What bacteria are used? The importance of bacteria in nature and human life

Practical use of bacteria in food production

Among bacteria, lactic acid bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus, Streptococcus when receiving fermented milk products. Cocci have a round, oval shape with a diameter of 0.5-1.5 microns, arranged in pairs or in chains of different lengths. The sizes of rod-shaped bacteria or united in chains.

Lactic acid streptococcus Streptococcus lactis has cells connected in pairs or short chains, coagulates milk in 10-12 hours, some races form the antibiotic nisin.

C 6 H 12 O 6 → 2CH 3 CHOHCOOH

Creamy streptococcus S. cremoris forms long chains from spherical cells, inactive acid former, used for fermenting cream in the production of sour cream.

Acidophilus bacillus Lactobacillus acidophilus form long chains of rod-shaped cells; when fermented, they accumulate up to 2.2% lactic acid and antibiotic substances that are active against pathogens of intestinal diseases. Based on them, medical biological products are prepared for the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases of farm animals.

Lactic acid sticks L. plantatum have cells linked in pairs or in chains. Fermentation agents during fermentation of vegetables and ensiling of feed. L. brevis ferment sugars when pickling cabbage and cucumbers, forming acids, ethanol, CO 2.

Non-sporeless, non-motile, gram+ rods of the genus Propionibacterium families Propionibacteriaceae– causative agents of propionic acid fermentation, cause the conversion of sugar or lactic acid and its salts into propionic and acetic acid.

3C 6 H 12 O 6 →4CH 3 CH 2 COOH+2CH 3 COOH+2CO 2 +2H 2 O

Propionic acid fermentation underlies the ripening of rennet cheeses. Some types of propionic acid bacteria are used to produce vitamin B12.

Spore-forming bacteria of the family Bacilloceae sort of Clostridium are causative agents of butyric acid fermentation, converting sugars into butyric acid

C 6 H 12 O 6 → CH 3 (CH 2)COOH+2CO 2 +2H 2

Butyric acid

Habitats– soil, silty sediments of water bodies, accumulations of decomposing organic residues, food products.

These o/o are used in the production of butyric acid, which has an unpleasant odor, in contrast to its esters:

Methyl ether – apple scent;

Ethyl - pear;

Amyl - pineapple.

They are used as flavoring agents.

Butyric acid bacteria can cause spoilage of food raw materials and products: swelling of cheeses, rancidity of milk and butter, bombing of canned food, death of potatoes and vegetables. The resulting butyric acid gives a sharp rancid taste and a sharp unpleasant odor.

Acetic acid bacteria – nonsporeless gram rods with polar flagella, belong to the genus Gluconobacter (Acetomonas); form acetic acid from ethanol

CH 3 CH 2 OH+O 2 →CH 3 COOH+H 2 O

Sticks of sorts Acetobacter– peritrichs, capable of oxidizing acetic acid to CO 2 and H 2 O.

Acetic acid bacteria are characterized by variability in shape; under unfavorable conditions they take the form of thick, long filaments, sometimes swollen. Acetic acid bacteria are widely distributed on the surface of plants, their fruits, and in pickled vegetables.

The process of oxidizing ethanol to acetic acid is the basis for the production of vinegar. The spontaneous development of acetic acid bacteria in wine, beer, kvass leads to their spoilage - souring, clouding. These bacteria form dry wrinkled films, islands or a ring near the walls of the vessel on the surface of liquids.

A common type of damage is rotting is the process of deep decomposition of protein substances by microorganisms. The most active causative agents of putrefactive processes are bacteria.

Hay and potato stickBacillus subtilis - aerobic gram+ spore-forming rod. The spores are heat-resistant, oval. Cells are sensitive to an acidic environment and high NaCl content.

Bacteria genusPseudomonus – aerobic motile rods with polar flagella, do not form spores, gram-. Some species synthesize pigments, they are called fluorescent pseudomonas, some are cold-resistant, and cause spoilage of protein products in refrigerators. Pathogens of bacteriosis of cultivated plants.

Spore-forming rods of the genus Clostridium decompose proteins with the formation of large amounts of gas NH 3, H 2 S, acid, especially dangerous for canned food. Severe food poisoning is caused by a toxin of large movable gram+ rods Clostridium botulinum. The spores give the appearance of a racket. The exotoxin of these bacteria affects the central nervous and cardiovascular systems (signs: visual impairment, speech impairment, paralysis, respiratory failure).

Nitrifying, denitrifying, and nitrogen-fixing bacteria play a great role in soil formation. These are mainly non-spore-forming cells. They are grown in artificial conditions and applied in the form of soil fertilizers.

Bacteria are used in the production of hydrolytic enzymes and amino acids for food production.

Among bacteria, it is especially necessary to highlight the causative agents of food infections and food poisoning. Foodborne infections are caused by pathogenic bacteria present in food and water. Intestinal infections – cholera – cholera virion;

These microorganisms, or at least some of them, deserve to be treated well, because many bacteria are friendly to our bodies - in fact, they are beneficial bacteria and live in our bodies constantly, bringing only benefits. Over the past few years, scientists have discovered that of all the bacteria that live in our bodies, a minority are harmful to our health. In fact, most of the bacteria found in our bodies are beneficial to us.

Thanks to the Human Microbiome Project, a list of five beneficial bacteria that live in our bodies was compiled and made public. Although there are pathogenic strains of some of the bacteria, these types are quite rare. It should also be noted that even beneficial strains of these bacteria, if present in people with a severely weakened immune system and/or entering a part of the body where they should not be, can cause illness. However, this does not happen very often. Here is a list of five beneficial bacteria that live in our bodies:

1. Bifidobacterium longum

This microorganism is found in large quantities in the intestines of infants. They produce several acids that make the intestinal microflora toxic to many pathogenic bacteria. Thus, the beneficial bacteria Bifidobacterium longum serves to protect people from various diseases.

People cannot digest many molecules of plant food on their own. Present in the gastrointestinal tract, the bacteria Bacteroides thetaiotamicron break down such molecules. This allows people to digest the components present in plant foods. Without these beneficial bacteria, vegetarians would be in trouble.

