masters of life on earth. The territory of bacteria is the whole world

When you suddenly crave something sweet or savory, when you decide where and when to go on vacation, when you have tears in your eyes from watching a melodrama, when you plan to get a dog, or aquarium fish Know that these are not your decisions!

You are not in control own body You are not in control of your own thoughts. You do not determine what to eat, what to drink, who to love and hate, what music to listen to, and what site to open. It’s not up to you to decide whether to continue reading this post or, twisting your finger at your temple, close the page. The bacteria will do it for you. Exactly! This is not an invention of the author, but a professional conclusion of scientists. It may seem strange and even scary, but the world in which we live is not our world, it is the territory of bacteria.

On planet Earth, they are more than 90% of all life that lives here. They are the real masters of the Earth.

Interesting facts about bacteria

Life on our planet began with bacteria, and everything will end with them, scientists believe. There is a joke that when the aliens discovered the Earth, they could not figure out who its real owner was - people or bacteria.

What role do bacteria play in human life?

Bacteria appeared and live on almost from the very moment of its existence.

If the duration of the existence of bacteria is taken as a day, then a meager segment, less than a second, will fall on the share of the existence of mankind.

But these smallest living organisms not only coexist with us, they are organically integrated into our body. Without their help, we would not be able to exist.

For example, there are tens of thousands of microorganisms in the intestines. different types, and without this friendly team, a person would not be able to digest food.

When the balance of the number and ratio of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract is disturbed, this leads to serious diseases.

Interesting facts about bacteria

There are 5 nonillion microorganisms on our planet. The number is fantastic, which is many times greater than the number of all people and animals on earth.

Reluctant killers

Unconscious killers

These same microorganisms ensure that our body is regularly cleansed of unnecessary and excess rubbish.

When trash accumulates too much, bacteria arrange general cleaning organism in the form of dysentery, influenza and others.

Sometimes they get down to business too zealously, and as a result of such a "haymaking" a person may die.

But deliberately killing a person is not such a task for bacteria. Unreasonable creatures act instinctively, fighting other microbes for survival. Everything is like people. Only the battlefield is the human body.

And if the battlefield becomes unusable, that is, a person dies, this means that another army won the next battle, consisting of bacteria warriors who are involved in the processing and decomposition of our nails, muscles, bones and other parts of the body.

Interesting facts about bacteria

Lives on the body of a cell phone more bacteria than under the rim of the toilet

The enemy is cunning and cunning

Scientists often wonder if bacteria can do away with humanity completely and irrevocably? The answer does not please anyone.

They can. Moreover, small creatures are able to destroy humanity quickly, silently and without emotion. And not only mankind, but also all other living beings.

It is likely that someday this will happen, and microorganisms will again become the sole owners of the planet.

But while we exist in symbiosis with it, we will figure out which of the bacteria are most useful for the body and vice versa.

Interesting facts about bacteria

It turns out that a huge number of beneficial bacteria live in appendicitis. An organ that everyone recently considered useless atavism helps the body develop immunity

There are a huge number of these. We will name only the most productive.

Bifidobacteria. These little ones know their stuff. They do not allow pathogenic microbes to develop, make STOP toxins from the intestines, help iron, calcium and vitamin D ions to be absorbed through the intestinal walls. In addition, they supply the body with a bunch of vitamins and other useful substances.

Lactic acid bacteria. They successfully fight putrefactive and pathogenic microbes, protecting the intestines from them.

Interesting facts about bacteria

The human body contains 2 to 3 kilograms of bacteria, most of which live in the intestines.

Harmfulbacteria

These creatures in nature also abound. The most disgusting of them:

Staphylococcus aureus. The causative agent of many dangerous diseases.

Salmonella. It lodges in meat, raw water, dairy products. Causes severe intoxication and affects gastrointestinal tract.

Tetanus stick. Have you heard about "tetanus"? Her work. Spitting very strong toxic poison which causes paralysis of the nervous system.

Koch stick. You probably read about this bastard too. Causes pulmonary tuberculosis lymph nodes, kidneys, bones and skin.

