Uses and Classifications of Bacteria

Uses of Bacteria :

• A bacterium breaks down the organic fertilizer (decomposed vegetables and animal matter) into material that can be used by plants.

• Some species of soil bacteria convert nitrogen into nitrites, compounds that are readily absorbed by plants.

• Different commercial processes also need certain bacteria, like Anaerobic bacteria that ferment certain substances are used in the production of vinegar and some drugs, and in the aging process of cheeses.

• Some bacteria also produce waste products that are beneficial to humans, like Lactic acid, it is produced by intestinal bacteria and can promotes digestion in humans.

• Bacteria are also grown commercially and it is added to certain foods like yogurt and drinks.

• Bacteria are also used to chemically break down the tough, woody tissues of flax, jute, hemp, and coconut.

• Bacteria are also being used in modern sewage disposal known as Bioremediation, it is a process by which bacteria are added to water or soil to convert toxic pollutants, such as pesticides and oil, into harmless substances.

Classifications of Bacteria: Bacteria are prokaryotes, that is, they are organisms that lack membranes surrounding their genetic material. Bacteria is reproduce mainly by simple, or binary, fission (splitting). Under certain condition, a mature organism splits apart to form two new organisms, it can multiply very fast and it can double its number every 20minutes. Budding is another way bacteria reproduce, it is a process in which a small out-growth from a single parent develops into a new, identical organism. There are also few bacteria that can reproduce sexually under certain conditions, this happen when two bacteria unite to form a zygote, which splits into new cells. There are some bacteria that can form a colonies big enough to be seen without using a microscope.