In our world there is a huge number of bacteria. Some of them are good and some are bad. Some we know better, others worse. In our article, we have compiled a list of the most famous bacteria living among us and in our body. The article is written with a share of humor, so do not judge strictly.

Provides "face - control" in your insides

Lactobacilli (Lactobacillus plantarum) living in the human digestive tract since prehistoric times, do a great and important job. Like vampire garlic, they scare away pathogenic bacteria, preventing them from settling in your stomach and upsetting your intestines. welcome! Pickles and tomatoes and sauerkraut will bolster the bouncer's strength, but be aware that hard training and stress from exercise will shorten their ranks. Add some blackcurrant to your protein shake. These berries reduce fitness stress due to their antioxidant content.

2. PROTECTOR OF THE BELLY Helicobacter pylori

Stop hunger pangs at 3 p.m.

Another bacteria living in the digestive tract, Helicobacter pylori, develops from your childhood and helps you maintain a healthy weight throughout your life by controlling the hormones responsible for feeling hungry! Eat 1 apple every day.

These fruits produce lactic acid in the stomach, in which most harmful bacteria do not survive, but which Helicobacter pylori adores. However, keep H. pylori in check, they can work against you and cause stomach ulcers. Make scrambled eggs with spinach for breakfast: the nitrates from these green leaves thicken the walls of the stomach, protecting it from excess lactic acid.

3. Pseudomonas aeruginosa head

Likes showers, hot tubs and pools

The warm-water bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa crawls under the scalp through the pores of the hair follicles, causing an infection accompanied by itching and pain in the affected areas.

Don't want to put on a bathing cap every time you take a bath? Fend off a comber intrusion with a chicken or salmon and egg sandwich. A large amount of protein is necessary for the follicles to be healthy and effectively fight foreign bodies. Don't forget about fatty acids, which are absolutely essential for a healthy scalp. This will help you 4 cans of canned tuna or 4 medium avocados per week. No more.

4. Harmful bacteria Corynebacterium minutissimum

High tech protozoan

Harmful bacteria can lurk in the most unexpected places. For example, Corynebacterium minutissimum, which causes a rash, loves to live on the touchscreens of phones and tablet computers. Destroy them!

Strangely, no one has yet developed a free application that fights these germs. But many companies produce cases for phones and tablets with an antibacterial coating, which is guaranteed to stop the growth of bacteria. And try not to rub your hands together when you dry them after washing - it can reduce the bacteria population by 37%.

5. NOBLE CRAUNT Escherichia coli

Good bad bacteria

The bacterium Escherichia coli is believed to cause tens of thousands of infectious diseases every year. But it only gives us problems when it finds a way to leave the colon and mutate into a disease-causing strain. Normally, it is quite useful for life and provides the body with vitamin K, which maintains the health of the arteries, preventing heart attacks.

To keep this headline bacterium in check, include legumes in your diet five times a week. The fiber in the beans is not broken down, but moves to the large intestine, where E. coli can feast on it and continue their normal reproductive cycle. Black beans are the richest in fiber, then Ithlim, or moon-shaped, and only then is the usual red bean that we are used to. Legumes not only keep bacteria in check, but also limit your afternoon appetite with their fiber, and increase the efficiency of nutrient absorption by the body.

6. BURNING Staphylococcusaureus

Eats the youth of your skin

Most often, boils and pimples are caused by the bacterium Staphylococcusaureus, which lives on the skin of most people. Acne is, of course, unpleasant, but, having penetrated through damaged skin into the body, this bacterium can cause more serious diseases: pneumonia and meningitis.

The natural antibiotic dermicidin, which is toxic to these bacteria, is found in human sweat. At least once a week, include high-intensity exercises in your workout, trying to work at 85% of your maximum capacity. And always use a clean towel.

7. MICROBE - BURNER Bifidobacterium animalis

® Lives in fermented milk products

Bifidobacterium animalis bacteria inhabit the contents of cans of yogurt, bottles of kefir, curdled milk, fermented baked milk and other similar products. They reduce the time of passage of food through the colon by 21%. Food does not stagnate, there is no formation of excess gases - you are less likely to experience the problem code-named "Feast of the Spirit."

Feed the bacteria, for example, with a banana - eat it after dinner. And for lunch itself, pasta with artichokes and garlic will go well. All these products are rich in fructooligos - saccharides - Bifidobacterium animalis loves this type of carbohydrate and eats them with pleasure, after which it multiplies with no less pleasure. And as the population grows, your chances of normal digestion increase.

Bacteria are dangerous and useful, their role in human life

Bacterial infections are considered one of the most dangerous - humanity has been fighting pathogenic microorganisms for more than one century. However, not all bacteria are unambiguous enemies for humans. Many species are vital - they ensure proper digestion and even help the immune system defend itself against other microorganisms. MedAboutMe will tell you how to distinguish between bad and good bacteria, what to do if they are found in the analysis, and how to properly treat the diseases they cause.

Bacteria and man

It is believed that bacteria appeared on Earth more than 3.5 billion years ago. It was they who became active participants in creating suitable conditions for life on the planet, and throughout their existence they have been actively involved in important processes. For example, it is thanks to bacteria that the decay of the organic remains of animals and plants occurs. They also created fertile soil on Earth.

And since bacteria live literally everywhere, the human body is no exception. On the skin, mucous membranes, in the gastrointestinal tract, nasopharynx, urogenital tract, there are many microorganisms that interact with humans in different ways.

In the womb, the placenta protects the fetus from the penetration of bacteria, the population of the body occurs in the first days of life:

• The first bacteria the child receives, passing through the birth canal of the mother.
• Microorganisms enter the gastrointestinal tract through breastfeeding. Here, among more than 700 species, lactobacilli and bifidobacteria predominate (the benefits are described in the table of bacteria at the end of the article).
• The oral cavity is inhabited by staphylococci, streptococci and other microbes, which the child also receives with food and in contact with objects.
• On the skin, the microflora is formed from bacteria that predominate in the people around the child.

The role of bacteria for a person is invaluable, if already in the first months the microflora does not form normally, the child will lag behind in development and often get sick. After all, without symbiosis with bacteria, the body cannot function.

Beneficial and harmful bacteria

Everyone is well aware of the concept of dysbacteriosis - a condition in which the natural microflora in the human body is disturbed. Dysbacteriosis is a serious factor in lowering the immune defense, the development of various inflammations, disruption of the digestive tract and other things. The absence of beneficial bacteria contributes to the reproduction of pathogenic organisms, and fungal infections often develop against the background of dysbacteriosis.

At the same time, many pathogenic microbes live in the environment, which can cause serious illness. The most dangerous are those types of bacteria that in the process of life are capable of producing toxins (exotoxins). It is these substances that are today considered one of the most powerful poisons. Such microorganisms cause dangerous infections:

• Botulism.
• Gas gangrene.
• diphtheria.
• Tetanus.

In addition, the disease can also be provoked by bacteria that live in the human body under normal conditions, and when the immune system is weakened, they begin to become more active. The most popular pathogens of this kind are staphylococci and streptococci.

Bacteria life

Bacteria are full-fledged living organisms with a size of 0.5-5 microns, which are able to actively multiply in a suitable environment. Some of them need oxygen, others do not. There are motile and non-motile types of bacteria.

Bacteria cell

Most bacteria living on Earth are single-celled organisms. Mandatory components of any microbe:

• Nucleoid (nucleus-like region containing DNA).
• Ribosomes (carry out the synthesis of proteins).
• Cytoplasmic membrane (separates the cell from the external environment, maintains homeostasis).

Also, some bacterial cells have a thick cell wall, which additionally protects them from damage. Such organisms are more resistant to drugs and antigens that the human immune system produces.

There are bacteria with flagella (mototrichia, lophotrichia, peritrichia), due to which microorganisms are able to move. However, scientists have also recorded another type of movement characteristic of microbes - the sliding of bacteria. Moreover, recent studies show that it is inherent in those species that were previously considered immobile. For example, scientists from the University of Nottingham and Sheffield have shown that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (one of the main representatives of the class of superbugs) is able to move without the help of flagella and villi. And this, in turn, significantly affects the understanding of the mechanisms of the spread of a dangerous infection.

Bacterial cells can be of the following forms:

• Round (cocci, from other Greek κόκκος - "grain").
• Rod-shaped (bacilli, clostridia).
• Sinuous (spirochetes, spirilla, vibrios).