VIDEO: Facts about bacteria

There are many bacteria around us and inside our body. Every day we breathe them in with the air, eat with food, and are a habitat for many. Some of them are useful and some are not. beneficial bacteria for any person.

The importance of bacteria in human life

From our knowledge of the benefits and harms of microbes depends on extracting benefits from them and how to protect ourselves from those that harm our body.

Inside our body, harmful and beneficial microbes constantly compete with each other. As a result, we receive immunity from many infectious diseases.

At the beginning of life, our body is sterile, and from the very first breath, bacteria begin to colonize the body. With mother's milk in the first hours of life, the baby receives the first beneficial bacteria that populate his intestines and create a special microflora inside him.

• participate in the process of digestion;
• prevent many infectious diseases;
• used in many drugs;
• participate in the cycle of substances and the supply of our planet with oxygen.

Harmful bacteria lead to:

• infectious diseases;
• nutrition;
• infection of plants and animals.

To know which are useful and which are not useful, you need to have an idea about the most significant representatives of both groups.

Beneficial Microorganisms

lactic acid bacteria

A separate group is occupied by lactic acid bacteria: L. Acidophilus, L. Delbrueckii, L. Plantarum, L. Bulgaricus and others.

They are permanent residents of milk and their involvement leads to a range of biochemical processes. Reproducing, they accumulate lactic acid in the fresh product, under the influence of which the milk begins to turn sour. This is how curdled milk is obtained. In production, before getting fermented milk products, milk is pasteurized, then special starter cultures, consisting of bacteria, are added to it. These dairy products are high quality and do not contain harmful microbes.

Lactic acid bacteria are used in bakery, fermentation, in confectionery, in the manufacture of soft drinks.

bifidobacteria

These microorganisms live in our intestines and prevent the development of a pathogenic environment for our body in it. To date, 24 strains of bifidobacteria have been identified. Most of all in our intestines B. bifidum, B. infantis, B. Longum, which appear in it in infancy during breastfeeding. In addition to protection, with their help, carbohydrates are fermented in our body, fiber is dissolved and proteins are hydrolyzed. They participate in the synthesis of amino acids, the absorption of calcium and vitamin D. They also regulate the level of acidity.

With their deficiency, dysbacteriosis is observed. With prolonged dysbiosis, the development of such diseases is possible: diarrhea, constipation, gastritis, ulcers, allergies.

coli

The habitat of E. coli is colon. It helps in the breakdown of undigested substances and produces biotin and vitamin K. But, getting into the urinary system, it causes such diseases: cystitis, urethritis, pyelonephritis.

Streptomycetes

The habitat of Streptomycetaceae is soil, water, organic matter. In nature, they participate in the cycle of substances and in the processing of organic matter. They are widely used in the manufacture of various antibiotics.

Malicious microorganisms

Harmful bacteria harm the body and cause many diseases. At the same time they for a long time can be inside it and wait for immunity to weaken.

Staphylococcus aureus

Carriers of this microorganism are from 25% to 40% of people. It lives on our skin and mucous membranes and is highly resistant to many antibiotics. It is dangerous to humans because it can cause several types of infectious diseases. For a long time, it can be in the human body and wait for the immune system to weaken.

The causative agent of typhoid

The typhoid pathogen Salmonella typhi lives primarily in water, but can multiply on food and milk. It tolerates unfavorable conditions for its development and, getting into our body, causes its intoxication. A person begins to have severe chills, fever, rashes appear on the skin, and the liver enlarges. With untimely treatment, a person dies.

The causative agent of tetanus

Clostridium tetani is considered one of the most. Under unfavorable conditions, it forms spores that can stay in the soil for a long time. It enters the body through wounds. Though tetanus toxoid established in 1890, up to 60 thousand people die from tetanus every year.

The causative agent of tuberculosis

Helicobacter pylori

By coexisting with bacteria, it is in our power to get as much benefit as possible from beneficial bacteria. Having knowledge about and applying them in our lives, we are able to protect ourselves from them and from the misuse of antibiotics, which are not always beneficial for our health.

