Bacteria are small single-celled organisms. Bacteria are found almost everywhere on Earth and are vital to the planet's ecosystems. Some species can live under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure. The human body is full of bacteria, and in fact is estimated to contain more bacterial cells than human cells. Most bacteria in the body are harmless, and some are even helpful. A relatively small number of species cause disease.Bacteria are microorganisms that come in various shapes. They can be spheres, they can be rods, or they can be spirals. There are bacteria that are bad, that we call pathogenic, and they will cause diseases, but there's also good bacteria. As an example, in our digestive system, in the gut, we have bacteria that are very necessary to help our bodies function in a normal way. What's interesting about bacteria is that in our bodies we have 10 times more bacterial cells than we have human cells. Bacteria are also important in biotechnology. They are also important in that they, again, will help the body maintain itself in a healthy manner.
Bacteria are simple in structure, with no recognizable organelles. They have an outer cell wall that gives them shape. Just under the rigid cell wall is the more fluid cell membrane. The cytoplasm enclosed within the cell membrane does not exhibit much structure when viewed by electron microscopy¹.
DNA in the bacterial cell is generally confined to the central region called the nucleoid. Though it isn't bounded by a membrane, it is visibly distinct from the rest of the cell interior. The genophore, sometimes referred to as the bacterial chromosome, is a long double strand of DNA, usually in one large circle. It includes most of the genetic material of the organism¹.
Plasmids are small circular DNA fragments found in the cytoplasm that contain code responsible for antibiotic resistance and other characteristics. Plasmids and the associated traits can be transferred between bacteria, even from one bacterial species to another¹.
The cytoplasm is mostly water, but within it are the bacterial inclusions - nucleoid, plasmids, ribosomes and storage granules - as well as the components necessary for bacterial metabolism¹.
Bacteria follow an asexual mode of reproduction, called binary fission. A single bacterium divides into two daughter cells. These are identical to the parent cell as well as to each other³.
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Bacteria are small single-celled organisms. Bacteria are found almost everywhere on Earth and are vital to the planet's ecosystems. Some species can live under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure. The human body is full of bacteria, and in fact is estimated to contain more bacterial cells than human cells. Most bacteria in the body are harmless, and some are even helpful. A relatively small number of species cause disease.Bacteria are microorganisms that come in various shapes. They can be spheres, they can be rods, or they can be spirals. There are bacteria that are bad, that we call pathogenic, and they will cause diseases, but there's also good bacteria. As an example, in our digestive system, in the gut, we have bacteria that are very necessary to help our bodies function in a normal way. What's interesting about bacteria is that in our bodies we have 10 times more bacterial cells than we have human cells. Bacteria are also important in biotechnology. They are also important in that they, again, will help the body maintain itself in a healthy manner.
Answer:
Bacteria are simple in structure, with no recognizable organelles. They have an outer cell wall that gives them shape. Just under the rigid cell wall is the more fluid cell membrane. The cytoplasm enclosed within the cell membrane does not exhibit much structure when viewed by electron microscopy¹.
DNA in the bacterial cell is generally confined to the central region called the nucleoid. Though it isn't bounded by a membrane, it is visibly distinct from the rest of the cell interior. The genophore, sometimes referred to as the bacterial chromosome, is a long double strand of DNA, usually in one large circle. It includes most of the genetic material of the organism¹.
Plasmids are small circular DNA fragments found in the cytoplasm that contain code responsible for antibiotic resistance and other characteristics. Plasmids and the associated traits can be transferred between bacteria, even from one bacterial species to another¹.
The cytoplasm is mostly water, but within it are the bacterial inclusions - nucleoid, plasmids, ribosomes and storage granules - as well as the components necessary for bacterial metabolism¹.
Bacteria follow an asexual mode of reproduction, called binary fission. A single bacterium divides into two daughter cells. These are identical to the parent cell as well as to each other³.