Beneficial microorganisms. Beneficial and harmful human bacteria. Problems in the use of antibiotics

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The totality of bacteria that inhabit the human body has a common name - the microbiota. In a normal, healthy human microflora, there are several million bacteria. Each of them plays an important role for the normal functioning of the human body.

In the absence of any type of beneficial bacteria, a person begins to get sick, the work of the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract is disrupted. Beneficial bacteria for humans are concentrated on the skin, in the intestines, on the mucous membranes of the body. The number of microorganisms is regulated by the immune system.

Normally, the human body contains both beneficial and pathogenic microflora. Bacteria can be beneficial or pathogenic.

There are many more beneficial bacteria. They make up 99% of the total number of microorganisms.

In this position, the necessary balance is maintained.

Among the different types of bacteria that live on the human body, we can distinguish:

  • bifidobacteria;
  • lactobacilli;
  • enterococci;
  • coli.

bifidobacteria


This type of microorganisms is the most common, involved in the production of lactic acid and acetate. It creates an acidic environment, thereby neutralizing most pathogenic microbes. Pathogenic flora ceases to develop and cause the processes of decay and fermentation.

Bifidobacteria play an important role in the life of a child, as they are responsible for the presence of an allergic reaction to any food. In addition, they have an antioxidant effect, prevent the development of tumors.

The synthesis of vitamin C is not complete without the participation of bifidobacteria. In addition, there is information that bifidobacteria help to absorb vitamins D and B, which are necessary for a person for normal life. In the presence of a deficiency of bifidobacteria, even taking synthetic vitamins of this group will not bring any result.

lactobacilli


This group of microorganisms is also important for human health. Due to their interaction with other inhabitants of the intestine, the growth and development of pathogenic microorganisms is blocked, pathogens of intestinal infections are suppressed.

Lactobacilli are involved in the formation of lactic acid, lysocin, bacteriocins. This is a great help to the immune system. If there is a deficiency of these bacteria in the intestine, then dysbacteriosis develops very quickly.

Lactobacilli colonize not only the intestines, but also the mucous membranes. So these microorganisms are important for women's health. They maintain the acidity of the vaginal environment, do not allow the development of bacterial vaginosis.

coli


Not all types of E. coli are pathogenic. Most of them, on the contrary, perform a protective function. The usefulness of the genus Escherichia coli lies in the synthesis of cocilin, which actively resists the bulk of pathogenic microflora.

These bacteria are useful for the synthesis of various groups of vitamins, folic and nicotinic acid. Their role in health should not be underestimated. For example, folic acid is essential for the production of red blood cells and the maintenance of normal hemoglobin levels.

Enterococci


This type of microorganism colonizes the human intestine immediately after birth.

They help digest sucrose. Living mainly in the small intestine, they, like other beneficial non-pathogenic bacteria, provide protection against excessive reproduction of harmful elements. At the same time, enterococci are conditionally safe bacteria.

If they begin to exceed the permissible norms, various bacterial diseases develop. The list of diseases is very large. Ranging from intestinal infections, ending with meningococcal.

The positive effect of bacteria on the body


The beneficial properties of non-pathogenic bacteria are very diverse. As long as there is a balance between the inhabitants of the intestines and mucous membranes, the human body functions normally.

Most bacteria are involved in the synthesis and breakdown of vitamins. Without their presence, B vitamins are not absorbed by the intestines, which leads to disorders of the nervous system, skin diseases, and a decrease in hemoglobin.

The bulk of undigested food components that have reached the large intestine are broken down precisely due to bacteria. In addition, microorganisms ensure the constancy of water-salt metabolism. More than half of the entire microflora is involved in the regulation of the absorption of fatty acids and hormones.

The intestinal microflora forms local immunity. It is here that the destruction of the bulk of pathogenic organisms takes place, the harmful microbe is blocked.

Accordingly, people do not feel bloating and flatulence. An increase in lymphocytes provokes active phagocytes to fight the enemy, stimulate the production of immunoglobulin A.