Many microorganisms are able to stick together in colonies, so more often scientists and doctors isolate bacteria not by the structure of the element, but by the type of compounds:

• Diplococci are cocci connected in pairs.
• Streptococci are cocci that form chains.
• Staphylococci are cocci that form clusters.
• Streptobacteria are rod-shaped microorganisms connected in a chain.

Reproduction of bacteria

The vast majority of bacteria reproduce by division. The rate of spread of the colony depends on the external conditions and the type of microorganism itself. So, on average, one bacterium is able to divide every 20 minutes - it forms 72 generations of offspring per day. For 1-3 days, the number of descendants of one microorganism can reach several million. In this case, the reproduction of bacteria may not be so fast. For example, the process of division of Mycobacterium tuberculosis takes 14 hours.

If the bacteria enter a favorable environment and have no competitors, the population grows very quickly. Otherwise, its number is regulated by other microorganisms. That is why the human microflora is an essential factor in its protection against various infections.

bacterial spores

One of the features of rod-shaped bacteria is their ability to sporulate. These microorganisms are called bacilli, and they include such pathogenic bacteria:

• The genus Clostridium (cause gas gangrene, botulism, often cause complications during childbirth and after abortion).
• The genus Bacillus (cause anthrax, a number of food poisonings).

Bacterial spores are, in fact, a conserved cell of a microorganism that can survive for a long time without damage, and is practically not subject to various influences. In particular, spores are heat-resistant, not damaged by chemicals. Often the only possible effect is ultraviolet rays, under which the dried bacteria can die.

Bacterial spores form when the microorganism is exposed to unfavorable conditions. It takes approximately 18-20 hours to form inside the cell. At this time, the bacterium loses water, decreases in size, becomes lighter, and a dense shell forms under the outer membrane. In this form, the microorganism can freeze for hundreds of years.

When the spore of a bacterium is exposed to suitable conditions, it begins to germinate into a viable bacterium. The process takes about 4-6 hours.

Types of bacteria

According to the influence of bacteria on humans, they can be divided into three types:

• Pathogenic.
• Conditionally pathogenic.
• Non-pathogenic.

Beneficial bacteria

Non-pathogenic bacteria - those that never lead to disease, even if their numbers are large enough. Among the most famous species, lactic acid bacteria can be distinguished, which are actively used by humans in the food industry - for making cheeses, sour-milk products, dough and much more.

Another important species is bifidobacteria, which are the basis of the intestinal flora. In breastfed infants, they make up to 90% of all species living in the gastrointestinal tract. These bacteria for humans perform the following functions:

• Provide physiological protection of the intestine from the penetration of pathogenic organisms.
• They produce organic acids that prevent the reproduction of pathogenic microbes.
• They help to synthesize vitamins (K, group B), as well as proteins.
• Enhance the absorption of vitamin D.

The role of bacteria of this species is difficult to overestimate, because without them normal digestion is impossible, and hence the absorption of nutrients.

Opportunistic bacteria

As part of a healthy microflora, there are bacteria that are classified as opportunistic pathogens. These microorganisms can exist for years on the skin, in the nasopharynx or intestines of a person and not cause infections. However, under any favorable conditions (weakened immunity, microflora disturbances), their colony grows and becomes a real threat.

A classic example of an opportunistic bacterium is Staphylococcus aureus, a microbe that can cause over 100 different diseases, from boils on the skin to deadly blood poisoning (sepsis). At the same time, this bacterium is found in most people in various analyzes, but it still does not cause illness.

Among other representatives of the species of opportunistic microbes:

• Streptococci.
• Escherichia coli.
• Helicobacter pylori (capable of causing ulcers and gastritis, but lives in 90% of people as part of a healthy microflora).

Getting rid of these types of bacteria does not make sense, since they are widespread in the environment. The only adequate way to prevent infections is to strengthen the immune system and protect the body from dysbacteriosis.

Pathogenic bacteria behave differently - their presence in the body always means the development of an infection. Even a small colony can cause harm. Most of these microorganisms secrete two types of toxins:

• Endotoxins are poisons that are formed when cells are destroyed.
• Exotoxins are poisons that bacteria produce during their life. The most dangerous substances for humans that can lead to fatal intoxication.

The treatment of such infections is aimed not only at the destruction of pathogenic bacteria, but also at the removal of the poisoning caused by them. Moreover, in the case of infection with microbes such as tetanus bacillus, it is the introduction of toxoid that is the basis of therapy.

Other known pathogenic bacteria include:

• Salmonella.
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• Gonococcus.
• Pale treponema.
• Shigella.
• Tuberculosis bacillus (Koch's stick).

Classes of bacteria

Today there are many classifications of bacteria. Scientists divide them according to the type of structure, ability to move and other features. However, the Gram classification and the type of breathing remain the most important.

Anaerobic and aerobic bacteria

Among the diversity of bacteria, two large classes are distinguished:

• Anaerobic - those that can do without oxygen.
• Aerobic - those that need oxygen to live.

A feature of anaerobic bacteria is their ability to live in environments where other microorganisms do not survive. The most dangerous in this regard are deep contaminated wounds, in which microbes develop rapidly. The characteristic signs of the growth of the population and life of bacteria in the human body are as follows:

• Progressive tissue necrosis.
• Subcutaneous suppurations.
• Abscesses.
• Internal lesions.

Anaerobes include pathogenic bacteria that cause tetanus, gas gangrene, and toxic lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. Also, the anaerobic class of bacteria includes many opportunistic microbes that live on the skin and in the intestinal tract. They become dangerous if they get into an open wound.

Disease-causing aerobic bacteria include:

• Tuberculosis bacillus.
• Vibrio cholerae.
• Tularemia stick.

The life of bacteria can proceed even with a small amount of oxygen. Such microbes are called facultative aerobic, salmonella and cocci (streptococcus, staphylococcus) are a striking example of the group.

In 1884, Danish physician Hans Gram discovered that different bacteria stained differently when exposed to methylene violet. Some retain color after washing, others lose it. Based on this, the following classes of bacteria were isolated:

• Gram-negative (Gram-) - discoloring.
• Gram-positive (Gram +) - staining.

Staining with aniline dyes is a simple technique that makes it possible to quickly reveal the characteristics of the bacterial membrane wall. For those microbes that do not stain by Gram, it is more powerful and durable, which means that it is more difficult to deal with them. Gram-negative bacteria are primarily more resistant to antibodies produced by the human immune system. This class includes microbes that cause such diseases:

• Syphilis.
• Leptospirosis.
• Chlamydia.
• meningococcal infection.
• Hemophilus infection
• Brucellosis.
• Legionellosis.

The Gram+ class of bacteria includes the following microorganisms:

• Staphylococcus.
• Streptococcus.
• Clostridia (causative agents of botulism and tetanus).
• Listeria.
• Diphtheria stick.

Diagnosis of bacterial infections

Correct and timely diagnosis plays an important role in the treatment of bacterial infections. It is possible to accurately determine the disease only after the analysis, but it can already be suspected by the characteristic symptoms.

Bacteria and viruses: features of bacteria and differences in infections

Most often, a person is faced with acute respiratory diseases. As a rule, cough, rhinitis, fever and sore throat are caused by bacteria and viruses. And although at certain stages of the disease they can manifest themselves in the same way, their therapy will still be radically different.

Bacteria and viruses behave differently in the human body:

• Bacteria are full-fledged living organisms, large enough (up to 5 microns), capable of reproduction in a suitable environment (on mucous membranes, skin, in wounds). Pathogenic microbes secrete poisons that lead to intoxication. The same bacteria can cause infections of different localization. For example, Staphylococcus aureus affects the skin, mucous membranes, and can lead to blood poisoning.
• Viruses are non-cellular infectious agents that can reproduce only inside a living cell, and in the external environment do not manifest themselves as living organisms. At the same time, viruses are always highly specialized and can only infect a specific type of cell. For example, hepatitis viruses can only infect the liver. Viruses are much smaller than bacteria, their size does not exceed 300 nm.

Today, effective drugs have been developed against bacteria -. But these drugs do not act on viruses, moreover, according to the World Health Organization, antibacterial therapy for ARVI worsens the patient's condition.

Symptoms of bacterial infections

Most often, seasonal respiratory infections develop under the influence of bacteria and viruses according to the following scheme:

• The first 4-5 days manifest a viral infection.
• On the 4-5th day, if the rules for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections were not followed, a bacterial lesion joins.

