All About Viruses and Bacteria

Bacteria Information

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S. aureus Bacteria
   Bacteria are single cell organisms that live and reproduce on their own. Bacteria are living things, unlike viruses. It meets all of the characteristics of life. It can get its own food and reproduce with out any other outside help needed. It is able to survive with out a host cell. A bacterium is 1,000 nanometers in size. That is nearly 4 times the size of a virus. Despite its size, bacteria can live in almost any environment. Different bacteria have adapted for their environments and needs. Bacteria can live in soil, water, in a human or animal, or even a dead body. Bacteria are all around you and are responsible for a lot of the things that happen in your everyday life. Bacteria turn milk into cheese or sour cream, decomposes dead things, and digests food in cows and sheep stomachs. Most bacteria are actually beneficial unlike viruses. A bacterium that is inside your body even prevents infections. Bacteria are used in many non-harmful ways. Although most bacteria are harmless there are some bacteria that can harm you. Bacteria that can harm you though are not nearly as harmful as viruses. A bacteria infection has a treatment unlike viruses. Antibodies can be prescribed by a doctor to treat bacteria infections. Antibodies stop the spread of the bacteria and thus stop the infection. Antibodies though are becoming less and less effective everyday. Antibiotics are being over taken and bacteria is adapting so that the antibiotics are not longer as effective. Bacteria can resist the antibiotics and then continue to make you sick. Although a bacterium is still something that can make you sick, it is very different from viruses. Bacteria though is not all the same. They can come in three diffrent shapes and can vary in size. Tje first type of bacteria is cocci, or round bacteria. It just looks like a small ball. The second type of bacteria is bacilli, or rod shaped. It lookes exactly how the name implies, rod shaped. It is like a rod with rounded ends. Round and rod are the most common shapes of bacteria. The third shape of bacteria is spirilla. It is like a rod but it looks like someone had twisted it slightly.

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