Useful non-pathogenic microorganisms have a positive effect on the walls of the small and large intestines. They maintain a constant level of acidity there, stimulate the lymphoid apparatus, the epithelium becomes resistant to various carcinogens.

Intestinal peristalsis also largely depends on what microorganisms are in it. Suppression of the processes of decay and fermentation is one of the main tasks of bifidobacteria. Many microorganisms for many years develop in symbiosis with pathogenic bacteria, thereby controlling them.

Biochemical reactions that constantly occur with bacteria release a lot of heat energy, maintaining the overall heat balance of the body. Microorganisms feed on undigested residues.

Dysbacteriosis


Dysbacteriosis is a change in the quantitative and qualitative composition of bacteria in the human body . In this case, beneficial organisms die, and harmful organisms actively multiply.

Dysbacteriosis affects not only the intestines, but also mucous membranes (there may be dysbacteriosis of the oral cavity, vagina). In the analyzes, the names will prevail: streptococcus, staphylococcus, micrococcus.

In the normal state, beneficial bacteria regulate the development of pathogenic microflora. Skin, respiratory organs are usually under reliable protection. When the balance is disturbed, a person feels the following symptoms: intestinal flatulence, bloating, abdominal pain, upset.

Later, weight loss, anemia, vitamin deficiency may begin. From the reproductive system, abundant discharge is observed, often accompanied by an unpleasant odor. Irritations, roughness, cracks appear on the skin. Dysbacteriosis is a side effect after taking antibiotics.

If you find such symptoms, you should definitely consult a doctor who will prescribe a set of measures to restore normal microflora. This often requires taking probiotics.

What are bacteria: types of bacteria, their classification

Bacteria are tiny microorganisms that have been around for thousands of years. It is impossible to see microbes with the naked eye, but we should not forget about their existence. There are a huge number of bacilli. The science of microbiology is engaged in their classification, study, varieties, features of structure and physiology.

Microorganisms are called differently, depending on their kind of actions and functions. Under a microscope, you can observe how these little creatures interact with each other. The first microorganisms were rather primitive in form, but their importance should by no means be underestimated. From the very beginning, bacilli evolved, created colonies, tried to survive in changing climatic conditions. Different vibrios are able to exchange amino acids in order to grow and develop normally as a result.

Today it is difficult to say how many species of these microorganisms are on earth (this number exceeds a million), but the most famous and their names are familiar to almost every person. It doesn’t matter what microbes are and what they are called, they all have one advantage - they live in colonies, so it is much easier for them to adapt and survive.

First, let's figure out what microorganisms exist. The simplest classification is good and bad. In other words, those that are harmful to the human body, cause many diseases and those that are beneficial. Next, we will talk in detail about what are the main beneficial bacteria and give a description of them.

You can also classify microorganisms according to their shape, characteristics. Probably, many people remember that in school textbooks there was a special table with the image of various microorganisms, and next to it was the meaning and their role in nature. There are several types of bacteria:

  • cocci - small balls that resemble a chain, as they are located one behind the other;
  • rod-shaped;
  • spirilla, spirochetes (have a convoluted shape);
  • vibrios.

Bacteria of different shapes

We have already mentioned that one of the classifications divides microbes into species depending on their shape.

Bacteria coli also have some features. For example, there are types of rod-shaped with pointed poles, with thickened, with rounded or with straight ends. As a rule, rod-shaped microbes are very different and are always in chaos, they do not line up in a chain (with the exception of streptobacilli), they do not attach to each other (except for diplobacilli).

To microorganisms of spherical forms, microbiologists include streptococci, staphylococci, diplococci, gonococci. It can be pairs or long chains of balls.

Curved bacilli are spirilla, spirochetes. They are always active but do not produce spores. Spirilla is safe for people and animals. You can distinguish spirilla from spirochetes if you pay attention to the number of curls, they are less convoluted, have special flagella on the limbs.

Types of pathogenic bacteria

For example, a group of microorganisms called cocci, and in more detail streptococci and staphylococci cause real purulent diseases (furunculosis, streptococcal tonsillitis).