Symptoms of a bacterial infection in this case will be:

• Deterioration of the patient's condition after improvement.
• High temperature (38°C and above).
• Severe pain in the chest (a sign of the development of pneumonia).
• Discoloration of mucus - greenish, white or yellowish discharge from the nose and in expectorated sputum.
• Rash on the skin.

If it is possible to treat without the involvement of a doctor, since a viral infection resolves itself without complications in 4-7 days, then diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria must be consulted by a therapist or pediatrician.

Other bacterial infections are characterized by the following symptoms:

• General deterioration.
• A pronounced inflammatory process - pain in the affected area, hyperemia, fever.
• Suppuration.

Methods of transmission of bacterial infections

Harmful bacteria enter the human body in many ways. The most common ways of infection:

• Airborne.

Bacteria are found in the exhaled air, sputum of the patient, spread by coughing, sneezing and even talking. This route of transmission is typical for respiratory infections, in particular, whooping cough, diphtheria, scarlet fever.

• Contact household.

Microbes get to a person through dishes, door handles, furniture surfaces, towels, phones, toys and more. Also, live bacteria and bacterial spores can stay in the dust for a long time. This is how tuberculosis, diphtheria, dysentery, diseases caused by aureus and other types of staphylococcus aureus are transmitted.

• Alimentary (fecal-oral).

Bacteria enter the body through contaminated food or water. The transmission route is characteristic of gastrointestinal infections, in particular, typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery.

• Sexual.

Infection occurs during sexual intercourse, this is how STIs are transmitted, including syphilis and gonorrhea.

• Vertical.

The bacterium enters the fetus during pregnancy or childbirth. So the child can become infected with tuberculosis, syphilis, leptospirosis.

Deep wounds are dangerous for the development of infections - it is here that anaerobic bacteria, including tetanus bacillus, actively multiply. People with weakened immune systems are also more likely to contract a bacterial infection.

If you suspect the presence of pathogenic bacteria, the doctor may offer the following diagnostic options:

• Smear on flora.

If a respiratory infection is suspected, it is taken from the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. The analysis is also popular for detecting sexually transmitted infections. In this case, the material is taken from the vagina, visceral canal, urethra.

• Bacteriological culture.

It differs from a smear in that the taken biomaterial is not examined immediately, but is placed in an environment favorable for the reproduction of bacteria. After a few days or weeks, depending on the alleged pathogen, the result is evaluated - if there were harmful bacteria in the biomaterial, they grow into a colony. Bakposev is also good because during the analysis, not only the pathogen is determined, but also its quantity, as well as the sensitivity of the microbe to antibiotics.

• Blood test.

A bacterial infection can be detected by the presence of antibodies, antigens in the blood and by the leukocyte formula.

Today, biomaterial is often examined by PCR (polymerase chain reaction), in which infection can be detected even with a small number of microbes.

Positive test and bacterial infections

Since many bacteria are opportunistic and at the same time live in the body, on the mucous membranes and skin of the majority of the population, the results of the analysis must be able to correctly interpret. It must be remembered that the mere presence of bacteria in a person is not a sign of a bacterial infection and is not a reason to start treatment. For example, the norm for Staphylococcus aureus is 103–104. With these indicators, no therapy is required. Moreover, since the microflora of each person is individual, even if the values ​​\u200b\u200bare higher, but there will be no symptoms of the disease, the indicators can also be considered normal.

An analysis for different types of bacteria is prescribed if there are signs of infection:

• Feeling unwell.
• Purulent discharge.
• Inflammatory process.
• Greenish, white or yellow mucus from the nose and in the expectorated sputum.

A positive analysis for bacteria in the absence of symptoms is taken for control if microbes are detected in people from risk groups: pregnant women, children, people in the postoperative period, patients with reduced immunity and concomitant diseases. In this case, it is recommended to take several tests to see the growth dynamics of the colony. If the values ​​do not change, then the immune system is able to control the reproduction of bacteria.

Bacteria in the nasopharynx

Bacteria in the nasopharynx can cause respiratory tract infections. In particular, they are the cause of tonsillitis, bacterial tonsillitis and pharyngitis, as well as sinusitis. Running infections can cause a lot of inconvenience, chronic inflammation, persistent rhinitis, headaches and more. Such diseases are especially dangerous because harmful bacteria can descend through the respiratory tract and affect the lungs - causing pneumonia.

bacteria in urine

Ideally, it is urine that should be free from various microorganisms. The presence of bacteria in the urine may indicate an incorrectly passed analysis (in which microbes got into the material from the surface of the skin and mucous membranes), in which case the doctor asks to be examined again. If the result is confirmed, and the indicator exceeds 104 CFU / ml, bacteriuria (bacteria in the urine) indicates such diseases:

• Kidney damage, in particular, pyelonephritis.
• Cystitis.
• Urethritis.
• Inflammatory process in the urinary canal, for example, as a result of blocking it with a calculus. Observed in urolithiasis.
• Prostatitis or prostate adenoma.

In some cases, bacteria in the urine are found in diseases that are not associated with a local infection. A positive analysis can be with diabetes mellitus, as well as a generalized lesion - sepsis.

Normally, the gastrointestinal tract is inhabited by colonies of various bacteria. In particular, there are:

• Bifidobacteria.
• Lactic acid bacteria (lactobacilli).
• Enterococci.
• Clostridia.
• Streptococci.
• Staphylococci.
• Escherichia coli.

The role of the bacteria that make up the normal microflora is to protect the intestines from infections and ensure normal digestion. Therefore, often the biomaterial from the intestine is examined precisely because of the suspicion of dysbacteriosis, and not for the presence of pathogenic microorganisms.

However, some pathogenic bacteria can cause severe diseases, namely when they enter the gastrointestinal tract. Among these diseases:

• Salmonellosis.
• Cholera.
• Botulism.
• Dysentery.

bacteria on the skin

On the skin, as well as on the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, in the intestines and genital organs, the balance of microflora is normally established. Bacteria live here - more than 100 species, among which epidermal and Staphylococcus aureus, streptococci are often found. With reduced immunity, and especially in children, they can provoke skin lesions, cause suppuration, boils and carbuncles, streptoderma, panaritium and other diseases.

In adolescence, the active reproduction of bacteria leads to acne and acne.

The main danger of microbes on the skin is the possibility of their entry into the bloodstream, wounds and other damage to the epidermis. In this case, harmless microorganisms on the skin can cause serious illness, even cause sepsis.

Diseases caused by bacteria

Bacteria are the cause of infections throughout the body. They affect the respiratory tract, cause inflammatory processes on the skin, cause diseases of the intestines and the genitourinary system.

Diseases of the respiratory tract and lungs

Angina

Angina is an acute lesion of the tonsils. The disease is typical for childhood.

Pathogen:

• Streptococci, rarely staphylococci and other forms of bacteria.

Typical symptoms:

• inflammation of the tonsils with a whitish coating on them, pain when swallowing, hoarseness, high fever, no rhinitis.

Disease risk:

• if a sore throat is not treated well enough, rheumatoid heart disease can become a complication - harmful bacteria spread through the blood and lead to heart valve defects. As a result, heart failure may develop.

Whooping cough is a dangerous infectious disease that mainly affects children. Highly contagious, the bacterium is transmitted by airborne droplets, therefore, without a sufficient level of immunization of the population, epidemics are easily caused.

Pathogen:

• Bordetella pertussis.

Typical symptoms:

• the disease at first proceeds like a common cold, later a characteristic paroxysmal barking cough appears, which may not go away for 2 months, after an attack the child may vomit.

Disease risk:

• Whooping cough is most dangerous for children of the first year of life, as it can cause respiratory arrest and death. Typical complications are pneumonia, bronchitis, false croup. From severe coughing attacks, it is extremely rare for a cerebral hemorrhage or pneumothorax to occur.

Pneumonia

Inflammation of the lungs can be caused by bacteria and viruses, as well as some fungi. Bacterial pneumonia, the most common complication of viral respiratory infections, can develop after the flu. Also, the multiplication of bacteria in the lungs is typical for bedridden patients, the elderly, patients with chronic lung diseases and respiratory disorders, with dehydration.

Pathogen:

• Staphylococci, pneumococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and others.

Typical symptoms:

• severe fever (up to 39 ° C and above), cough with copious moist greenish or yellowish sputum, chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling short of breath.

Disease risk:

• depends on the pathogen. With insufficient treatment, respiratory arrest and death are possible.

