What is the medical definition for bacteria?
Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) organisms or as parasites (dependent on another organism for life). The plural of bacterium.
What are the benefits of bacteria?
Benefits of Bacteria
- Creating products, such as ethanol and enzymes.
- Making drugs, such as antibiotics and vaccines.
- Making biogas, such as methane.
- Cleaning up oil spills and toxic wastes.
- Killing plant pests.
- Transferring normal genes to human cells in gene therapy.
- Fermenting foods (see Figure below).
Where do bacteria grow?
Bacteria can live in hotter and colder temperatures than humans, but they do best in a warm, moist, protein-rich environment that is pH neutral or slightly acidic. There are exceptions, however. Some bacteria thrive in extreme heat or cold, while others can survive under highly acidic or extremely salty conditions.
Is cocci bacteria good or bad?
5 Types of Bacteria According to Gram Staining: Coccus – These are rounded or spherical in shape and may occur in chains or clusters. These occurs abundantly in the environment and also as a normal commensal on the human body (in nostrils, skin, oral cavity and genitals).
Is coccus bacteria harmful?
The Gram-positive cocci are the leading pathogens of humans. It is estimated that they produce at least a third of all the bacterial infections of humans, including strep throat, pneumonia, otitis media, meningitis, food poisoning, various skin diseases and severe types of septic shock.
What shape is a cocci bacteria?
spherical
Where are cocci bacteria found?
They are gram-positive, non-motile and found in the enteric nervous system. While enterococci have a limited potential to cause disease, they can cause urinary tract infections, bacteremia (bacteria in the blood) and wound infections.