Anaerobes live and develop perfectly without oxygen; for some types of these microorganisms, oxygen generally becomes deadly. Aerobic microbes need oxygen to survive.

Archaea are almost colorless unicellular organisms.

Pathogenic bacteria should be avoided because they cause infections, gram-negative microorganisms are considered resistant to antibodies. There is a lot of information about soil, putrefactive microorganisms, which are harmful, useful.

In general, spirilla are not dangerous, but some species can cause sodoku.

Varieties of beneficial bacteria

Even schoolchildren know that bacilli are useful and harmful. People know some names by ear (staphylococcus, streptococcus, plague bacillus). These are harmful creatures that interfere not only with the external environment, but also with humans. There are microscopic bacilli that cause food poisoning.

Be sure to know useful information about lactic acid, food, probiotic microorganisms. For example, probiotics, in other words good organisms, are often used for medical purposes. You ask: for what? They do not allow harmful bacteria to multiply inside a person, strengthen the protective functions of the intestine, and have a good effect on the human immune system.

Bifidobacteria are also very beneficial for the intestines. Lactic acid vibrios include about 25 species. In the human body, they are present in large quantities, but are not dangerous. On the contrary, they protect the gastrointestinal tract from putrefactive and other microbes.

Speaking of good ones, one cannot fail to mention the huge species of streptomycetes. They are known to those who took chloramphenicol, erythromycin and similar drugs.

There are microorganisms such as Azotobacter. They live in the soil for many years, have a beneficial effect on the soil, stimulate the growth of plants, cleanse the earth of heavy metals. They are irreplaceable in medicine, agriculture, medicine, food industry.

Types of bacterial variability

By their nature, microbes are very fickle, they die quickly, they can be spontaneous, induced. We will not go into details about the variability of bacteria, since this information is of more interest to those who are interested in microbiology and all its branches.

Types of bacteria for septic tanks

Residents of private homes understand the urgent need to treat wastewater, as well as cesspools. Today, drains can be quickly and efficiently cleaned with the help of special bacteria for septic tanks. For a person, this is a huge relief, since cleaning the sewer is not a pleasant thing.

We have already clarified where the biological type of wastewater treatment is used, and now let's talk about the system itself. Bacteria for septic tanks are grown in laboratories, they kill the unpleasant smell of drains, disinfect drainage wells, cesspools, and reduce the volume of wastewater. There are three types of bacteria that are used for septic tanks:

  • aerobic;
  • anaerobic;
  • live (bioactivators).

Very often people use combined cleaning methods. Strictly follow the instructions on the preparation, make sure that the water level contributes to the normal survival of bacteria. Also, remember to use the drain at least once every two weeks so that the bacteria have something to eat, otherwise they will die. Don't forget that chlorine from cleaning powders and liquids kills bacteria.

The most popular bacteria are Dr. Robik, Septifos, Waste Treat.

Types of bacteria in urine

In theory, there should be no bacteria in the urine, but after various actions and situations, tiny microorganisms settle where they please: in the vagina, in the nose, in water, and so on. If the bacteria were found during the tests, this means that the person is suffering from diseases of the kidneys, bladder or ureters. There are several ways in which microorganisms enter the urine. Before treatment, it is very important to investigate and accurately determine the type of bacteria and the route of entry. This can be determined by biological urine culture, when the bacteria are placed in a favorable habitat. Next, the reaction of bacteria to various antibiotics is checked.

We wish you to always stay healthy. Take care of yourself, wash your hands regularly, protect your body from harmful bacteria!

Everyone knows that bacteria are the most ancient species of living beings that inhabit our planet. The first bacteria were the most primitive, but as our earth changed, so did the bacteria. They are present everywhere, in water, on land, in the air we breathe, in products, plants. Just like humans, bacteria can be good or bad.