Most people consider different bacterial organisms solely as harmful particles that can provoke the development of various pathological conditions. Nevertheless, according to scientists, the world of these organisms is very diverse. There are frankly dangerous bacteria, dangerous our body, but there are also useful ones - those that provide normal functioning our organs and systems. Let's try to understand these concepts a bit and consider certain types similar organisms. Let's talk about bacteria in nature, harmful and beneficial to humans.

Beneficial bacteria

Scientists say that bacteria became the very first inhabitants of our big planet and it is thanks to them that there is life on Earth now. Over the course of many millions of years, these organisms gradually adjusted to the constantly changing conditions of existence, they changed their appearance and habitat. Bacteria were able to adapt to the surrounding space and were able to develop new and unique life support methods, including multiple biochemical reactions- catalysis, photosynthesis and even seemingly simple respiration. Now bacteria coexist with human organisms, and such cooperation is distinguished by some harmony, because such organisms can bring real benefits.

After small man is born, bacteria immediately begin to penetrate into his body. They are introduced through the respiratory tract along with air, enter the body along with breast milk etc. The whole organism is saturated with various bacteria.

It is impossible to accurately calculate their number, but some scientists boldly say that the number of such organisms is comparable to the number of all cells. Only one digestive tract is home to four hundred varieties of different living bacteria. It is believed that a certain variety of them can grow only in a specific place. So lactic acid bacteria are able to grow and multiply in the intestines, others feel optimally in oral cavity, some others live only on the skin.

For many years of coexistence, man and such particles were able to recreate the optimal conditions for cooperation for both groups, which can be characterized as a useful symbiosis. At the same time, bacteria and our body combine their capabilities, while each side remains in the black.

Bacteria are able to collect particles of various cells on their surface, which is why the immune system does not perceive them as hostile and does not attack. However, after organs and systems are exposed to harmful viruses, beneficial bacteria rise to the defense and simply block the path of pathogens. When existing in the digestive tract, such substances also bring tangible benefits. They are engaged in the processing of leftover food, while releasing a significant amount of heat. It, in turn, is transmitted to nearby organs, and is carried throughout the body.

Deficiency of beneficial bacteria in the body or a change in their number causes the development of various pathological conditions. This situation can develop against the background of taking antibiotics, which effectively destroy both harmful and beneficial bacteria. To correct the amount of beneficial bacteria can be consumed special preparations- probiotics.

harmful bacteria

However, it is worth remembering that not all bacteria are human friends. Among them, there are enough dangerous species that can only do harm. Such organisms, after penetrating into our body, cause the development of various bacterial ailments. These are different colds, some varieties of pneumonia, and in addition syphilis, tetanus and other diseases, even deadly ones. There are also diseases of this type that are transmitted by airborne droplets. This dangerous tuberculosis, whooping cough, etc.

A significant number of ailments provoked by harmful bacteria develop due to the consumption of insufficiently high-quality food, unwashed and unprocessed vegetables and fruits, raw water undercooked meat. You can protect yourself from such diseases by observing the norms and rules of hygiene. An example of such dangerous ailments are dysentery, typhoid fever etc.

Manifestations of diseases that have developed as a result of an attack of bacteria are the result of the pathological influence of poisons that these organisms produce, or that are formed against the background of their destruction. Human body is able to get rid of them thanks to natural protection, which is based on the process of phagocytosis of bacteria by white blood cells, as well as on the immune system, which synthesizes antibodies. The latter carry out a bunch of foreign proteins and carbohydrates, and then simply eliminate them from the bloodstream.

Also harmful bacteria can be destroyed with the help of natural and synthetic medicines, the most famous of which is penicillin. All drugs of this type are antibiotics, they differ depending on active component and from the scheme of action. Some of them are able to destroy the cell membranes of bacteria, while others suspend the processes of their vital activity.