3. Lactobacillus Johnsonii

This bacterium is vital for humans and especially for children. It is located in the intestines and greatly facilitates the process of milk absorption.

4. Escherichia coli

E. coli bacteria synthesize vital vitamin K in the human gastrointestinal tract. The abundance of this vitamin allows the human blood clotting mechanism to function normally. This vitamin is also necessary for the normal functioning of the liver, kidneys and gallbladder, metabolism and normal absorption of calcium.

5. Viridans Streptococci

These beneficial bacteria multiply rapidly in the throat. Although people are not born with them, over time, after a person is born, these bacteria find a way to enter the body. They reproduce there so well that they leave very little room for other, more harmful bacteria to colonize, thereby protecting the human body from disease.

How to protect beneficial bacteria from death

We need to use antibiotics only in extreme cases, since antibacterial drugs, in addition to pathogenic microorganisms, also destroy beneficial microflora, as a result of which an imbalance occurs in our bodies and diseases develop. In addition, you can also start regularly consuming fermented foods rich in beneficial strains of microorganisms (good bacteria), such as sauerkraut and other vegetables, fermented milk products (yogurt, kefir), kombucha, miso, tempeh, etc.

Washing your hands is necessary, but you should not go overboard with antibacterial soap, as this also contributes to the development of bacterial imbalance in the body.

The technological application of biological agents, namely the use of bacteria to produce specific products or to carry out controlled, targeted changes, is the basis of biotechnology.

Thousands of years ago, people, knowing nothing about biotechnologies, used them in their farming - he brewed beer, made wine, baked bread and made lactic acid products and cheeses.

In the modern world, the practical importance of biotechnology methods using bacteria can hardly be overestimated - they are used in the food industry and agriculture, in medicine and pharmacology, in the extraction of minerals and their processing, in the process of water purification in nature and in septic tanks, in many areas of human life .

The most widespread in the food industry are lactic acid bacteria and yeast.

One of the most ancient biotechnologies used by humans is the production of cheese. The use of propionic acid bacteria in the production of hard rennet cheeses allows us to obtain a high-quality product with specified properties.

These bacteria do not have activity towards casein, but have high lipolytic activity, as a result of which a number of organic acids are formed:

vinegar;
iso-oil;
oil;
isovaleric;
valerian;
and diacetyl.

The use of propionic acid bacteria in the technological scheme gives the finished cheeses their typical color, taste and aroma, enriching the product with biologically active substances.

In addition, propionic acid bacteria have bactericidal properties, being natural preservatives of casein (milk protein).

If for large cheeses propionic acid bacteria are a technological necessity, then for small cheeses they are an undesirable bioflora, the presence of which leads to a violation of taste characteristics.

The growth of propionic acid microflora in small cheeses occurs only in case of violation of technological standards:

lowering salt levels;
violation of temperature conditions during ripening.

Industry

Leaching

During their life, bacteria are capable of selectively extracting substances from complex compounds by dissolving them in water. This process is called bacterial leaching and is of great practical importance:

allows you to extract useful chemicals from ores and industrial waste;
remove unnecessary impurities - arsenic from ores of non-ferrous and ferrous metals.

Thionic bacteria are most often used in industry for bacterial leaching:

Thiobacillius ferrooxidans are iron bacteria that oxidize ferrous iron and sulfide minerals.
Thiobacillius thiooxidans are sulfur bacteria that oxidize sulfur.

Iron and sulfur bacteria are chemoautotrophs - the oxidation of sulfides, iron oxide and sulfur is the only source of energy for them.

In industry, bacterial leaching of minerals (uranium, copper) directly at deposits is of great practical importance.

The process does not require complex equipment and, taking into account the return of the waste solution containing bacteria to the technological process, has a number of significant advantages:

allows you to significantly reduce production costs;
significantly expands the raw material base due to depleted, off-balance or lost ores, enrichment waste, slag, etc.

The use of biotechnology in mining is extremely promising; in order to expand the scope of application, scientists are conducting research in the following areas:

leaching of various metals by thionic bacteria - Zn (zinc), Co (cobalt), Mn (manganese), etc.;
searching for bacteria of other species to extract minerals.

Thus, to extract gold, for example, it is proposed to use Aeromonas bacteria, which are isolated from gold mines in mine waters.

In the future, bacterial leaching will make it possible to create an automated production facility for extracting metals directly from the subsoil, bypassing the complex and expensive process of rock enrichment.

Medicines

Drugs created with the participation of bacteria are widely used in modern medicine and have saved thousands of lives. The revolution was the appearance of penicillin, the first antibiotic produced.

Antibiotics are substances that can suppress the growth of bacterial cells, and the mechanism of action can be different:

penicillin destroys the bacterial shell itself;
Streptomycin inhibits the ribosomes of pathogenic microorganism cells.

Therefore, in modern medicine, antibiotics are an effective tool in the fight against human infectious diseases, but are practically ineffective against viral infections.

Modern medicine successfully uses drugs for the production of which bacteria are used:

insulin and interferon are produced using genetic engineering technologies based on Escherichia coli;
Bacillus subtilis enzymes destroy putrefactive decomposition products.

Modern biotechnologies make it possible to produce enzymes, hormones, antibacterial drugs and vitamins.

The importance of enzymes

Enzymes (enzymes) are biocatalysts of processes that increase the rate of reaction by orders of magnitude compared to chemical catalysts. Under the influence of enzymes, the product yield is almost 100%, while the enzymes themselves are not consumed during the reaction.

Natural sources of enzymes in nature are bacteria and yeast; more than 3,000 enzymes are known.

All enzymes are divided into 2 groups according to the method of production:

extracellular;
intracellular.

Enzymes are often used by humans in production:

food;
pharmaceutical;
leather;
textile;
chemical;
in agriculture.

Enzymatic spectrum

Each type of bacteria has its own set of enzymes, which makes it possible to use the enzyme spectrum as an important method for identifying bacteria.