Beneficial bacteria are:

  • Lactic acid or lactobacilli. One such good bacteria is lactic acid bacterium. It is a rod-shaped species of bacteria that lives in dairy and sour-milk foods. Also, these bacteria inhabit the human oral cavity, its intestines, and vagina. The main benefit of these bacteria is that they form lactic acid as a fermentation, thanks to which we get yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk from milk, in addition, these products are very useful for humans. In the intestines, they play the role of purifying the intestinal environment from bad bacteria.
  • bifidobacteria. Bifidobacteria are found mainly in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as lactic acid bacteria are able to produce lactic acid and acetic acid, thanks to which these bacteria control the growth of pathogenic bacteria, thereby regulating the pH level in our intestines. Various varieties of bifidobacteria help get rid of constipation, diarrhea, fungal infections.
  • coli. The human intestinal microflora consists of most of the microbes of the E. coli group. They contribute to good digestion, and are also involved in some cellular processes. But some varieties of this stick can cause poisoning, diarrhea, kidney failure.
  • Streptomycetes. The habitat of streptomycetes is water, decomposing compounds, soil. Therefore, they are especially useful for the environment, because. many processes of decay and combination are carried out with them. In addition, some of these bacteria are used in the production of antibiotics and antifungal drugs.

Harmful bacteria are:

  • streptococci. Chain-shaped bacteria that enter the body are the causative agents of many diseases, such as tonsillitis, bronchitis, otitis media and others.
  • Plague wand. The rod-shaped bacterium that lives in small rodents causes such terrible diseases as plague or pneumonia. Plague is a terrible disease that can destroy entire countries, and it is compared to biological weapons.
  • Helicobacter pylori. The habitat of Helicobacter pylori is the human stomach, but in some people, the presence of these bacteria causes gastritis and ulcers.
  • Staphylococci. The name staphylococcus comes from the fact that the shape of the cells resembles a bunch of grapes. For humans, these bacteria carry serious diseases with intoxication and purulent formations. No matter how terrible bacteria are, humanity has learned to survive among them thanks to vaccination.

Bacteria are the most numerous inhabitants of the planet Earth. They inhabited it in ancient times and continue to exist to this day. Some species have even changed little since then. Good and bad bacteria literally surround us everywhere (and even penetrate into other organisms). With a rather primitive unicellular structure, they are probably one of the most effective forms of wildlife and stand out in a special kingdom.

Margin of safety

These microorganisms, as they say, do not sink in water and do not burn in fire. Literally: withstand temperatures up to plus 90 degrees, freezing, lack of oxygen, pressure - high and low. We can say that nature has invested a huge margin of safety in them.

Bacteria beneficial and harmful to the human body

As a rule, the bacteria that inhabit our bodies in abundance are not given due attention. After all, they are so small that they seem to have no significant significance. Those who think so are largely mistaken. Bacteria useful and harmful have long and reliably “colonized” other organisms and successfully coexist with them. Yes, they cannot be seen without the help of optics, but they can benefit or harm our body.

Who lives in the gut?

Doctors say that if you put together just the bacteria that live in the intestines and weigh it, you get something like three kilograms! With such a huge army it is impossible to ignore. Many of the microorganisms continuously entered the human intestine, but only a few species find favorable conditions for living and living there. And in the process of evolution, they even formed a permanent microflora, which is designed to perform important physiological functions.

"Wise" Neighbors

Bacteria have long played an important role in human life, although until very recently, people did not know about it. They help their host in digestion and perform a number of other functions. What are these invisible neighbors?

Permanent microflora

99% of the population lives permanently in the intestines. They are ardent supporters and helpers of man.

  • Essential beneficial bacteria. Names: bifidobacteria and bacteroids. They are the vast majority.
  • Associated beneficial bacteria. Names: Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus. Their number should be 1-9% of the total.

It is also necessary to know that under appropriate negative conditions, all these representatives of the intestinal flora (with the exception of bifidobacteria) can cause diseases.

What are they doing?

The main function of these bacteria is to help us in the process of digestion. It is noticed that a person with improper nutrition can develop dysbacteriosis. As a result, stagnation and poor health, constipation and other inconveniences. With the normalization of a balanced diet, the disease, as a rule, recedes.

