Misunderstood

Photo: Bacteria, courtesy of http://yournucara.wordpress.com

This month's misconception is that all bacteria are bad. This is a misconception because bacteria is everywhere so if it was all bad we would probably all be dead by now. When most people think about bacteria they think about how it gets you sick. That is true. However, some bacteria is extremely helpful. In this brief post I will refute the misconception that all bacteria are bad.

In my opinion, bacteria is misunderstood just like Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter. Just because his dad was evil and people in Slytherin turn evil doesn't mean that he is. Just because some bacteria are bad doesn't mean that all bacteria are.

On the website ducksters.com, it says, "Actually, most bacteria are very helpful to us. They play an important role in the planets' ecosystem as well as in human survival." Some examples of good bacteria can be found in the soil, in food, and in our bodies.

There are a couple of kinds of bacteria in the soil that do really good things. The first kind of good bacteria, called decomposers, actually break down material from dead plants and animals; this makes the soil richer and gets rid of the dead tissue. The other kind, called Rhizobium bacteria, helps fertilize the soil with nitrogen that helps plants to grow.

Certain kinds of bacteria are used to make foods like soy sauce, pickles, yogurt, and cheese. When we eat these foods, sometimes called probiotics, they help our bodies to maintain a healthy balance of bacteria.

According to healthline.com, our bodies have almost 100 trillion "good" bacteria, many of them living in our gut. Good bacteria help our bodies digest food and nutrients and also make quite a few vitamins in the intestinal tract, including folic acid, niacin, and vitamins B6 and B12. Other kinds of bacteria strengthen our immune system to keep us from getting sick.

So, as you can see, we need bacteria because both the bad ones and the good ones play an important role in our physical helath and in the ecosystem.

Sources:

Ansell, Juliet. "Gut Bacteria and Health." Science Learning Hub RSS. University of Waikato, 1 July 2011. Web. 25 Jan. 2016.

Johnson, Amanda. "Good Bacteria? Is There Such a Thing?" Nucara Pharmacy, Inc., 9 Jan. 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.

Nelson, Ken. " Science for Kids: Bacteria and Germs ." Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI), Jan. 2016. Web. 31 Jan. 2016. <http://www.ducksters.com/science/bacteria.php>.

Watson, Stephanie. "Good vs. Bad Germs." Healthline. Healthline Networks, Inc., 1 Jan. 2016. Web. 25 Jan. 2016.