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is one of the most dangerous lung diseases that is difficult to treat. In Russia, tuberculosis has been a socially significant disease since 2004, since the number of infected people is much higher than in developed countries. Back in 2013, up to 54 cases of infection per 100,000 people were recorded.

Pathogen:

• mycobacterium, Koch's bacillus.

Typical symptoms:

• the disease may not manifest itself for a long time, then a cough occurs, a general malaise, a person loses weight, a subfebrile temperature (37-38 ° C) is observed for a month or more, a painful blush. Later, hemoptysis and severe pain appear.

Disease risk:

• features of the bacteria that cause tuberculosis is the development of resistance to antibiotics. Therefore, the infection is difficult to treat and can lead to death or disability. Common complications are heart disease.

Diphtheria is an infectious disease that in 90% of cases affects the upper respiratory tract. Diphtheria is especially dangerous for young children.

Pathogen:

• Corynebacterium diphtheriae (Leffler's bacillus).

Typical symptoms:

• pain when swallowing, hyperemia of the tonsils and specific white films on them, swollen lymph nodes, shortness of breath, high fever, general intoxication of the body.

Disease risk:

• Without timely treatment, diphtheria is fatal. The bacterial cell is capable of producing exotoxin, so the sick person can die from poisoning, in which the heart and nervous system are affected.

Intestinal infections

salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is one of the most common intestinal infections that can occur in different forms. Sometimes bacteria cause severe lesions, but there are times when the disease is mild or no symptoms at all.

Pathogen:

• Salmonella.

Typical symptoms:

• high temperature (up to 38-39 ° C), chills, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, severe intoxication of the body, in which a person sharply weakens.

Disease risk:

• Depending on the form of the course, in severe infections, bacterial toxins can lead to kidney failure or peritonitis. Children are at risk of dehydration.

Dysentery

Dysentery is an intestinal infection that affects people of all ages. Most often recorded in the summer hot period.

Pathogen:

• 4 types of Shigella bacteria.

Typical symptoms:

• Loose stools of dark green color with impurities of blood and pus, nausea, headaches, loss of appetite.

Disease risk:

• dehydration, which leads to the attachment of various inflammations, as well as intoxication of the body. With proper treatment, good immunity and sufficient fluid intake, the life of Shigella bacteria stops in 7-10 days. Otherwise, a serious complication is possible - intestinal perforation.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is transmitted exclusively through sexual contact, but in rare cases, the infection can be passed from mother to child during childbirth (the baby develops conjunctivitis). The bacteria that causes gonorrhea can grow in the anus or throat, but it most often affects the genitals.

Pathogen:

• Gonococcus.

Typical symptoms:

• possible asymptomatic course of the disease: in men in 20%, in women - more than 50%. In the acute form, there are pains during urination, white-yellow discharge from the penis and vagina, burning and itching.

Disease risk:

• If left untreated, the infection can cause infertility and can also damage the skin, joints, cardiovascular system, liver, and brain.

Syphilis

Syphilis is characterized by slow progression, symptoms appear gradually and do not develop quickly. The characteristic course of the disease is an alternation of exacerbations and remissions. Household infection, many doctors question, in the vast majority of cases, bacteria are transmitted to humans sexually.

Pathogen:

• Pale treponema.

Typical symptoms:

• at the first stage, an ulcer appears on the genitals, which heals on its own in 1-1.5 months, an increase in lymph nodes is observed. After, after 1-3 months, a pale rash appears all over the body, the patient feels weak, the temperature may rise, the symptoms resemble the flu.

Disease risk:

• pathogenic bacteria eventually lead to the development of tertiary syphilis (30% of all infected), which affects the aorta, brain and back, brain, bones and muscles. Perhaps the development of damage to the nervous system - neurosyphilis.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection that is often asymptomatic. In addition, pathogenic bacteria are difficult to detect; PCR analysis is prescribed for diagnosis.

Pathogen:

• Chlamydia.

Typical symptoms:

• in the acute form, discharge from the genital organs (usually transparent), pain during urination, blood discharge are observed.

Disease risk:

• in men - inflammation of the epididymis, in women - inflammation of the uterus and appendages, infertility, Reiter's syndrome (inflammation of the urethra).

Meningococcal infection

Meningococcal infection is a group of diseases caused by one pathogen, but occurring in different forms. A person may be an asymptomatic carrier of the bacterium, and in other cases, the microbe causes a generalized infection leading to death.

Pathogen:

• Meningococcus.

Typical symptoms:

• vary with the severity of the disease. The infection can manifest itself as a mild cold, in severe cases, meningococcemia develops, characterized by an acute onset of the disease, the appearance of a red rash (does not disappear with pressure), the temperature rises, confusion is observed.

Disease risk:

• in severe form, tissue necrosis develops, gangrene of the fingers and extremities, and brain damage are possible. With the development of infectious-toxic shock, death quickly occurs.

Tetanus

Tetanus is a dangerous infection that develops in wounds on the skin. The causative agent forms spores of bacteria, in the form of which it is found in the external environment. When it enters the wound, it quickly germinates. Therefore, any serious injury requires the prevention of infection - the introduction of tetanus toxoid.

Pathogen:

• Tetanus stick.

Typical symptoms:

• tetanus affects the central nervous system, at first it is manifested by tonic tension of the jaw muscles (it is difficult for a person to speak, open his mouth), later it spreads to the whole body, the patient arches due to muscle hypertonicity, and at the end respiratory failure develops.

Disease risk:

• the main danger is the toxin that the bacterium secretes, it is he who leads to severe symptoms. As a result of poisoning, tonic tension of all muscles occurs, including the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, as a result of which a person cannot breathe and dies from hypoxia.

Treatment of bacterial diseases

Any bacterial infection needs planned treatment, because bacteria can cause serious damage to the body. Only the doctor chooses the appropriate treatment regimen, which depends not only on the type of disease, but also on the severity of the course.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are considered the mainstay of treatment for all infections caused by harmful bacteria. Since the discovery of penicillin in the 1920s, many diseases have been moved from fatal to curable. The number of complications after operations has decreased, and, from which every fourth person died, remained a dangerous disease only for people from risk groups.

Modern antibiotics can be divided into two groups:

• Bactericidal - kill pathogenic bacteria.
• Bacteriostatic - slow down the growth, stop the reproduction of bacteria.

The former have a more pronounced effect, however, it is the drugs from the second group that are prescribed more often, since, as a rule, they cause fewer complications.

It is also customary to divide drugs according to the spectrum of action:

• Broad-spectrum antibiotics (penicillins, tetracyclines, macrolides) are used to kill different types of bacteria. They are effective in the case when treatment needs to be started urgently, even before the tests. Penicillins are most commonly prescribed for respiratory bacterial infections.
• Antibiotics that are active against a limited number of bacterial species (often prescribed for tuberculosis and other specific infections).

Any antibiotics must be taken in a course, because if treatment is interrupted, the remaining living bacteria quickly restore the colony.

Problems in the use of antibiotics

Despite the widespread use of antibiotics, doctors today are looking for alternative drugs to treat bacterial infections. This is due to several significant disadvantages of these drugs:

• Development of resistance in bacteria.

Many microorganisms have developed defense mechanisms against drugs, and the use of classical antibiotics is no longer effective. For example, first-generation penicillins, which actively fought against staphylococci and streptococci, are not used today. Staphylococcus aureus has learned to synthesize the enzyme penicillinase, which destroys the antibiotic. Of particular danger are new strains of bacteria that have developed resistance to the latest generation of drugs - the so-called superbugs. The most famous of these is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Also, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and enterococci quickly develop resistance.

• The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics leads to dysbacteriosis.

After such treatment, the balance of microflora is significantly disturbed, complications often develop, the body is weakened not only by the disease, but also by the action of drugs. The use of medicines is limited among certain population groups: pregnant women, children, patients with liver and kidney damage, and other categories.

bacteriophages

An alternative to antibiotics could be bacteriophages, viruses that kill a specific class of bacteria. Among the advantages of such drugs:

• Low likelihood of developing resistance, since bacteriophages are organisms that have lived on Earth for several billion years and continue to infect bacterial cells.
• They do not violate the microflora, since they are specialized medicines - effective only in relation to a specific type of microorganisms.
• Can be used by people at risk.

Preparations containing bacteriophages are already available in pharmacies today. But still, such therapy is losing to antibiotics. Many diseases require immediate treatment, which means that broad-spectrum drugs are needed, while bacteriophages are highly specialized - they can be prescribed only after the pathogen has been identified. In addition, currently known viruses are not able to destroy such a large list of pathogenic bacteria as antibiotics.