Another function of these bacteria is watchdog. They keep track of which bacteria are beneficial. To ensure that "strangers" do not penetrate their community. If, for example, the causative agent of dysentery, Shigella Sonne, tries to enter the intestines, they kill it. However, it is worth noting that this happens only in the body of a relatively healthy person, with good immunity. Otherwise, the risk of getting sick increases significantly.

Fickle microflora

Approximately 1% in the body of a healthy individual are the so-called opportunistic microbes. They belong to the unstable microflora. Under normal conditions, they perform certain functions that do not harm a person, work for the good. But in a certain situation, they can manifest themselves as pests. These are mainly staphylococci and various kinds of fungi.

Location in the gastrointestinal tract

In fact, the entire digestive tract has a heterogeneous and unstable microflora - beneficial and harmful bacteria. The esophagus contains the same inhabitants as in the oral cavity. In the stomach there are only a few that are resistant to acid: lactobacilli, Helicobacter pylori, streptococci, fungi. In the small intestine, the microflora is also not numerous. Most bacteria are found in the large intestine. So, defecation, a person is able to allocate over 15 trillion microorganisms per day!

The role of bacteria in nature

She is also definitely great. There are several global functions, without which all life on the planet would have ceased to exist long ago. The most important is sanitation. Bacteria eat dead organisms found in nature. They, in essence, work as a kind of janitors, not allowing deposits of dead cells to accumulate. Scientifically they are called saprotrophs.

Another important role of bacteria is participation in the global circulation of substances on land and at sea. On planet Earth, all substances in the biosphere pass from one organism to another. Without some bacteria, this transition would simply be impossible. The role of bacteria is invaluable, for example, in the circulation and reproduction of such an important element as nitrogen. There are certain bacteria in the soil that convert the nitrogen in the air into nitrogenous fertilizers for plants (microorganisms live right in their roots). This symbiosis between plants and bacteria is being studied by science.

Participation in food chains

As already mentioned, bacteria are the most numerous inhabitants of the biosphere. And accordingly, they can and should participate in the food chains inherent in the nature of animals and plants. Of course, for a person, for example, bacteria are not the main part of the diet (unless they can be used as a food additive). However, there are organisms that feed on bacteria. These organisms, in turn, feed on other animals.

cyanobacteria

These blue-green algae (an outdated name for these bacteria, fundamentally wrong from a scientific point of view) are able to produce huge amounts of oxygen as a result of photosynthesis. Once upon a time, it was they who began to saturate our atmosphere with oxygen. Cyanobacteria continue to do this successfully to this day, forming a certain part of the oxygen in the modern atmosphere!

Most people consider different bacterial organisms solely as harmful particles that can provoke the development of various pathological conditions. Nevertheless, according to scientists, the world of these organisms is very diverse. There are frankly dangerous bacteria that pose a danger to our body, but there are also useful ones - those that ensure the normal functioning of our organs and systems. Let's try to understand a little about these concepts and consider certain types of such organisms. Let's talk about bacteria in nature, harmful and beneficial to humans.

Beneficial bacteria

Scientists say that bacteria became the very first inhabitants of our large planet, and it is thanks to them that there is life on Earth now. Over the course of many millions of years, these organisms gradually adapted to the constantly changing conditions of existence, they changed their appearance and habitat. Bacteria were able to adapt to the surrounding space and were able to develop new and unique life support methods, including multiple biochemical reactions - catalysis, photosynthesis, and even seemingly simple respiration. Now bacteria coexist with human organisms, and such cooperation is distinguished by some harmony, because such organisms can bring real benefits.

After a small person is born, bacteria immediately begin to penetrate into his body. They are introduced through the respiratory tract along with air, enter the body along with breast milk, etc. The whole body is saturated with various bacteria.

Their number cannot be accurately calculated, but some scientists boldly say that the number of such organisms is comparable to the number of all cells. The digestive tract alone is home to four hundred varieties of different living bacteria. It is believed that a certain variety of them can grow only in a specific place. So lactic acid bacteria are able to grow and multiply in the intestines, others feel optimal in the oral cavity, and some others live only on the skin.