So, in nature there are a lot of bacteria that can bring benefits and harm to humans. Fortunately, the current level of development of medicine makes it possible to cope with the majority of pathological organisms of this kind.

February 26, 1878 French philologist and philosopher, author explanatory dictionaryÉmile Littre, in response to a written request from the French scientist Charles Sedillot, to choose a suitable name for microorganisms that are too small to be seen with the naked eye, suggested using the word "microbe".

The discoverer of the world of microbes was Anthony Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch scientist of the 17th century, who first created a perfect magnifying glass microscope that magnifies objects 160–270 times.

What is a microbe?

Microbes- the most ancient group of organisms that currently exist on Earth. The first bacteria probably appeared more than 3.5 billion years ago and for almost a billion years were the only living things on the planet.

Most microorganisms consist of a single cell, but there are also multicellular microorganisms. The sizes of individual microbes are usually calculated in several microns, and sometimes in tenths of a micron (1 micron is equal to 1/1000 mm).

reference
Microbe- smallest creature, a unicellular organism.

What are microbes?

All microorganisms differ from each other in size, shape, size, structure, mobility, relation to external environment(temperature, humidity, etc.), the nature of nutrition and respiration. Some microbes require oxygen, while others (anaerobes) do not.

All microbes are divided into 3 large groups:
bacteria;
molds are filamentous cells that usually form large clusters (colonies);
yeast - large cells of a round or oval shape.

reference
Microorganisms- the name of a group of living organisms that are too small to be visible to the naked eye (their characteristic size is less than 0.1 mm). Microorganisms are different bacteria and protozoa, as well as microscopic algae and fungi. microorganisms, disease-causing are called pathogenic or pathogenic.

Where do microbes live and what benefit / harm do they bring?

Microorganisms are ubiquitous, living everywhere where there is water, including hot springs, the bottom of the world's oceans, and also deep inside earth's crust. The only exceptions are craters. active volcanoes and small sites at the epicenters of detonated atomic bombs.

Microbes in the soil:
-turn humus into various minerals, which can then be absorbed from the soil by plant roots;
- absorb nitrogen from the air, releasing nitrogen compounds, and thus enrich the soil and increase the yield.

Microbes in water:
-oxidize hydrogen sulfide to sulfuric acid and prevent fish from dying;
-purify water from various wastes.

Microbes in the air:
-Pathogenic microbes can be dangerous, as they can serve as a source of infectious disease.

In the human body:
- lactobacilli are able to convert carbohydrates into lactic acid, which prevents the development of harmful microbes;
-Supply the human body with natural antibiotics;
- take part in the processes of synthesis of various vitamins;
- have a beneficial effect on the function of bowel emptying;
- have a stimulating effect on the body's immune system.

Why are microbes dangerous?

Various microorganisms can cause severe illness in humans (tuberculosis, anthrax, angina, food poisoning, gonorrhea, etc.), animals and plants. Pathogenic bacteria penetrate into the body by airborne droplets, through wounds and mucous membranes, the digestive tract. In the fight against microbes, natural and synthetic substances help a person medicines(penicillin, etc.).

Microbes are also responsible for food spoilage. Nearly all natural, unprocessed food products- meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, milk - cannot be stored long time at room temperature and after a few days, and sometimes even hours, they deteriorate due to the influence of bacteria. To stop reproduction, products are pasteurized, stored in the cold, dried, salted or pickled.

From childhood we are used to the fact that microbes are evil. This means they must be destroyed. But recently, scientists have discovered that very often we are at war not with individual unintelligent cells, but against a cohesive army.

The beneficial bacteria that inhabit the human body are called the microbiota. In terms of their number, they are quite extensive - one person has millions of them. At the same time, they all regulate the health and normal life of each individual. Scientists say: without beneficial bacteria, or, as they are also called, mutualists, the gastrointestinal tract, skin, respiratory tract would be instantly attacked by pathogenic microbes and would be destroyed.