Other treatments

WHO does not recommend the use of antibiotics for all types of bacterial infections. In the event that the microbe does not have a high pathogenicity, and the disease proceeds without complications, symptomatic treatment is sufficient - the use of antipyretics, painkillers, vitamin complexes, heavy drinking and other things. Often the immune system itself can suppress the reproduction of a colony of pathogenic microorganisms. However, in this case, the patient must be under the supervision of a doctor who will decide on the appropriateness of a particular method of therapy.

Effective vaccines have been developed for many deadly bacterial infections. Vaccinations are recommended for the following diseases:

• Tuberculosis.
• Haemophilus infection.
• Pneumococcal infection.
• Diphtheria (toxoid is used - a vaccine that helps produce antibodies to the toxin of the bacterium).
• Tetanus (toxoid is used).

Bacteria, nutrition and digestion

The live bacteria in foods alone can restore the gut microflora, help the digestive tract, and get rid of toxins. Others, on the contrary, getting into the digestive tract with food, cause dangerous infections and serious poisoning.

• Pathogenic bacteria often multiply in products with violations of storage rules. And breeding anaerobic bacteria are especially dangerous here, which easily increase their numbers even in goods in sealed packaging and canned food.
• Another way of food contamination is through unwashed hands or equipment (knives, cutting boards, etc.). Therefore, food poisoning is easy to get after street food, which was prepared without observing sanitary standards.
• Insufficient heat treatment or its absence also increases the likelihood of the reproduction of various pathogenic forms of bacteria.

Medicines with live bacteria

Preparations with beneficial live bacteria are often recommended by nutritionists for various disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. They help with bloating, flatulence, heaviness, poor digestion of food, frequent poisoning.

In the event that dysbacteriosis is severe, the doctor may recommend a course of drugs to restore microflora.

• Probiotics are products that contain live beneficial bacteria.

The drug is available in capsules with a shell that protects the colonies of microorganisms and helps to deliver them to the intestines in a living form.

• Prebiotics are carbohydrate preparations that contain nutrients for beneficial bacteria.

Such drugs are prescribed if the intestines are inhabited by bifidus and lactobacilli, but their colonies are not large enough.

Lactic acid bacteria are an extensive group of microorganisms that are able to process glucose with the release of lactic acid. In fact, this means that it is precisely these microbes that are involved in the process of fermenting milk - with their help, all fermented milk products are created. Food does not spoil longer precisely thanks to lactic acid bacteria - the acidic environment that they create prevents the growth of pathogens. They exhibit the same protective functions in the human intestine.

The main products in which lactic acid bacteria are present:

• Yogurt without additives.
• Starter cultures, kefir and other fermented milk drinks.
• acidophilus milk.
• Hard cheeses.
• Sauerkraut.

Tables of the main bacteria

Pathogenic bacteria

Bacteria in the table are presented by the main types of microbes that can cause disease. However, many of them also include non-pathogenic or opportunistic bacteria.

Name	bacteria	Type of breath		Diseases caused by bacteria
Staphylococci		Facultative anaerobes		Staphylococcus aureus provokes most purulent diseases. Including: skin lesions, pneumonia, sepsis. Staphylococcus epidermidis causes purulent complications in the postoperative period, and saprophytic - cystitis and urethritis (bacteria are found in the urine).
streptococci		Facultative anaerobes		Scarlet fever, rheumatism (acute rheumatic fever), tonsillitis, pharyngitis, pneumonia, endocarditis, meningitis, abscess.
Clostridia		anaerobic bacteria		Bacteria can be part of a healthy microflora. At the same time, some species are able to secrete the strongest known poison - exotoxin botulinum toxin. Clostridia are the causative agents of tetanus, gas gangrene, and botulism.
		Aerobes, facultative anaerobes		Certain types of bacteria cause anthrax and intestinal infections. The genus also includes Escherichia coli - a representative of healthy microflora.
Enterococci		Facultative anaerobes		Urinary tract infections, endocarditis, meningitis, sepsis.

Beneficial bacteria

The table of bacteria represents the types of microbes that are vital to humans.

Name	bacteria shape	Type of breath	Benefits for the body
bifidobacteria		Anaerobes	Human bacteria, which are part of the intestinal and vaginal microflora, help normalize digestion (drugs with bifidobacteria are prescribed for diarrhea), assimilate vitamins. The peculiarity of bacteria is that they prevent the reproduction of staphylococci, shigella, candida fungus.
	Cocci, sticks	Aerobes requiring reduced oxygen concentration (microaerophilic bacteria)	A group of bacteria that is united by one characteristic - the ability to cause lactic acid fermentation. Used in the food industry, are part of probiotics.

The word "bacteria" in most people is associated with something unpleasant and a threat to health. At best, sour-milk products are remembered. At worst - dysbacteriosis, plague, dysentery and other troubles. Bacteria are everywhere, good and bad. What can microorganisms hide?

What is bacteria

Man and bacteria

In our body, there is a constant struggle between harmful and beneficial bacteria. Through this process, a person receives protection from various infections. Various microorganisms surround us at every step. They live on clothes, they fly in the air, they are omnipresent.

The presence of bacteria in the mouth, and this is about forty thousand microorganisms, protects the gums from bleeding, from periodontal disease and even from tonsillitis. If a woman's microflora is disturbed, she may develop gynecological diseases. Compliance with the basic rules of personal hygiene will help to avoid such failures.

Human immunity depends entirely on the state of the microflora. Almost 60% of all bacteria are found in the gastrointestinal tract alone. The rest are located in the respiratory system and in the genital. About two kilograms of bacteria live in a person.

The appearance of bacteria in the body

Beneficial bacteria

Useful bacteria are: lactic acid, bifidobacteria, E. coli, streptomycents, mycorrhiza, cyanobacteria.

All of them play an important role in human life. Some of them prevent the occurrence of infections, others are used in the production of medicines, and others maintain a balance in the ecosystem of our planet.

Types of harmful bacteria

Harmful bacteria can cause a number of serious diseases in humans. For example, diphtheria, anthrax, tonsillitis, plague and many others. They are easily transmitted from an infected person through air, food, touch. It is the harmful bacteria, whose names will be given below, that spoil food. They give off an unpleasant odor, rot and decompose, and cause disease.

Bacteria can be gram-positive, gram-negative, rod-shaped.

Names of harmful bacteria

Table. Harmful bacteria for humans. Titles

Titles	Habitat	Harm
Mycobacteria	food, water	tuberculosis, leprosy, ulcer
tetanus bacillus	soil, skin, digestive tract	tetanus, muscle spasms, respiratory failure
Plague wand (considered by experts as a biological weapon)	only in humans, rodents and mammals	bubonic plague, pneumonia, skin infections
Helicobacter pylori	human stomach lining	gastritis, peptic ulcer, produces cytotoxins, ammonia
anthrax bacillus	the soil	anthrax
botulism stick	food, contaminated dishes	poisoning

Harmful bacteria are able to stay in the body for a long time and absorb useful substances from it. However, they can cause an infectious disease.

The most dangerous bacteria

One of the most resistant bacteria is methicillin. It is better known under the name "Staphylococcus aureus" (Staphylococcus aureus). This microorganism is capable of causing not one, but several infectious diseases. Some types of these bacteria are resistant to powerful antibiotics and antiseptics. Strains of this bacterium can live in the upper respiratory tract, open wounds and urinary tracts of every third inhabitant of the Earth. For a person with a strong immune system, this is not dangerous.

Harmful bacteria to humans are also pathogens called Salmonella typhi. They are the causative agents of acute intestinal infections and typhoid fever. These types of bacteria that are harmful to humans are dangerous because they produce toxic substances that are extremely life-threatening. During the course of the disease, intoxication of the body occurs, a very strong fever, rashes on the body, the liver and spleen increase. The bacterium is very resistant to various external influences. It lives well in water, on vegetables, fruits and reproduces well in milk products.

Clostridium tetan is also one of the most dangerous bacteria. It produces a poison called tetanus exotoxin. People who become infected with this pathogen experience terrible pain, convulsions and die very hard. The disease is called tetanus. Despite the fact that the vaccine was created back in 1890, every year on Earth 60 thousand people die from it.

And another bacterium that can lead to human death is Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It causes tuberculosis, which is resistant to drugs. If you do not seek help in a timely manner, a person may die.