For many years of coexistence, man and such particles were able to recreate the optimal conditions for cooperation for both groups, which can be characterized as a useful symbiosis. At the same time, bacteria and our body combine their capabilities, while each side remains in the black.

Bacteria are able to collect particles of various cells on their surface, which is why the immune system does not perceive them as hostile and does not attack. However, after organs and systems are exposed to harmful viruses, beneficial bacteria rise to the defense and simply block the path of pathogens. When existing in the digestive tract, such substances also bring tangible benefits. They are engaged in the processing of leftover food, while releasing a significant amount of heat. It, in turn, is transmitted to nearby organs, and is carried throughout the body.

Deficiency of beneficial bacteria in the body or a change in their number causes the development of various pathological conditions. This situation can develop against the background of taking antibiotics, which effectively destroy both harmful and beneficial bacteria. To correct the number of beneficial bacteria, special preparations - probiotics can be consumed.

harmful bacteria

However, it is worth remembering that not all bacteria are human friends. Among them, there are enough dangerous varieties that can only bring harm. Such organisms, after penetrating into our body, cause the development of a variety of bacterial ailments. These are various colds, some varieties of pneumonia, and in addition syphilis, tetanus and other diseases, even deadly ones. There are also diseases of this type, which are transmitted by airborne droplets. This is dangerous tuberculosis, whooping cough, etc.

A significant number of ailments provoked by harmful bacteria develop due to the consumption of insufficiently high-quality food, unwashed and unprocessed vegetables and fruits, raw water, and insufficiently fried meat. You can protect yourself from such diseases by observing the norms and rules of hygiene. Examples of such dangerous diseases are dysentery, typhoid fever, etc.

Manifestations of diseases that have developed as a result of an attack of bacteria are the result of the pathological influence of poisons that these organisms produce, or that are formed against the background of their destruction. The human body is able to get rid of them thanks to the natural defense, which is based on the process of phagocytosis of bacteria by white blood cells, as well as on the immune system, which synthesizes antibodies. The latter carry out a bunch of foreign proteins and carbohydrates, and then simply eliminate them from the bloodstream.

Also, harmful bacteria can be destroyed with the help of natural and synthetic medicines, the most famous of which is penicillin. All drugs of this type are antibiotics, they differ depending on the active ingredient and on the mode of action. Some of them are able to destroy the cell membranes of bacteria, while others suspend the processes of their vital activity.

So, in nature there are a lot of bacteria that can bring benefits and harm to humans. Fortunately, the current level of development of medicine makes it possible to cope with the majority of pathological organisms of this kind.

Please answer: Are there beneficial bacteria?

cadet

Most of the bacteria in the human body are very beneficial to it. In the intestines of any person contains about three kilograms of bacteria. These friends of a person help him cope with all difficulties. The most beneficial bacteria are bifidobacteria. If there are 98% of them in the body, then the person is healthy. Bifidobacteria are the real guardians of the human body. As soon as any pathogenic bacterium wants to penetrate into it, bifidobacteria enter into battle with it and kill it. Good bacteria need to be maintained in the body, as they help it a lot. People need to consume fermented milk products, as they contain a lot of bifidobacteria.

alex bogemi

The beneficial microflora of our body provides us with the protection necessary for a healthy existence. But, unfortunately, there is no one to protect beneficial bacteria. Even a one-time severe stressful condition can lead to the destruction of all lactobacilli in the small intestine. One dose of such a drug as an antibiotic, which is forced to be used against infections, kills thousands of times more bacteria that are beneficial to the body than the entire population of our Planet. Often, the patient independently and uncontrollably prescribes antibiotics to himself.

Normally, the content of bifidobacteria in the intestine should be at least 90%, lactobacilli at least 8%, E. coli no more than 1%. In general, the intestines should contain up to 99% of beneficial bacteria and no more than 1% of pathogenic bacteria. Due to this percentage of bacteria, the likelihood of death from toxins and preservatives is much greater for beneficial bacteria.