There are many methods for identifying bacteria that solve one problem - to determine the taxonomic position of the microorganism.

Bacteriological practice identifies bacteria by morphological, genotypic, cultural, tinctorial, pathogenic and other characteristics, using determinants.

One of the most popular is the Bergey determinant - bacteria in the determinant are divided into groups according to various characteristics, and within the group there is also a division according to characteristics.

The Bergey microorganism identification tool allows you to quickly identify a bacterium and establish its taxonomic position.

Another method for identifying bacteria is to study enzymatic activity, most often these are studies of saccharolytic and proteolytic activity.

As an express method, test systems are used to identify a certain group of microorganisms - anaerobes, enterobacteria and others. There are specialized test systems developed for sanitary microbiological research.

Agriculture

The human application of biotechnology methods in agriculture successfully solves a number of issues:

creation of disease-resistant and high-yielding plant varieties;
production of fertilizers based on bacteria (nitragin, agrofil, azotobacterin, etc.), including composts and fermented (methane fermentation) animal waste;
development of waste-free technologies for agriculture.

Plants in nature need nitrogen, but they are not able to absorb nitrogen from the air, but some bacteria, nodule and cyanobacteria, in nature produce about 90% of the total amount of bound nitrogen, enriching the soil with it.

In agriculture, plants that contain nodule bacteria on their roots are used:

alfalfa;
lupine;
peas;
legumes.

These crops are used in crop rotation.

To combat pathogens in crop production, probiotics are used instead of fungicides.

Biotechnology, with the participation of genetic engineering developments, proposes to use bacteria with the desired properties to combat pathogenic microorganisms, capable of suppressing the growth of pathogenic microbes and without negative side effects.

These include elite strains of bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Licheniformis, obtained as a result of targeted selection. When elite strains of microorganisms enter the body of a plant or animal, they begin to multiply rapidly and suppress pathogenic microflora.

Elite strains, like antibiotics, neutralize harmful microorganisms, but do not have their negative aspects:

there is no dependence or addiction;
there is no accumulation of poisons or toxins in the body;
immunity is not developed.

The use of probiotics in agriculture is successful against more than 70 pathogenic microorganisms that cause plant diseases, including those that previously could not be treated at all. In addition, elite strains have a beneficial effect on plant vegetation in general:

fruit ripening requires less time;
the content of nitrates and other toxins in fruits is significantly reduced;
the need for mineral fertilizers for plants is reduced.

Livestock

Lactic acid bacteria are used in the production of silage - ensilage.

In agriculture, silage is one of the main methods of preserving plant mass and is carried out through controlled fermentation under the influence of lactic acid, coccoid and rod-shaped bacteria.

The process of lactic acid fermentation of plant matter requires compliance with optimal conditions for the life of bacteria:

chemical composition of plant mass;
a certain level of moisture content of raw materials;
the optimal fermentation temperature is 25°C;
– silage takes place without air access.

The silage obtained as a result of lactic acid fermentation is a high-quality, succulent animal feed that retains the beneficial substances of plant materials and has a high nutritional value.

Bacteria in nature are also capable of decomposing components of synthetic detergents and a number of medications.
Xenobacteria are successfully used to clean up soil and water in nature during oil and petroleum product spills.
Treatment plants
A person uses a large amount of water for his personal needs, solving the issue of wastewater treatment using septic tanks.
The efficiency of treatment facilities is ensured by special bacteria used in septic tanks.
Microorganisms used in septic tanks decompose organic compounds of any origin; when treating wastewater, they successfully destroy a specific odor.
The composition of the bacterial flora of a septic tank is a combination of aerobic and anaerobic cultures.
Anaerobic (oxygen-free) microorganisms carry out primary water purification, and aerobic bacteria further purify and clarify the water.
When using microorganisms for a septic tank, there are certain rules for wastewater treatment:
it is necessary to maintain a certain level of microorganisms in the septic tank;

The presence of water is mandatory - without it, microorganisms will die;

Do not use aggressive chemicals for cleaning - they will kill microorganisms.

Bioprocess Tools
The main tools of biotechnology for obtaining the most effective microorganisms are selection and genetic engineering.
Selection is the targeted selection of highly efficient individuals in a population due to natural mutation of microorganisms.
In nature, the process is quite long, but under the influence of mutagenic factors (hard radiation, nitrous acid, etc.) it can be significantly accelerated.
The advantages of selection are environmental friendliness and naturalness of the product.
duration of the process;

the inability to control the direction of mutation is determined by the final result.

Genetic engineering methods in biotechnology
Genetic engineering methods change the cells of microorganisms and yeast, turning them into efficient producers of any protein. This opens up wide possibilities for the use of genetically modified microbial and yeast cells to obtain the final organism with specified characteristics.
The use of genetically mutated microbial and yeast cells by humans in everyday life raises well-founded concerns - there are many both supporters of genetically modified substances and their opponents.
However, the fact remains that there is a lack of information about the impact of genetically modified bacterial and yeast cells on the human body and nature as a whole.
Genetically modified bacteria and energy
Geneticists are working on the issue of an alternative energy source. The main task is to create chemical raw materials, and then fuel as a product of bacterial metabolism.
One of the areas for humans to obtain energy from bacteria is working with genetically modified cyanobacteria.
Biologists from the University of Tübingen have discovered microorganisms that have the properties of a battery and are capable of both accumulating energy and transferring it to other bacteria.
The energy produced by these bacteria can be used by humans for nanodevices.
In China, a device was built in which bacteria produce hydrogen from acetates, while the device has no external source of energy, and the raw material is cheap industrial waste. In turn, hydrogen is a source of energy for eco-cars.
Microbiologists at the University of South Carolina have discovered a bacterium that can generate energy by feeding on toxic wastes such as problematic polychlorinated biphenyls and harsh solvents.
Californian researchers have proposed a method for processing brown algae with modified E. coli, producing ethyl alcohol as an output - an excellent source of energy.
Hydrogen as an energy source was obtained by American scientists from the decomposition of glucose by anaerobic bacteria.
Pros and cons of GMO (genetically modified organism)
The use of genetically modified bacteria and yeast by humans in everyday life to obtain modified organisms has both positive and negative aspects.
The advantages of genetically modified organisms include:
production of any organs for transplantation that will not be rejected;

production of feedstock for biofuels;

production of medicines;

creation of plants for technical purposes (production of fabrics, etc.).