What should be the balance of the microbiota in the body and how it can be corrected to avoid development serious illnesses, AiF.ru asked CEO biomedical holding of Sergey Musienko.

gut workers

One of the important parts of the location of beneficial bacteria is the intestines. No wonder it is believed that it is here that the entire human immune system is laid. And if the bacterial environment is disturbed, then defensive forces body is significantly reduced.

Beneficial intestinal bacteria create literally unbearable living conditions for pathogenic microbes - an acidic environment. In addition, beneficial microorganisms help digest vegetable food, since bacteria feed on plant cells containing cellulose, but intestinal enzymes alone cannot cope with this. Intestinal bacteria also contribute to the production of vitamins B and K, which provide bone metabolism and connective tissues, and also release energy from carbohydrates and promote the synthesis of antibodies and the regulation of the nervous system.

Most often, speaking of beneficial intestinal bacteria, they mean the 2 most popular types: bifidus and lactobacilli. At the same time, as many people think, it is impossible to call them the main ones - their number is only 5-15% of total number. However, they are very important, since they have been proven positive influence to other bacteria, when such bacteria can be important factors the well-being of the whole community: if they are fed or brought into the body with the help fermented milk products- kefirs or yogurts, they help other important bacteria survive and multiply. So, for example, it is very important to restore their population during dysbacteriosis or after a course of antibiotics. Otherwise, it will be problematic to increase the body's defenses.

biological shield

The bacteria that inhabit the skin and respiratory tract of a person, in fact, stand guard and reliably protect their area of ​​​​responsibility from the penetration of pathogens. The main ones are micrococci, streptococci and staphylococci.

The skin microbiome has changed over the past hundreds of years as humans have moved from natural life in contact with nature for regular washing by special means. It is believed that now human skin is inhabited by completely different bacteria that lived before. body with the help immune system can distinguish dangerous from non-hazardous. But, on the other hand, any streptococcus can become pathogenic for humans, for example, if it gets into a cut or any other open wound on the skin. An excess of bacteria or their pathological activity on the skin and in respiratory tract may lead to the development various diseases, and to the appearance bad smell. Today there are developments based on bacteria that oxidize ammonium. Their use allows you to seed the skin microbiome with completely new organisms, as a result of which not only the smell disappears (the result of the metabolism of urban flora), but also the structure of the skin changes - pores open, etc.

Rescue of the microworld

The microcosm of each person is changing quite quickly. And this has undoubted advantages, since the number of bacteria can be updated independently.

Different bacteria feed on different substances - the more diverse a person's food and the more it matches the season, the more choice there is. beneficial microorganisms. However, if the food is heavily loaded with antibiotics or preservatives, the bacteria will not survive, because these substances are just designed to destroy them. And it does not matter at all that most of the bacteria are not pathogenic. As a result, diversity inner world man is destroyed. And after that, they begin various diseases- problems with stools, skin rashes, metabolic disorders, allergic reactions etc.

But the microbiota can be helped. And it will take only a few days for an easy correction.

Exists a large number of probiotics (with live bacteria) and prebiotics (substances that support bacteria). But the main problem is that they work differently for everyone. The analysis shows that their effectiveness in dysbacteriosis is up to 70-80%, that is, one or another drug may work, or it may not. And here you should carefully monitor the course of treatment and intake - if the funds work, you will immediately notice improvements. If the situation remains unchanged, it is worth changing the treatment program.

Alternatively, you can undergo special testing that studies the genomes of bacteria, determines their composition and ratio. This allows you to quickly and correctly select required option nutrition and complementary therapies that will restore the delicate balance. Although a person does not feel slight disturbances in the balance of bacteria, they still affect health - in this case, one can note frequent illnesses, drowsiness, allergic manifestations. Every resident of the city, to one degree or another, has an imbalance in the body, and if he does not specifically do anything to restore, then surely from a certain age he will have health problems.

Fasting, unloading, more vegetables, porridge from natural cereals in the morning - these are just a few options. eating behavior favored by beneficial bacteria. But for each person, the diet should be individual in accordance with the state of his body and with his lifestyle - only then can he maintain an optimal balance and always feel good.