Long-term use of antibiotics can lead to a number of unpleasant consequences, such as thrush, diarrhea, pain in the abdomen and liver, etc.
An important and difficult issue is the restoration of microflora by beneficial bacteria after antibiotics, more precisely after their long-term use. As well as a complete restoration of the body's immunity.

There are 100 beneficial bacteria for every cell in the human body. They are located on all mucous membranes, in the space between the cells of the whole organism, and even in the skin and on the skin. Everyone knows the fact that bacteria protect against various infections, but they also perform many vital functions, thereby affecting all organs and systems of the body. Therefore, there are a large number of diseases directly or indirectly associated with them.

Olga Parkhimovich

I heard that these things are used for the production of fermented milk products, but that they are useful, then no ((((

I hope that I helped you)))))) I wish you good luck in winning)))

Help me, I need briefly about useful and harmful bacteria.

Eternity............

The danger of bacterial diseases was greatly reduced at the end of the 19th century with the invention of the vaccination method, and in the middle of the 20th century with the discovery of antibiotics.

Useful; For thousands of years, humans have used lactic acid bacteria to produce cheese, yogurt, kefir, vinegar, and fermentation.

Currently, methods have been developed for the use of phytopathogenic bacteria as safe herbicides, entomopathogenic - instead of insecticides. The most widely used is Bacillus thuringiensis, which produces toxins (Cry-toxins) that act on insects. In addition to bacterial insecticides, bacterial fertilizers have found application in agriculture.

Bacteria that cause human disease are being used as biological weapons.

Due to their rapid growth and reproduction, as well as the simplicity of their structure, bacteria are actively used in scientific research in molecular biology, genetics, genetic engineering and biochemistry. Escherichia coli has become the best studied bacterium. Information about the processes of bacterial metabolism made it possible to produce bacterial synthesis of vitamins, hormones, enzymes, antibiotics, etc.

A promising direction is the enrichment of ores with the help of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, the purification of soils and reservoirs contaminated with oil products or xenobiotics by bacteria.

Normally, from 300 to 1000 species of bacteria with a total weight of up to 1 kg live in the human intestine, and the number of their cells is an order of magnitude greater than the number of cells in the human body. They play an important role in the digestion of carbohydrates, synthesize vitamins, and displace pathogenic bacteria. It can be figuratively said that the human microflora is an additional "organ", which is responsible for protecting the body from infections and digestion.

It's not very short here. but I think you can cut it however you like.

The word "bacteria" in most people is associated with something unpleasant and a threat to health. At best, sour-milk products are remembered. At worst - dysbacteriosis, plague, dysentery and other troubles. Bacteria are everywhere, good and bad. What can microorganisms hide?

What is bacteria

Bacteria in Greek means "stick". This name does not mean that harmful bacteria are meant.

This name was given to them because of the shape. Most of these single cells look like rods. They also come in squares, stellate cells. For a billion years, bacteria do not change their external appearance, they can only change internally. They can be mobile and immobile. Bacteria Outside, it is covered with a thin shell. This allows her to keep her shape. Inside the cell there is no nucleus, chlorophyll. There are ribosomes, vacuoles, outgrowths of the cytoplasm, protoplasm. The largest bacterium was found in 1999. It was called the "Gray Pearl of Namibia". Bacteria and bacillus mean the same thing, only they have a different origin.

Man and bacteria

In our body, there is a constant struggle between harmful and beneficial bacteria. Through this process, a person receives protection from various infections. Various microorganisms surround us at every step. They live on clothes, they fly in the air, they are omnipresent.

The presence of bacteria in the mouth, and this is about forty thousand microorganisms, protects the gums from bleeding, from periodontal disease and even from tonsillitis. If a woman's microflora is disturbed, she may develop gynecological diseases. Compliance with the basic rules of personal hygiene will help to avoid such failures.

Human immunity depends entirely on the state of the microflora. Almost 60% of all bacteria are found in the gastrointestinal tract alone. The rest are located in the respiratory system and in the genital. About two kilograms of bacteria live in a person.

The appearance of bacteria in the body

A newly born baby has a sterile intestine.