Measures to prevent the spread of infections

Harmful bacteria, the names of microorganisms are studied from the student bench by physicians of all directions. Every year, healthcare is looking for new methods to prevent the spread of infections that are dangerous to human life. With the observance of preventive measures, you will not have to waste your energy on finding new ways to deal with such diseases.

To do this, it is necessary to identify the source of the infection in time, determine the circle of the sick and possible victims. It is imperative to isolate those who are infected and disinfect the source of infection.

The second stage is the destruction of the ways through which harmful bacteria can be transmitted. To do this, carry out appropriate propaganda among the population.

Food facilities, reservoirs, warehouses with food storage are taken under control.

Each person can resist harmful bacteria in every possible way strengthening their immunity. Healthy lifestyle, observance of elementary hygiene rules, self-protection during sexual contact, use of sterile disposable medical instruments and equipment, complete restriction from communication with quarantined people. When entering the epidemiological region or the focus of infection, it is necessary to strictly comply with all the requirements of the sanitary and epidemiological services. A number of infections are equated in their impact to bacteriological weapons.

Bacteria are beneficial and harmful. Bacteria in human life

Bacteria are the most numerous inhabitants of the planet Earth. They inhabited it in ancient times and continue to exist to this day. Some species have even changed little since then. Good and bad bacteria literally surround us everywhere (and even penetrate into other organisms). With a rather primitive unicellular structure, they are probably one of the most effective forms of wildlife and stand out in a special kingdom.

Margin of safety

Participation in food chains

Bacteria beneficial and harmful to the human body

As a rule, the bacteria that inhabit our bodies in abundance are not given due attention. After all, they are so small that they seem to have no significant significance. Those who think so are largely mistaken. Bacteria useful and harmful have long and reliably “colonized” other organisms and successfully coexist with them. Yes, they cannot be seen without the help of optics, but they can benefit or harm our body.

Who lives in the gut?

"Wise" Neighbors

Permanent microflora

99% of the population lives permanently in the intestines. They are ardent supporters and helpers of man.

• Essential beneficial bacteria. Names: bifidobacteria and bacteroids. They are the vast majority.
• Associated beneficial bacteria. Names: Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus. Their number should be 1-9% of the total.

It is also necessary to know that under appropriate negative conditions, all these representatives of the intestinal flora (with the exception of bifidobacteria) can cause diseases.

What are they doing?

Fickle microflora

Approximately 1% in the body of a healthy individual are the so-called opportunistic microbes. They belong to the unstable microflora. Under normal conditions, they perform certain functions that do not harm a person, work for the good. But in a certain situation, they can manifest themselves as pests. These are mainly staphylococci and various kinds of fungi.

Location in the gastrointestinal tract

The role of bacteria in nature

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 that pose a danger to our body, but there are also useful ones - those that ensure the normal functioning of our organs and systems. Let's try to understand a little about these concepts and consider certain types of such 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 large 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 adapted 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 a small person 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 body is saturated with various bacteria.

Their number cannot be accurately calculated, but some scientists boldly say that the number of such organisms is comparable to the number of all cells. The digestive tract alone 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 optimal in the oral cavity, and 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 number of beneficial bacteria, special preparations - probiotics can be consumed.

The human body is a complex biological system. We are accustomed to consider our body, the whole organism as our inviolable property. But it also counts a myriad of various microorganisms in the same way. They populate every corner, every organ of the human body. But the vast majority of them are in the large intestine.

Scientists microbiologists have long established that microorganisms are useful, as they support the vital functions of the body, have a positive effect on health. But others can make a person sick very quickly.

All these microscopic creatures, harmful and beneficial microbes and fungi, the simplest unicellular organisms and viruses inhabit our body, multiply or “doze” for the time being, or fight with each other. And all of them together make up a single microflora of our body. As a person grows, develops, these microorganisms develop with him.

Harmful and beneficial microbes

So, the body is inhabited by numerous colonies of microbes. Of these, the vast majority (99%) are useful, voluntary helpers of a person. These beneficial microbes inhabit the intestines constantly, therefore they are called permanent microflora. Among them, bifidobacteria and bacteroids should be distinguished. These are the most important beneficial microbes. In a healthy person, their content should be at least 90-98%.

However, in the same place, in the intestines, there are other bacteria that do not belong to the permanent microflora and are temporarily in the body. Therefore, they are called companions. These include E. coli, lactobacilli, and enterococci. Such concomitant bacteria from 1 to 9%.

Under certain conditions, these microbes, with the exception of bifidobacteria, can cause disease.

But the intestines are also inhabited by harmful microbes and fungi, in particular, staphylococci. Harmful bacteria can be much more dangerous than the accompanying microflora. Their composition, as well as the amount, changes regularly, but should not go beyond 1%. In this case, the person is healthy, since they do not affect his health. They are called conditionally pathogenic and belong to the so-called unstable microflora.

When the human immune system is strong, it works properly, the entire microflora “lives in peace and harmony”, does not harm health, but only strengthens it. But as soon as, for some reason, a person weakens, his immunity sharply decreases, some representatives of the microflora begin to have a detrimental, and sometimes simply destructive effect.

During this period, harmful microbes and fungi are activated, and even representatives of normal microflora can provoke the development of very dangerous diseases that sometimes require urgent medical intervention. An example is the occurrence of generalized candidiasis in a person with end-stage AIDS. Or the development of Endotoxinemia, which is directly related to the human body's own microflora, as well as numerous other diseases.

Antibiotics

When a disease occurs associated with the harmful action of bacteria, the doctor diagnoses, identifies the pathogen, and then prescribes the appropriate antibacterial drug - an antibiotic. So far, medicine has not come up with a more effective means to fight bacteria. However, the antibiotic does not care which bacteria to fight.

It kills them all, disrupting the balance of microflora, since beneficial microbes die along with harmful ones. Bifido- and lactobacilli are the first to die. The remaining beneficial microbes can no longer cope with the neutralization, processing of toxins secreted by the remaining harmful bacteria. Dysbacteriosis develops.

Therefore, it becomes necessary to replenish the number of beneficial bacteria to strengthen the immune system, so that the body begins to function normally, better cope with the disease. To combat dysbacteriosis, probiotics are prescribed. They help restore the necessary amount of beneficial bacteria.

Probiotics

Speaking about harmful and beneficial microbes and fungi, one cannot ignore probiotics. These are useful living microorganisms, when taken, the beneficial intestinal microflora is restored, from which the whole organism is healed. Probiotics have the most positive effect on the immune system. To restore beneficial bacteria, special lactic acid products (bifidok, bifilak, etc.) are recommended.

If, with prolonged use of antibiotics, the beneficial microflora is very seriously affected, the doctor will prescribe special preparations containing beneficial microorganisms. Once in the intestines, they can repopulate the intestines.

Bacteria have been living on planet Earth for more than 3.5 billion years. During this time they have learned a lot and adapted to a lot. Now they are helping people. Bacteria and man became inseparable. The total mass of bacteria is enormous. It is about 500 billion tons.

Beneficial bacteria perform two of the most important ecological functions - they fix nitrogen and participate in the mineralization of organic residues. The role of bacteria in nature is global. They are involved in the movement, concentration and dispersion of chemical elements in the earth's biosphere.

The importance of bacteria beneficial to humans is great. They make up 99% of the entire population that inhabit his body. Thanks to them, a person lives, breathes and eats.

Important. They provide complete life support.

Bacteria are pretty simple. Scientists suggest that they first appeared on planet Earth.

Beneficial bacteria in the human body

The human body is inhabited by both useful and. The existing balance between the human body and bacteria has been polished for centuries.

As scientists have calculated, the human body contains from 500 to 1000 different types of bacteria, or trillions of these amazing tenants, which is up to 4 kg of total weight. Up to 3 kilograms of microbial bodies is found only in the intestines. The rest of them are in the urogenital tract, on the skin and other cavities of the human body. Microbes fill the body of a newborn from the first minutes of his life and finally form the composition of the intestinal microflora by 10-13 years.

Streptococci, lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, enterobacteria, fungi, intestinal viruses, non-pathogenic protozoa live in the intestine. Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria make up 60% of the intestinal flora. The composition of this group is always constant, they are the most numerous and perform the main functions.

bifidobacteria

The importance of this type of bacteria is enormous.

