Bacteria+-+ZG

=**Introduction**= Imagine this, something so small, multiplying at an incredible rate, going from 1 single cell to about 1 million in only about 20 minutes! That’s one of bacteria’s strengths, but bacteria is very important in our life, and there are many types of bacteria that all do many different things, from producing foods like cheese or sausages, help the human intestine produce vitamin K, giving people bacterial infections, or even treating some of their own bacterial infections.

toc =**Reproduction**= Bacteria are single celled organisms that reproduce at astonishing rates.They can each reproduce around once every 20 minutes! So every 20 minutes, the amount of bacteria doubles. In about 7 hours, the original single bacteria, can grow up to as many as 1 million bacteria cells! (Padilla et al 52) The way that bacteria reproduce is that one cell grows in size, about double its original size, and then splits into two. First, the cells replicates its DNA, and then separating those DNA molecules. Next, the cross wall forms, and the cell membrane invaginates. The cross wall then completely forms, as the two daughter cells split from the original mother cell. There are two types of bacterial reproduction.The first method was fission, the other method is conjugation reproduction. Conjugation is when one bacterium transfers some of its genetic material into another bacterium through a thin, threadlike bridge that joins the two cells.

=**Structure**=  Bacteria can come in many different sizes and shapes. Some main of the main structures of bacteria are, Coccus, Bacillus, Mycoplasma, Spirillum, and Rickettsia. Coccus are any type of bacterium that has a spherical, ovoid, or round shape. It kind of looks like a short caterpillar. Mycoplasma is a genus of bacteria that do not have a cell wall around their cell membrane. They are the smallest bacteria cells yet discovered. Bacillus is a rod shaped bacterium that can cause many diseases. They look like a long string of rods connected to each other. Spirillum is a type of bacteria that generally looks like a corkscrew, or a stretched out spring. Rickettsia is a group of small bacteria that contains various febrile diseases.

=**Diseases**= There are many bacterial diseases that are very harmful to your body. Some of the more recognizable ones are, E. Coli and Salmonella, which cause food poisoning, Helicobacter pylori caused stomach inflammation, which can cause vomiting, nausea, and upper belly pain. Bacterial infections can be very dangerous sometimes, but can be cured pretty easily, by using medications called antibiotics. An antibiotic is a chemical that can kill bacteria without harming a person’s cells. Antibiotics are made naturally by some bacteria and fungi.

=**Conclusion**= Bacteria are small but very powerful. The tiny cells can help us digest food but can also be harmful at the same time. They can be very helpful by producing foods like cheeses, but harmful at the same time. If it wasn't for bacteria, we wouldn't be able to do even half of the things we are able to do today, and plant and animals couldn't do as much as they can do today.

=**References**=

“Bacteria.” BrainPOP, www.brainpop.com/science/diversityoflife/bacteria/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2017. “Bacterial Diseases.” Health Grades, www.healthgrades.com/conditions/bacterial-diseases. Accessed 2 Feb. 2017. “Bacterial Infections.” Medline Plus, medlineplus.gov/bacterialinfections.html. Accessed 2 Feb. 2017. Economic Importance. Cape Brenton-Victoria Regional School Board, www.cbv.ns.ca/mchs/diversity/Economy.html. Accessed 2 Feb. 2017. “How Do Bacteria Obtain Food?” Reference.com, www.reference.com/science/bacteria-obtain-food-61b2bdfa3a536702. Accessed 2 Feb. 2017. Jenner, Jan, et al. From Bacteria to Plants. Needham, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. “Mycoplasm.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycoplasma. Accessed 2 Feb. 2017. “Mycoplasma Infections.” WebMD, www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/mycoplasma-infections. Accessed 2 Feb. 2017. “Prokaryote.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prokaryote. Accessed 2 Feb. 2017. “Share Care.” Share Care, www.sharecare.com/health/bacterial-infections/how-bacterial-infections-affect-body. Accessed 2 Feb. 2017.