Known disadvantages of genetically modified products:
the cost of genetically modified vegetables and fruits is almost 30% higher than natural ones;

seeds and fruits of GM plants are not viable;

fields with GM crops require increased amounts of pesticides and herbicides;

cultivated GM plants are capable of producing hybrids with wild plants.

The human use of microorganisms in everyday life and in production can be limited only by the properties of the bacteria themselves. And the more scientists pay attention to bacilli, the more interesting and useful properties of microorganisms they discover.

Bacteria produce energy, extract minerals, purify water and soil - bacteria have recently been discovered that eat even plastic bags (!) - catalyze production processes, are used in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and in many other areas of human life.

Harmful and beneficial bacteria

Bacteria are microorganisms that form a huge invisible world around and inside us. Because of the harmful effects they cause, they are notorious, while the beneficial effects they cause are rarely talked about. This article gives a general description of some bad and good bacteria.

“During the first half of geological time, our ancestors were bacteria. Most creatures are still bacteria, and each of our trillions of cells is a colony of bacteria." - Richard Dawkins.

Bacteria- the most ancient living organisms on Earth are omnipresent. The human body, the air we breathe, the surfaces we touch, the food we eat, the plants around us, our environment, etc. - all this is inhabited by bacteria.

Approximately 99% of these bacteria are beneficial, while the rest have a bad reputation. In fact, some bacteria are very important for the proper development of other living organisms. They can exist either on their own or in symbiosis with animals and plants.

The following list of harmful and beneficial bacteria includes some of the most well-known beneficial and deadly bacteria.

Beneficial bacteria

Lactic acid bacteria/Dederlein rods

Characteristic: gram-positive, rod-shaped.

Habitat: Varieties of lactic acid bacteria are present in milk and dairy products, fermented foods, and are also part of the oral, intestinal, and vaginal microflora. The most predominant species are L. acidophilus, L. reuteri, L. plantarum, etc.

Benefit: Lactic acid bacteria are known for their ability to use lactose and produce lactic acid as a by-product. This ability to ferment lactose makes lactic acid bacteria an important ingredient in the preparation of fermented foods. They are also an integral part of the brining process, as lactic acid can serve as a preservative. Through what is called fermentation, yogurt is obtained from milk. Certain strains are even used to produce yoghurt on an industrial scale. In mammals, lactic acid bacteria help break down lactose during the digestive process. The resulting acidic environment prevents the growth of other bacteria in the body's tissues. Therefore, lactic acid bacteria are an important component of probiotic preparations.

Bifidobacteria

Characteristic: gram-positive, branched, rod-shaped.

Habitat: Bifidobacteria are present in the human gastrointestinal tract.

Benefit: Like lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria also produce lactic acid. In addition, they produce acetic acid. This acid inhibits the growth of pathogenic bacteria by controlling the pH level in the intestines. The bacterium B. longum, a species of bifidobacteria, helps break down difficult-to-digest plant polymers. B. longum and B. infantis bacteria help prevent diarrhea, candidiasis, and even fungal infections in infants and children. Due to these beneficial properties, they are also often included in probiotic preparations sold in pharmacies.

Escherichia coli (E. coli)

Characteristic:

Habitat: E. coli is part of the normal microflora of the large and small intestines.

Benefit: E. coli helps in breaking down undigested monosaccharides, thus aiding digestion. This bacterium produces vitamin K and biotin, which are essential for various cellular processes.

Note: Certain strains of E. coli can cause serious toxic effects, diarrhea, anemia, and kidney failure.

Streptomycetes

Characteristic: gram-positive, filamentous.

Habitat: These bacteria are present in soil, water and decaying organic matter.

Benefit: Certain streptomycetes (Streptomyces spp.) play an important role in soil ecology by decomposing organic matter present in it. For this reason, they are being studied as a bioremediation agent. S. aureofaciens, S. rimosus, S. griseus, S. erythraeus and S. venezuelae are commercially important species that are used to produce antibacterial and antifungal compounds.

Mycorrhizae/Nodule bacteria

Characteristic:

Habitat: Mycorrhizae are present in the soil, existing in symbiosis with the root nodules of leguminous plants.

Benefit: Bacteria Rhizobium etli, Bradyrhizobium spp., Azorhizobium spp. and many other varieties are useful for fixing atmospheric nitrogen, including ammonia. This process makes this substance available to plants. Plants do not have the ability to use atmospheric nitrogen and depend on nitrogen-fixing bacteria present in the soil.

Cyanobacteria

Characteristic: gram-negative, rod-shaped.

Habitat: Cyanobacteria are primarily aquatic bacteria, but they are also found on bare rocks and in soil.

Benefit: Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are a group of bacteria that are very important to the environment. They fix nitrogen in the aquatic environment. Their calcification and decalcification abilities make them important for maintaining balance in the coral reef ecosystem.

Harmful bacteria

Mycobacteria

Characteristic: are neither gram-positive nor gram-negative (due to their high lipid content), rod-shaped.

Diseases: Mycobacteria are pathogens that have a long doubling time. M. tuberculosis and M. leprae, their most dangerous varieties, are the causative agents of tuberculosis and leprosy, respectively. M. ulcerans causes ulcerated and non-ulcerated nodules on the skin. M. bovis can cause tuberculosis in livestock.

Tetanus bacillus

Characteristic:

Habitat: Tetanus bacillus spores are found in the soil, on the skin, and in the digestive tract.

Diseases: Tetanus bacillus is the causative agent of tetanus. It enters the body through a wound, multiplies there and releases toxins, particularly tetanospasmin (also known as a spasmogenic toxin) and tetanolysin. This leads to muscle spasms and respiratory failure.

