglycan.

The cells are then washed and stained with a red dye (safranin). When cells turn purple in color, they are considered “gram-positive” and have a high proportion of peptidoglycan in the cell wall. If the cells turn red, they are “gram negative”.

A substance that retains its purple color in gram-positive bacteria is not usually found in the human body. This means that they are more easily recognized and targeted by the immune system.

Gram-positive bacteria are also more susceptible to beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin, as well as to the effects of detergents, drying, and physical disturbance.

This does not mean that gram-positive bacteria are not harmful. All of the following examples pose a risk to human health. Gram-positive bacteria may still become resistant to antibiotics (for example, the superbug MRSA is a species of staphylococcus).

Examples of Gram-positive bacteria:

1. ,Staphylococcus,
2. Clostridium botulinum.

Gram-negative bacteria do not tend to absorb the purple Gram pigment because they have little peptidoglycan in the cell wall. Bacterial cells often have labels on their cell walls called “antigens” that enable the human body to recognize them. When a cell has a shell or mucus, like gram-negative bacteria, these antigens are hidden from the immune system. So the immune system cannot attack the infectious bacteria.

In addition, inflammation is caused by a substance called lipopolysaccharide, which is found on the outer cell wall of gram-negative bacteria. This can be serious enough to cause sepsis. Gram-negative infections are more difficult to treat than Gram-positive infections.

Examples of Gram-negative bacteria:

1. Escherichia coli (E. coli),
2. Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
3. Acinetobacter baumannii.

Bacteria – examples

Escherichia coli is one example of a common bacterium. It is rod-shaped and occurs naturally in the intestines of many animals, including humans, where it produces vitamin K and B vitamins. E. E. coli coli it is also often used in laboratory research because it reproduces quickly and is resistant. Most strains E. E. coli coli it is harmless to humans, but some can cause infections. Infection with E. coli can cause gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, and in more severe cases, bacterial meningitis or pneumonia can occur.

Lactobacillus acidophilus is another species of bacillus-shaped bacteria that occurs naturally in places such as the gut and vagina, where it protects against harmful bacteria. It is a probiotic, a bacterium found in certain foods such as yogurt and other fermented foods that are eaten to absorb nutrients and replenish the body’s supply of “good” bacteria. It can also be consumed in small amounts by lactose intolerant people to help them consume lactose.

Some bacteria can be very harmful, such as Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism. C. botulinum produces botulinum neurotoxin, which is responsible for the symptoms of botulism. Symptoms include blurred vision, nausea, breathing problems, muscle weakness and paralysis. Botulinum toxin is the deadliest toxin known, just one kilogram of botulinum would be enough to kill the entire human population.

Some bacteria in the intestines produce substances that help digest even lignans, while others neutralize toxic substances. Some bacteria are also involved in the production of biotin and vitamin K or hormones. That is why it is important to provide probiotic bacteria, mainly contained in dairy products.

You can also use dietary supplements with probiotics. We recommend, for example, Encapsa30Dr. in capsules or ProbioDr. in capsules, which can be conveniently purchased on Medonet Market.

Bacteria – higher immunity in doctors

The research in terms of results is complemented by the research of French scientists from InSerm. They tested the composition of bacteria in 20 houses in Paris and the resistance to bacterial pathogens of their inhabitants. The analysis of bacterial strains also found that the most common pathogens are Enterobacter, although there were bacteria from the Streptococcus and Enterococcus families, although not from the most infectious strains, evidently brought from outside.

Studies have shown that the transmission of pathogens is specifically related to the type of occupational activity in the household – most Streptococcus and Enterococcus bacteria, or streptococcus bacteria, were found in doctors’ homes, although this does not mean that they or their families were most at risk.

Both they and the family members living with them had the greatest resistance to these pathogens. Interestingly, the least resistant to these bacteria was demonstrated by those who worked in a profession that required longer work in the open air, e.g. construction supervision engineer.

If you want to support the immune system in the fight against viruses and bacteria, you can try Bio Spirulina, which is available on Medonet Market.

Bacteria – Where Do They Grow at Home?

According to researchers from InSerm, pathogenic bacteria multiply best in environments such as kitchen sinks, kitchen tables (similar to American studies), and wet sponges, cloths and towels, wherever they are.

Interestingly, many pathogenic bacteria find their habitat in children’s rooms, especially when the baby is small and crawling or starting to walk. At the same time, researchers noticed that during this period of life, the resistance of children to bacteria in their immediate home environment is very high.

Domestic animals – in this case also a cat and a dog – were not carriers of pathogenic pathogens in French studies, although researchers emphasized that the dog’s saliva may contain the bacterium Helicobacter pylori that causes ulcers and stomach diseases, and cats can transmit toxoplasmosis.

Hence, the habit of licking plates after meals by household members should be absolutely eliminated from homes, say French researchers. Researchers from InSerm. They also admit that the best places for the transmission of bacteria from human to human are countertops and kitchen tables, while in bathrooms and toilets such transmission is moderate.

However, this does not mean that bathroom bacteria are rare. Most of it is in the toilet bowl, and as the water is rinsed off, the generated aerosol spreads it throughout the room. The most common bacteria in the bathroom are fecal bacteria, and among them the dangerous ones – Salmonella, Proteus and Klebsiella.