After his first breath, many microorganisms enter the body, with which he was not previously familiar. When the baby is first attached to the breast, the mother transfers beneficial bacteria with milk that will help normalize the intestinal microflora. No wonder doctors insist that the mother immediately after the birth of her child breastfeed him. They also recommend extending such feeding as long as possible.

Beneficial bacteria

Useful bacteria are: lactic acid, bifidobacteria, E. coli, streptomycents, mycorrhiza, cyanobacteria.

All of them play an important role in human life. Some of them prevent the occurrence of infections, others are used in the production of medicines, and others maintain a balance in the ecosystem of our planet.

Types of harmful bacteria

Harmful bacteria can cause a number of serious diseases in humans. For example, diphtheria, tonsillitis, plague and many others. They are easily transmitted from an infected person through air, food, touch. It is the harmful bacteria, whose names will be given below, that spoil food. They give off an unpleasant odor, rot and decompose, and cause disease.

Bacteria can be gram-positive, gram-negative, rod-shaped.

Names of harmful bacteria

Table. Harmful bacteria for humans. Titles
TitlesHabitatHarm
Mycobacteriafood, watertuberculosis, leprosy, ulcer
tetanus bacillussoil, skin, digestive tracttetanus, muscle spasms, respiratory failure

Plague wand

(considered by experts as a biological weapon)

only in humans, rodents and mammalsbubonic plague, pneumonia, skin infections
Helicobacter pylorihuman stomach lininggastritis, peptic ulcer, produces cytotoxins, ammonia
anthrax bacillusthe soilanthrax
botulism stickfood, contaminated dishespoisoning

Harmful bacteria are able to stay in the body for a long time and absorb useful substances from it. However, they can cause an infectious disease.

The most dangerous bacteria

One of the most resistant bacteria is methicillin. It is better known under the name "Staphylococcus aureus" (Staphylococcus aureus). can cause not one, but several infectious diseases. Some types of these bacteria are resistant to powerful antibiotics and antiseptics. Strains of this bacterium can live in the upper respiratory tract, open wounds and urinary tracts of every third inhabitant of the Earth. For a person with a strong immune system, this is not dangerous.

Harmful bacteria to humans are also pathogens called Salmonella typhi. They are the causative agents of acute intestinal infections and typhoid fever. These types of bacteria that are harmful to humans are dangerous because they produce toxic substances that are extremely life-threatening. During the course of the disease, intoxication of the body occurs, a very strong fever, rashes on the body, the liver and spleen increase. The bacterium is very resistant to various external influences. It lives well in water, on vegetables, fruits and reproduces well in milk products.

Clostridium tetan is also one of the most dangerous bacteria. It produces a poison called tetanus exotoxin. People who become infected with this pathogen experience terrible pain, convulsions and die very hard. The disease is called tetanus. Despite the fact that the vaccine was created back in 1890, every year on Earth 60 thousand people die from it.

And another bacterium that can lead to the death of a person is It causes tuberculosis, which is resistant to drugs. If you do not seek help in a timely manner, a person may die.

Measures to prevent the spread of infections

Harmful bacteria, the names of microorganisms are studied from the student bench by physicians of all directions. Every year, healthcare is looking for new methods to prevent the spread of infections that are dangerous to human life. With the observance of preventive measures, you will not have to waste your energy on finding new ways to deal with such diseases.

To do this, it is necessary to identify the source of the infection in time, determine the circle of the sick and possible victims. It is imperative to isolate those who are infected and disinfect the source of infection.

The second stage is the destruction of the ways through which harmful bacteria can be transmitted. To do this, carry out appropriate propaganda among the population.

Food facilities, reservoirs, warehouses with food storage are taken under control.

Each person can resist harmful bacteria in every possible way strengthening their immunity. Healthy lifestyle, observance of elementary hygiene rules, self-protection during sexual contact, use of sterile disposable medical instruments and equipment, complete restriction from communication with quarantined people. When entering the epidemiological region or the focus of infection, it is necessary to strictly comply with all the requirements of the sanitary and epidemiological services. A number of infections are equated in their impact to bacteriological weapons.

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