Plague stick

Characteristic:

Habitat: The plague bacillus can survive only in the body of the host, in particular in the body of rodents (fleas) and mammals.

Diseases: The plague bacillus causes bubonic plague and plague pneumonia. The skin infection caused by this bacterium takes on a bubonic form, characterized by malaise, fever, chills and even cramps. An infection of the lungs caused by bubonic plague causes plague pneumonia, which causes coughing, difficulty breathing and fever. According to WHO, between 1,000 and 3,000 cases of plague occur worldwide each year. The plague pathogen is recognized and studied as a potential biological weapon.

Helicobacter pylori

Characteristic: gram-negative, rod-shaped.

Habitat: Helicobacter pylori colonizes the human gastric mucosa.

Diseases: This bacterium is the main cause of gastritis and peptic ulcers. It produces cytotoxins and ammonia that damage the gastric epithelium, causing abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and bloating. Helicobacter pylori is present in half the world's population, but most people remain asymptomatic, and only a few develop gastritis and ulcers.

Anthrax bacillus

Characteristic: gram-positive, rod-shaped.

Habitat: Anthrax bacillus is widespread in the soil.

Diseases: Anthrax infection results in a fatal disease called anthrax. Infection occurs as a result of inhalation of endospores of anthrax bacillus. Anthrax mainly occurs in sheep, goats, cattle, etc. However, in rare cases, transmission of the bacterium from livestock to humans occurs. The most common symptoms of anthrax are ulcers, fever, headache, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, etc.

We are surrounded by bacteria, some of them harmful, others beneficial. And it depends only on us how effectively we coexist with these tiny living organisms. It is up to us to benefit from beneficial bacteria by avoiding excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics, and to stay away from harmful bacteria by taking appropriate preventive measures, such as good personal hygiene and routine health checkups.

Bacteria appeared approximately 3.5-3.9 billion years ago, they were the first living organisms on our planet. Over time, life developed and became more complex - new, each time more complex forms of organisms appeared. Bacteria did not stand aside all this time; on the contrary, they were the most important component of the evolutionary process. They were the first to develop new forms of life support, such as respiration, fermentation, photosynthesis, catalysis... and also found effective ways to coexist with almost every living creature. Man was no exception.

But bacteria are an entire domain of organisms, numbering more than 10,000 species. Each species is unique and has followed its own evolutionary path, and as a result has developed its own unique forms of coexistence with other organisms. Some bacteria have entered into close mutually beneficial cooperation with humans, animals and other creatures - they can be called useful. Other species have learned to exist at the expense of others, using the energy and resources of donor organisms - they are generally considered harmful or pathogenic. Still others have gone even further and become practically self-sufficient; they receive everything they need for life from the environment.

Inside humans, like inside other mammals, there live an unimaginably large number of bacteria. There are 10 times more of them in our bodies than all the cells of the body combined. Among them, the absolute majority are useful, but the paradox is that their vital activity, their presence within us is a normal state of affairs, they depend on us, we, in turn, on them, and at the same time we do not feel any signs of this cooperation. Another thing is harmful, for example, pathogenic bacteria, once inside us their presence immediately becomes noticeable, and the consequences of their activity can become very serious.

Beneficial bacteria

The vast majority of them are creatures that live in symbiotic or mutualistic relationships with donor organisms (within which they live). Typically, such bacteria take on some of the functions that the host body is not capable of. An example is bacteria that live in the human digestive tract and process part of the food that the stomach itself is not able to cope with.

Some types of beneficial bacteria:

Escherichia coli (lat. Escherichia coli)

It is an integral part of the intestinal flora of humans and most animals. Its benefits are difficult to overestimate: it breaks down indigestible monosaccharides, promoting digestion; synthesizes vitamins K; prevents the development of pathogenic and pathogenic microorganisms in the intestines.

Macro photo: colony of Escherichia coli bacteria

Lactic acid bacteria (Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, etc.)

Representatives of this order are present in milk, dairy and fermented products, and at the same time are part of the intestinal and oral microflora. They are capable of fermenting carbohydrates and in particular lactose and producing lactic acid, which is the main source of carbohydrates for humans. By maintaining a constantly acidic environment, the growth of unfavorable bacteria is inhibited.

Bifidobacteria

Bifidobacteria have the most significant effect on infants and mammals, constituting up to 90% of their intestinal microflora. By producing lactic and acetic acids, they completely prevent the development of putrefactive and pathogenic microbes in the child’s body. In addition, bifidobacteria: promote the digestion of carbohydrates; provide protection of the intestinal barrier from the penetration of microbes and toxins into the internal environment of the body; synthesize various amino acids and proteins, vitamins K and B, useful acids; promote intestinal absorption of calcium, iron and vitamin D.

Harmful (pathogenic) bacteria

Some types of pathogenic bacteria:

Salmonella typhi

This bacterium is the causative agent of a very acute intestinal infection, typhoid fever. Salmonella typhi produces toxins that are harmful exclusively to humans. When infected, general intoxication of the body occurs, which leads to severe fever, rash throughout the body, and in severe cases, damage to the lymphatic system and, as a result, death. Every year, 20 million cases of typhoid fever are recorded worldwide, 1% of cases lead to death.

Colony of Salmonella typhi bacteria

Tetanus bacillus (Clostridium tetani)

This bacterium is one of the most persistent and at the same time the most dangerous in the world. Clostridium tetani produces an extremely toxic poison, tetanus exotoxin, which leads to almost complete damage to the nervous system. People with tetanus experience terrible pain: all the muscles of the body spontaneously tense to the limit, and powerful convulsions occur. The mortality rate is extremely high - on average, about 50% of those infected die. Fortunately, a tetanus vaccine was invented back in 1890; it is given to newborns in all developed countries of the world. In underdeveloped countries, tetanus kills 60,000 people every year.

Mycobacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae, etc.)

Mycobacteria are a family of bacteria, some of which are pathogenic. Various representatives of this family cause such dangerous diseases as tuberculosis, mycobacteriosis, leprosy (leprosy) - all of them are transmitted by airborne droplets. Every year, mycobacteria cause more than 5 million deaths.

