Bacteria are unicellular microorganisms that can be harmless or pathogenic. Most bacteria are non-pathogenic and necessary for healthy functioning. Harmful bacteria can cause serious illnesses and reproduce quickly, while viruses need a host to reproduce. Some deadly bacteria include Clostridium botulinum and Yersinia pestis.
Bacteria are a domain of prokaryotes, the first type of life on earth. These microorganisms can be traced back billions of years, and there are an unknown, but huge amount of them on the planet today. The unifying quality of all bacteria is that they are unicellular and the vast majority are so small that they can only be seen under a microscope, although there are some rare ones that can barely be seen with the naked eye. Most bacteria are harmless, but harmful bacteria, also known as pathogenic bacteria, can cause incredible damage to a person’s body, including death.
Most bacteria are known as non-pathogenic bacteria and comprise more than two thirds of all those found on Earth. Non-pathogenic bacteria are found on and in everything from skin to water to the human stomach. They are actually required for the healthy functioning of any life form, helping with vital functions such as digestion. These bacteria move constantly through the systems of the human body and cause no harm except in very rare circumstances.
The term pathogen means disease carrier, and harmful or pathogenic bacteria are often referred to simply as germs. They are generally classified according to their shape, with three main groupings: coccus, bacillus and spirillium. Cocci can be further divided into three groups: streptococci, diplococci, and staphylococci.
Each of these three main groups of bacteria is associated with its own set of symptoms and ailments. Cocci, for example, produce pus and grow in larger groups. They cause all kinds of pustules and boils in the body, and therefore are quite distinctive when they infect a wound or flesh region. Bacilli are responsible for a number of much more serious diseases, especially tuberculosis. Spirilla causes other serious illnesses, including syphilis.
Being single-celled organisms, harmful bacteria are able to reproduce quite quickly. Through a process called mitosis, they divide into two identical copies of themselves. These copies can then be further split into two more copies and so on, rapidly enlarging a population to staggering numbers. An average bacterium can, in the span of 24 hours, create many millions of copies of itself by invading an organism. The ability of bacteria to reproduce on their own is one of the main differences between them and harmful viruses. Viruses are pathogenic too, but because they’re much, much smaller than bacteria, they need some sort of host to reproduce, which makes them slower and more awkward to reproduce.
There are many types of harmful bacteria, some of which are absolutely deadly, while others cause only minor illnesses. One of the most dangerous is Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism; it can be found in food and can cause death even in incredibly small quantities. Another is Yersinia pestis, which caused the bubonic plague and still afflicts small portions of the world’s population. A less dangerous, but still uncomfortable form is Campylobacter, responsible for most cases of food poisoning, causing severe intestinal disturbances and often vomiting. Other bacteria can be inconvenient if treated, but deadly if left alone, such as the different types of strep responsible for strep throat and pneumonia.
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