• Thanks to them, acetate and lactic acid are produced. By acidifying their habitat, they inhibit the growth that causes decay and fermentation.
• Thanks to bifidobacteria, the risk of developing food allergies in babies is reduced.
• They provide antioxidant and antitumor effects.
• Bifidobacteria are involved in the synthesis of vitamin C.
• Bifido- and lactobacilli are involved in the absorption of vitamin D, calcium and iron.

Rice. 1. The photo shows bifidobacteria. Computer visualization.

coli

The importance of this type of bacteria for humans is great.

• Special attention is paid to the representative of this genus Escherichia coli M17. It is able to produce the substance cocilin, which inhibits the growth of a number of pathogenic microbes.
• With the participation, vitamins K, group B (B1, B2, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12), folic and nicotinic acids are synthesized.

Rice. 2. The photo shows E. coli (3D computer image).

The positive role of bacteria in human life

• With the participation of bifido-, lacto-, and enterobacteria, vitamins K, C, group B (B1, B2, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12), folic and nicotinic acids are synthesized.
• Due to the breakdown of undigested food components from the upper intestines - starch, cellulose, protein and fat fractions.
• The intestinal microflora maintains water-salt metabolism and ionic homeostasis.
• Due to the secretion of special substances, the intestinal microflora inhibits the growth of pathogenic bacteria that cause putrefaction and fermentation.
• Bifido-, lacto-, and enterobacteria take part in the detoxification of substances that enter from the outside and are formed inside the body itself.
• The intestinal microflora plays an important role in restoring local immunity. Thanks to it, the number of lymphocytes, the activity of phagocytes and the production of immunoglobulin A increase.
• Thanks to the intestinal microflora, the development of the lymphoid apparatus is stimulated.
• The resistance of the intestinal epithelium to carcinogens increases.
• Microflora protect the intestinal mucosa and provide energy to the intestinal epithelium.
• They regulate intestinal motility.
• The intestinal flora acquires the skills to capture and remove viruses from the host organism, with which it has been in symbiosis for many years.
• The importance of bacteria in maintaining the body's thermal balance is great. The intestinal microflora feeds on substances that are not digested by the enzymatic system, which come from the upper gastrointestinal tract. As a result of complex biochemical reactions, a huge amount of thermal energy is produced. Heat is carried throughout the body with blood flow and enters all internal organs. That is why a person always freezes when starving.
• The intestinal microflora regulates the reabsorption of bile acid components (cholesterol), hormones, etc.

Rice. 3. In the photo, beneficial bacteria are lactobacilli (3D computer image).

The role of bacteria in nitrogen production

ammonifying microbes(causing decay), with the help of a number of enzymes they have, they are able to decompose the remains of dead animals and plants. When proteins decompose, nitrogen and ammonia are released.

Urobacteria decompose urea, which man and all animals of the planet secrete daily. Its quantity is huge and reaches 50 million tons per year.

A certain type of bacteria is involved in the oxidation of ammonia. This process is called nitrofication.

Denitrifying microbes return molecular oxygen from the soil to the atmosphere.

Rice. 4. In the photo, beneficial bacteria are ammonifying microbes. They expose the remains of dead animals and plants to decomposition.

The role of bacteria in nature: nitrogen fixation

The importance of bacteria in the life of humans, animals, plants, fungi and bacteria is enormous. As you know, nitrogen is necessary for their normal existence. But bacteria cannot absorb nitrogen in the gaseous state. It turns out that blue-green algae can bind nitrogen and form ammonia ( cyanobacteria), free-living nitrogen fixers and special . All these useful bacteria produce up to 90% of the bound nitrogen and involve up to 180 million tons of nitrogen in the nitrogen fund of the soil.

Nodule bacteria coexist well with leguminous plants and sea buckthorn.

Plants such as alfalfa, peas, lupins and other legumes have so-called "apartments" for nodule bacteria on their roots. These plants are planted on depleted soils to enrich them with nitrogen.

Rice. 5. The photo shows nodule bacteria on the surface of the root hair of a legume plant.

Rice. 6. Photo of the root of a leguminous plant.

Rice. 7. In the photo, beneficial bacteria are cyanobacteria.

The role of bacteria in nature: the carbon cycle

Carbon is the most important cellular substance of the animal and plant world, as well as the plant world. It makes up 50% of the dry matter of the cell.

A lot of carbon is found in the fiber that animals eat. In their stomach, fiber decomposes under the action of microbes and then, in the form of manure, gets outside.

Decompose fiber cellulose bacteria. As a result of their work, the soil is enriched with humus, which significantly increases its fertility, and carbon dioxide is returned to the atmosphere.

Rice. 8. Intracellular symbionts are colored green, the mass of processed wood is colored yellow.

The role of bacteria in the conversion of phosphorus, iron and sulfur

Proteins and lipids contain a large amount of phosphorus, the mineralization of which is carried out You. megatherium(from the genus of putrefactive bacteria).

iron bacteria participate in the processes of mineralization of organic compounds containing iron. As a result of their activities, a large amount of iron ore and ferromanganese deposits are formed in swamps and lakes.

Sulfur bacteria live in water and soil. There are many of them in manure. They participate in the process of mineralization of sulfur-containing substances of organic origin. In the process of decomposition of organic sulfur-containing substances, hydrogen sulfide gas is released, which is extremely toxic to the environment, including to all living things. Sulfur bacteria, as a result of their vital activity, turn this gas into an inactive, harmless compound.

Rice. 9. Despite the apparent lifelessness, there is still life in the Rio Tinto River. These are various iron-oxidizing bacteria and many other species that can only be found in this place.

Rice. 10. Green sulfur bacteria in the Winogradsky column.

The role of bacteria in nature: mineralization of organic residues

Bacteria that take an active part in the mineralization of organic compounds are considered cleaners (orderlies) of the planet Earth. With their help, the organic matter of dead plants and animals turns into humus, which soil microorganisms turn into mineral salts, which are so necessary for building the root, stem and leaf systems of plants.

Rice. 11. Mineralization of organic substances entering the reservoir occurs as a result of biochemical oxidation.

The role of bacteria in nature: fermentation of pectins

The cells of plant organisms bind to each other (cement) with a special substance called pectin. Some types of butyric acid bacteria have the ability to ferment this substance, which, when heated, turns into a gelatinous mass (pectis). This feature is used when soaking plants containing a lot of fibers (flax, hemp).

Rice. 12. There are several ways to obtain trusts. The most common is the biological method, in which the connection of the fibrous part with the surrounding tissues is destroyed under the influence of microorganisms. The process of fermentation of pectin substances of bast plants is called lobe, and soaked straw is called trust.

The role of bacteria in water purification

water purifying bacteria, stabilize the level of its acidity. With their help, bottom sediments are reduced, the health of fish and plants living in the water improves.

Recently, a group of scientists from different countries have discovered bacteria that destroy detergents that are part of synthetic detergents and some drugs.

Rice. 13. The activity of xenobacteria is widely used to clean up soils and water bodies contaminated with oil products.

Rice. 14. Plastic domes that purify water. They contain heterotrophic bacteria that feed on carbon-containing materials, and autotrophic bacteria that feed on ammonia and nitrogen-containing materials. The tube system keeps them alive.

The use of bacteria in the enrichment of ores

Ability thionic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria used to enrich copper and uranium ores.

Rice. 15. In the photo, beneficial bacteria are Thiobacilli and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (electron micrograph). They are able to extract copper ions for leaching of wastes that are formed during the flotation enrichment of sulfide ores.

The role of bacteria in butyric fermentation

Butyric microbes are everywhere. There are more than 25 types of these microbes. They take part in the process of decomposition of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Butyric fermentation is caused by anaerobic spore-forming bacteria belonging to the genus Clostridium. They are able to ferment various sugars, alcohols, organic acids, starch, fiber.

Rice. 16. In the photo, butyric microorganisms (computer visualization).

The role of bacteria in animal life

Many species of the animal world feed on plants, which are based on fiber. To digest fiber (cellulose) animals are helped by special microbes, the residence of which is certain sections of the gastrointestinal tract.

Importance of bacteria in animal husbandry

The vital activity of animals is accompanied by the release of a huge amount of manure. From it, some microorganisms can produce methane ("marsh gas"), which is used as a fuel and raw material in organic synthesis.

Rice. 17. Methane gas as a fuel for cars.

The use of bacteria in the food industry

The role of bacteria in human life is enormous. Lactic acid bacteria are widely used in the food industry:

• in the production of curdled milk, cheeses, sour cream and kefir;
• when fermenting cabbage and pickling cucumbers, they take part in urinating apples and pickling vegetables;
• they give a special flavor to wines;
• produce lactic acid, which ferments milk. This property is used for the production of curdled milk and sour cream;
• in the preparation of cheeses and yogurts on an industrial scale;
• lactic acid serves as a preservative during the brining process.