: useful and harmful? Types of bacteria that help the body and which ones harm?

Consider all the bacteria living in the body. And we'll tell you everything about bacteria.

Researchers say that there are about 10 thousand varieties of microbes on earth. However, there is an opinion that their variety reaches 1 million.

Due to their simplicity and unpretentiousness, they exist everywhere. Due to their small size, they penetrate anywhere, even into the smallest crevice. Microbes are adapted to any habitat, they are everywhere, even if it’s a dried-out island, even if it’s frosty, even if it’s 70 degrees hot, they still won’t lose their vitality.

Microbes enter the human body from the environment. And only when they find themselves in conditions favorable to them, they make themselves felt, either helping or causing, ranging from mild skin diseases to serious infectious diseases that lead to death in the body. Bacteria have different names.

These microbes are the most ancient species of creatures living on our planet. Appeared approximately 3.5 billion years ago. They are so tiny that they can only be seen under a microscope.

Since these are the first representatives of life on earth, they are quite primitive. Over time, their structure became more complex, although some retained their primitive structure. A large number of microbes are transparent, but some have a red or greenish tint. Few take on the color of their surroundings.

Microbes are prokaryotes, and therefore have their own separate kingdom - Bacteria. Let's look at which bacteria are harmless and harmful.

Lactobacilli (Lactobacillus plantarum)

Lactobacilli are your body's protectors against viruses. They have lived in the stomach since ancient times, performing very important and useful functions. Lactobacillus plantarum protects the digestive tract from useless microorganisms that can settle in the stomach and worsen the condition.

Lactobacillus helps get rid of heaviness and bloating in the stomach, and fight allergies caused by various foods. Lactobacilli also help remove harmful substances from the intestines. Cleanses the entire body of toxins.

Bifidobacteria (lat. Bifidobacterium)

This is a microorganism that also lives in the stomach. These are beneficial bacteria. Under unfavorable conditions for the existence of Bifidobacterium they die. Bifidobacterium produces acids such as lactic, acetic, succinic and formic.

Bifidobacterium play a leading role in normalizing intestinal function. Also, with a sufficient amount of them, they strengthen the immune system and promote better absorption of nutrients.

They are very useful as they perform a number of important functions, let’s look at the list:

Replenish the body with vitamins K, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, proteins and amino acids.
Protects against the appearance of harmful microorganisms.
Prevents harmful toxins from entering the intestinal walls.
Accelerate the digestion process. - Helps absorb Ca, Fe and vitamin D ions.

Today, there are many medications containing bifidobacteria. But this does not mean that when used for medicinal purposes there will be a beneficial effect on the body, since the usefulness of the drugs has not been proven.

Unfavorable microbe Corynebacterium minutissimum

Harmful types of germs can appear in the most unlikely places where you wouldn't expect to find them.

This species, Corynebacterium minutissimum, loves to live and reproduce on phones and tablets. They cause rashes all over the body. There are a lot of anti-virus applications for tablets and phones, but they have never come up with a cure for the harmful Corynebacterium minutissimum.

So you should reduce your contact with phones and tablets so that you do not become allergic to Corynebacterium minutissimum. And remember, after washing your hands, you should not rub your palms together, as the number of bacteria decreases by 37%.

A genus of bacteria that includes more than 550 species. Under favorable conditions, streptomycetes create threads similar to mushroom mycelium. They live mainly in the soil.

In 1940, streptomycins were used in the production of drugs:

Physostigmine. The painkiller is used in small doses to reduce eye pressure in glaucoma. In large quantities it can become poisonous.
Tacrolimus. Medicine of natural origin. It is used for treatment and prevention during kidney, bone marrow, heart and liver transplants.
Allosamidine. A drug to prevent the formation of chitin degradation. Safely used in killing mosquitoes, flies and so on.

But it should be noted that not all bacteria of this kind have a beneficial effect on the human body.

Belly protector Helicobacter pylori

Microbes existing in the stomach. It exists and multiplies in the gastric mucosa. Helicobacter pylori appears in the human body from an early age and lives throughout life. Helps maintain stable weight, controls hormones and is responsible for hunger.

This insidious microbe can also contribute to the development of ulcers and gastritis. Some scientists believe that Helicobacter pylori is useful, but despite a number of existing theories, it has not yet been proven why it is useful. It’s not for nothing that it can be called a belly protector.

The good bad bacterium Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli bacteria are also called E. coli. Escherichia coli, which lives in the lower abdomen. They inhabit the human body at birth and live with him throughout his life. A large number of microbes of this type are harmless, but some of them can cause serious poisoning of the body.

Escherichia coli is a common factor in many abdominal infections. But it reminds us of itself and causes discomfort when it is about to leave our body in an environment more favorable to it. And it is even useful for humans.

Escherichia coli saturates the body with vitamin K, which in turn monitors the health of the arteries. Escherichia coli can also live for a very long time in water, soil, and even in food products, such as milk.

E. coli dies after boiling or disinfection.

Harmful bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus (Staphylococcus aureus)

Staphylococcus aureus is the causative agent of purulent formations on the skin. Often boils and pimples are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, which lives on the skin of a large number of people. Staphylococcus aureus is the causative agent of many infectious diseases.

Pimples are very unpleasant, but just imagine that Staphylococcus aureus penetrating through the skin into the body can have serious consequences, pneumonia or meningitis.

It is found almost throughout the body, but mainly exists in the nasal passages and axillary folds, but it can also appear in the larynx, perineum and abdomen.

Staphylococcus aureus has a golden hue, which is where Staphylococcus aureus gets its name. It is one of the four most common causes of hospital-acquired infections following surgery.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pseudomonas aeruginosa)

This microbe can exist and reproduces in water and soil. Loves warm water and swimming pools. It is one of the causative agents of purulent diseases. They got their name because of their blue-green tint. Pseudomonas aeruginosa living in warm water gets under the skin and develops an infection, accompanied by itching, pain and redness in the affected areas.

This microbe can infect various types of organs and causes a bunch of infectious diseases. Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection affects the intestines, heart, and genitourinary organs. The microorganism is often a factor in the appearance of abscesses and phlegmon. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is very difficult to get rid of because it is resistant to antibiotics.

Microbes are the simplest living microorganisms existing on Earth, which appeared many billions of years ago and are adapted to any environmental conditions. But we must remember that bacteria can be beneficial and harmful.

So, we have dealt with the types of microorganisms, using an example to look at which beneficial bacteria help the body and which are harmful and cause infectious diseases.

Remember that following the rules of personal hygiene will be the best prevention against infection with harmful microorganisms.

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Application of microorganisms in medicine, agriculture; benefits of probiotics

Rodnikova Inna

INTRODUCTION

People have acted as biotechnologists for thousands of years: they baked bread, brewed beer, made cheese, and other lactic acid products, using various microorganisms and without even knowing about their existence. Actually, the term “biotechnology” itself appeared in our language not so long ago; instead, the words “industrial microbiology”, “technical biochemistry”, etc. were used. Probably the oldest biotechnological process was fermentation. This is supported by a description of the process of making beer, discovered in 1981 during excavations in Babylon on a tablet that dates back to approximately the 6th millennium BC. e. In the 3rd millennium BC. e. The Sumerians produced up to two dozen types of beer. No less ancient biotechnological processes are winemaking, bread baking and the production of lactic acid products.

From the above we see that for quite a long time human life has been inextricably linked with living microorganisms. And if for so many years people have successfully, albeit unconsciously, “collaborated” with bacteria, it would be logical to ask the question - why, in fact, do we need to expand our knowledge in this area? After all, everything seems to be fine, we know how to bake bread and brew beer, make wine and kefir, what else do we need? Why do we need Biotechnology? Some answers can be found in this essay.

MEDICINE AND BACTERIA

Throughout human history (until the beginning of the twentieth century), families had many children because... very often children did not live to adulthood; they died from many diseases, even from pneumonia, which is easily curable in our time, to say nothing of such serious diseases as cholera, gangrene, and plague. All these diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms and were considered incurable, but, finally, medical scientists realized that other bacteria, or extracts from their enzymes, can overcome “evil” bacteria. Alexander Fleming was the first to notice this using the example of elementary mold.

It turned out that some types of bacteria get along well with mold, but streptococci and staphylococci did not develop in the presence of mold. Numerous previous experiments with the proliferation of harmful bacteria have shown that some of them are capable of destroying others and do not allow their development in the general environment. This phenomenon was called “antibiosis” from the Greek “anti” - against and “bios” - life. Working to find an effective antimicrobial agent, Fleming knew this very well. He had no doubt that he was on a cup with a mysterious mold encountered the phenomenon of antibiosis. He began to carefully study mold. After some time, he even managed to isolate an antimicrobial substance from mold. Since the mold with which he was dealing bore the Latin species name Penicilium notatum, he named the resulting substance penicillin. Thus, in 1929 , in the laboratory of St. Mary's Hospital in London, the well-known penicillin was born.

Preliminary tests of the substance on experimental animals showed that even when injected into the blood it does not cause harm, and at the same time in weak solutions it perfectly suppresses streptococci and staphylococci. Fleming's assistant, Dr. Stuart Graddock, who fell ill with purulent inflammation of the so-called maxillary cavity, was the first person who decided to take an extract of penicillin. A small amount of mold extract was injected into his cavity, and within three hours it was clear that his health had improved significantly.

Thus, the era of antibiotics began, which saved millions of lives, both in peacetime and in times of war, when the wounded died not from the severity of their wounds, but from infections associated with them. Subsequently, new antibiotics based on penicillin and methods for their production for widespread use were developed.

BIOTECHNOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE

The consequence of the breakthrough in medicine was a rapid demographic rise. The population increased sharply, which means more food was required, and due to the deterioration of the environment due to nuclear tests, industrial development, and depletion of the humus of the cultivated land, many diseases of plants and livestock appeared.

At first, people treated animals and plants with antibiotics and this brought results. Let's consider these results. Yes, if you treat vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc. during the growing season with strong fungicides, this will help suppress the development of some pathogens (not all and not completely), but, firstly, this leads to the accumulation of poisons and toxins in the fruits, which means that the beneficial qualities of the fetus are reduced, and secondly, harmful microbes quickly develop immunity to substances that poison them and subsequent treatments must be carried out with increasingly stronger antibiotics.

The same phenomenon is observed in the animal world and, unfortunately, in humans. In addition, in the body of warm-blooded animals, antibiotics cause a number of negative consequences, such as dysbiosis, fetal deformities in pregnant women, etc.

How to be? Nature itself provides the answer to this question! And that answer is PROBIOTICS!

Leading institutes of biotechnology and genetic engineering have long been engaged in the development of new and selection of known microorganisms that have amazing resilience and the ability to “win” in the fight against other microbes. These elite strains such as “bacillus subtilis” and “Licheniformis” are widely used to treat people, animals, and plants incredibly effectively and completely safely. How is this possible? Here's how: the body of people and animals necessarily contains many essential bacteria. They are involved in the processes of digestion, the formation of enzymes and make up almost 70% of the human immune system. If for any reason (taking antibiotics, poor nutrition) a person’s bacterial balance is disturbed, then he is unprotected from new harmful microbes and in 95% of cases he will get sick again. The same applies to animals. And elite strains, when they enter the body, begin to actively multiply and destroy pathogenic flora, because already mentioned above, they have greater vitality. Thus, with the help of strains of elite microorganisms, it is possible to maintain the macro organism in health without antibiotics and in harmony with nature, since by themselves, being in the body, these strains bring only benefit and no harm.

They are better than antibiotics also because:

The response of the microcosm to the introduction of superantibiotics into business practice is obvious and follows from the experimental material already at the disposal of scientists - the birth of a supermicrobe.

Microbes are amazingly perfect self-developing and self-learning biological machines, capable of remembering in their genetic memory the mechanisms they have created to protect them from the harmful effects of antibiotics and transmitting information to their descendants.

Bacteria are a kind of “bioreactor” in which enzymes, amino acids, vitamins and bacteriocins are produced, which, like antibiotics, neutralize pathogens. However, there is no addiction to them or side effects typical when using chemical antibiotics. On the contrary, they are able to cleanse the intestinal walls, increase their permeability to essential nutrients, restore the biological balance of intestinal microflora and stimulate the entire immune system

Scientists took advantage of nature’s natural way of maintaining the health of the macro organism, namely, from the natural environment they isolated bacteria - saprophytes, which have the property of suppressing the growth and development of pathogenic microflora, including in the gastrointestinal tract of warm-blooded animals.

Millions of years of evolution of life on the planet have created such wonderful and perfect mechanisms for suppressing pathogenic microflora by non-pathogenic ones that there is no doubt about the success of this approach. Non-pathogenic microflora wins the competition in the undisputed majority of cases, and if this were not so, you and I would not be on our planet today.

Based on the above, scientists producing fertilizers and fungicides for agricultural use have also tried to move from a chemical to a biological view. And the results were not slow to show themselves! It turned out that the same bacillus subtilis successfully fights as many as seventy varieties of pathogenic representatives that cause such diseases of garden crops as bacterial canker, fusarium wilt, root and basal rot, etc., previously considered incurable plant diseases that could not be treated NO FUNGICIDE can handle it! In addition, these bacteria have a clearly positive effect on the growing season of the plant: the period of fruit filling and ripening is reduced, the beneficial qualities of the fruit are increased, the content of nitrates and other toxic substances in them is reduced, and most importantly, the need for mineral fertilizers is significantly reduced!

Preparations containing strains of elite bacteria are already taking first place at Russian and international exhibitions; they are winning medals for their effectiveness and environmental friendliness. Small and large agricultural producers have already begun to actively use them, and fungicides and antibiotics are gradually becoming a thing of the past.

The products of the Bio-Ban company are the preparations "Flora-S" and "Fitop-Flora-S" offering dry peat-humic fertilizers containing concentrated humic acids (and saturated humus is the key to an excellent harvest) and a strain of bacteria "bacillus subtilis" for fight against diseases. Thanks to these drugs, you can quickly restore depleted land, increase the productivity of the land, protect your crops from diseases, and most importantly, it is possible to get excellent harvests in risky farming areas!

I believe that the above arguments are enough to evaluate the benefits of probiotics and understand why scientists claim that the twentieth century is the century of antibiotics, and the twenty-first century is the century of probiotics!

Bacteria in nature

These living organisms were among the first to appear on our planet. They are distributed everywhere. Bacteria live at the bottom of reservoirs, in the soil, and can withstand both low and high temperatures.

The importance of these organisms in nature is undeniable. It is bacteria that ensure the circulation of substances in nature, which is fundamental to life on Earth. Under their influence, organic compounds change and disintegrate into inorganic substances.

Soil formation processes are provided by soil microorganisms. The remains of plants and animals disintegrate and are converted into humus and humus only thanks to bacteria.

In the aquatic environment, representatives of this kingdom are used to purify reservoirs and wastewater. Thanks to their vital activity, bacteria transform dangerous organic substances into safe inorganic ones.

Rice. 1. The role of bacteria in nature.

Pathogenic microorganisms

However, there are bacteria that cause harm to other living organisms. Pathogenic microorganisms can cause disease in plants, animals and humans. For example:

Salmonella causes typhoid fever;
Shigella - dysentery;
Clostridium - tetanus and gangrene;
Tuberculosis bacillus - tuberculosis
Staphylococci and streptococci - suppuration, etc.

The routes of transmission can be varied:

when sneezing, talking, coughing from a sick person;
with physical contact;
with the help of carriers (insects, rodents);
through penetration into wounds.

Many diseases are fatal; due to their ability to adapt to drugs, bacteria are not so easy to destroy. Modern science is actively fighting pathogens by releasing new drugs.

Rice. 2. Pathogenic microorganisms.

The study of bacterial physiology was founded by Louis Pasteur back in the 1850s. His research was continued by M.V. Beyerinck and S.N. Winogradsky, who investigated the importance of microorganisms in nature.

Use of bacteria

Humanity has learned to use bacteria for its own benefit, for example:

in the production of medicines;

There are special types of bacteria that are capable of producing powerful antibiotics, such as tetracycline and streptomycin. Their effect kills many pathogenic microorganisms.

preparing new food products;
release of organic matter;
production of fermented milk products (yogurt, starter cultures, kefirs, fermented baked milk);
production of various types of cheeses;
winemaking;
pickling and fermenting vegetables.

Rice. 3. Human use of bacteria.

What bacteria are used? The importance of bacteria in nature and human life

Practical use of bacteria in food production

1. Bifidobacterium longum

3. Lactobacillus Johnsonii

4. Escherichia coli

5. Viridans Streptococci

How to protect beneficial bacteria from death

Industry

Leaching

Medicines

The importance of enzymes

Enzymatic spectrum

Agriculture

Livestock

Treatment plants

Bioprocess Tools

Genetic engineering methods in biotechnology

Genetically modified bacteria and energy

Pros and cons of GMO (genetically modified organism)

Harmful and beneficial bacteria

Beneficial bacteria

Some types of beneficial bacteria:

Escherichia coli (lat. Escherichia coli)

Lactic acid bacteria (Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, etc.)

Bifidobacteria

Harmful (pathogenic) bacteria

Some types of pathogenic bacteria:

Salmonella typhi

Tetanus bacillus (Clostridium tetani)

Mycobacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae, etc.)

Lactobacilli (Lactobacillus plantarum)

Bifidobacteria (lat. Bifidobacterium)

Unfavorable microbe Corynebacterium minutissimum

Belly protector Helicobacter pylori

The good bad bacterium Escherichia coli

Harmful bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus (Staphylococcus aureus)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pseudomonas aeruginosa)

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