Lactic acid bacteria are milk streptococci, creamy streptococci, bulgarian, acidophilic, grain thermophilic and cucumber sticks. Bacteria of the genus Streptococcus and Lactobacillus give the products a thicker texture. As a result of their vital activity, the quality of cheeses improves. They give the cheese a certain cheese flavor.

Rice. 18. In the photo, beneficial bacteria are lactobacilli (pink), Bulgarian stick and thermophilic streptococcus.

Rice. 19. In the photo, beneficial bacteria are kefir (Tibetan or milk) mushroom and lactic acid sticks before being directly introduced into milk.

Rice. 20. Dairy products.

Rice. 21. Thermophilic streptococci (Streptococcus thermophilus) are used in the preparation of mozzarella cheese.

Rice. 22. There are many options for mold penicillin. Velvety crust, greenish veins, unique taste and medicinal ammonia aroma of cheeses are unique. The mushroom taste of cheeses depends on the place and duration of ripening.

Rice. 23. Bifiliz - a biological preparation for oral administration, containing a mass of live bifidobacteria and lysozyme.

The use of yeast and fungi in the food industry

The food industry mainly uses the yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. They carry out alcoholic fermentation, which is why they are widely used in the baking business. The alcohol evaporates during baking, and carbon dioxide bubbles form the bread crumb.

Since 1910, yeast has been added to sausages. Yeast of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used for the production of wines, beer and kvass.

Rice. 24. Kombucha is a friendly symbiosis of vinegar sticks and yeast. It appeared in our area in the last century.

Rice. 25. Dry and wet yeast are widely used in the baking industry.

Rice. 26. Microscopic view of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells and Saccharomyces cerevisiae - "real" wine yeast.

The role of bacteria in human life: acetic acid oxidation

Pasteur also proved that special microorganisms take part in acetic acid oxidation - vinegar sticks which are widely found in nature. They settle on plants, penetrate into ripened vegetables and fruits. There are many of them in pickled vegetables and fruits, wine, beer and kvass.

The ability of vinegar sticks to oxidize ethyl alcohol to acetic acid is used today to produce vinegar used for food purposes and in the preparation of animal feed - ensiling (canning).

Rice. 27. The process of ensiling fodder. Silage is a succulent feed with a high nutritional value.

The role of bacteria in human life: the production of drugs

The study of the vital activity of microbes has allowed scientists to use some bacteria for the synthesis of antibacterial drugs, vitamins, hormones and enzymes.

They help fight many infectious and viral diseases. Most antibiotics are produced actinomycetes, less often non-micellar bacteria. Penicillin, derived from fungi, destroys the cell wall of bacteria. Streptomycetes produce streptomycin, which inactivates the ribosomes of microbial cells. hay sticks or Bacillus subtilis acidify the environment. They inhibit the growth of putrefactive and conditionally pathogenic microorganisms due to the formation of a number of antimicrobial substances. Hay stick produces enzymes that destroy substances that are formed as a result of the putrefactive decay of tissues. They are involved in the synthesis of amino acids, vitamins and immunoactive compounds.

Using the technology of genetic engineering, today scientists have learned to use for the production of insulin and interferon.

A number of bacteria are supposed to be used to produce a special protein that can be added to livestock feed and human food.

Rice. 28. In the photo, spores of hay bacillus or Bacillus subtilis (painted blue).

Rice. 29. Biosporin-Biopharma is a domestic drug containing apathogenic bacteria of the genus Bacillus.

Using bacteria to produce safe herbicides

Today, the technique is widely used phytobacteria for the production of safe herbicides. toxins Bacillus thuringiensis emit Cry-toxins dangerous for insects, which makes it possible to use this feature of microorganisms in the fight against plant pests.

The use of bacteria in the production of detergents

Proteases or cleave peptide bonds between the amino acids that make up proteins. Amylase breaks down starch. hay stick (B. subtilis) produces proteases and amylases. Bacterial amylases are used in the manufacture of laundry detergent.

Rice. 30. The study of the vital activity of microbes allows scientists to apply some of their properties for the benefit of man.

The importance of bacteria in human life is enormous. Beneficial bacteria have been constant companions of man for many millennia. The task of mankind is not to disturb this delicate balance that has developed between the microorganisms living inside us and in the environment. The role of bacteria in human life is enormous. Scientists are constantly discovering the beneficial properties of microorganisms, the use of which in everyday life and in production is limited only by their properties.

Articles in the section "What do we know about microbes"Most popular

For many years, we considered microbes to be dangerous enemies that need to be disposed of, but in fact, everything is not as simple and unambiguous as we used to think.

Microbiologist from Chicago Jack Gilbert I decided to find out if the microbes that inhabit our homes are so dangerous. To do this, he explored several houses, including his own.
The specialist came to the same conclusion as many modern scientists. No matter how strange and regrettable it may sound, the main source of bacteria in the house is the person himself. So the fight for the cleanliness of all items in the house is the same as fighting windmills.
Jack found that each person has their own unique set of microbes, and it is enough for them to stay indoors for several hours to leave an easily identifiable bacterial trail - like fingerprints. This discovery will undoubtedly help law enforcement agencies.
However, with regard to the domestic side of the issue, Gilbert did not find truly dangerous microorganisms in the dwellings of the twenty-first century.
According to the scientist, for so many centuries humanity has become accustomed to living in a dangerous world, when many people died from terrible diseases. When people learned about the nature of bacteria, they began to fight them. Of course, today we live in a much safer and healthier environment. But in their fight against microbes, people often go too far, forgetting that along with harmful ones, there are also useful ones.
“The causes of asthma, allergies, and many other diseases, as studies show, most likely lie in a violation of the microbial balance of the body. This imbalance has been found to be connected even with obesity, autism and schizophrenia!”, says the American scientist.
Another important point is that immediately after cleaning, the clean surface is the first to be inhabited by pathogenic microbes. That is, the more you clean and disinfect, the dirtier and more dangerous the room becomes. Of course, over time, the balance is established when good microbes take their place.
Gilbert is sure that one should not interfere so zealously in natural processes. After research, he himself got three dogs at home to help him and, most importantly, children maintain microbial diversity.

How will you react if you find out that in your body the total weight of bacteria is from 1 to 2.5 kilograms?
Most likely, this will cause surprise and shock. Most people believe that bacteria are dangerous and can cause serious harm to the life of the body. Yes, this is true, but there are, in addition to dangerous, also beneficial bacteria, moreover, vital for human health.

They exist within us, taking a huge part in various metabolic processes. Actively participate in the proper functioning of life processes, both in the internal and external environment of our body. These bacteria include bifidobacteria Rhizobium and E. coli, and many others.

Beneficial bacteria
We live in a world densely populated by bacteria. For example, in a soil layer 30 cm thick and 1 ha in area contains from 1.5 to 30 tons of bacteria. There are almost as many bacteria in each gram of fresh milk as there are people on Earth. They also live inside our body. There are hundreds of different types of bacteria in the human mouth. For every cell in the human body, there are about ten cells of bacteria living in the same body.

Of course, if all these bacteria were harmful to humans, it is unlikely that humans would be able to survive in such an environment. But it turns out that these bacteria are not only not harmful to humans, but, on the contrary, are very beneficial to them.

In a newborn child, the intestinal mucosa is sterile. With the first sip of milk, microscopic "residents" rush into the human digestive system, becoming his companions for life. They help a person digest food, produce some vitamins.

Many animals need bacteria to live. For example, plants are known to serve as food for ungulates and rodents. The bulk of any plant is fiber (cellulose). But it turns out that bacteria that live in special sections of the stomach and intestines help animals digest fiber.

We know putrefactive bacteria spoil food. But this harm that they bring to man is nothing compared to the benefits that they bring to nature as a whole. These bacteria can be called "natural orderlies". By decomposing proteins and amino acids, they support the cycle of substances in nature.

Bacteria help find uses for animal waste. From the millions of tons of liquid manure accumulated on farms, bacteria in special facilities can produce combustible "swamp gas" (methane). Toxic substances contained in the waste are neutralized, in addition, a considerable amount of fuel is produced. Similarly, bacteria purify wastewater.

All living organisms need nitrogen to make proteins. We are surrounded by real oceans of atmospheric nitrogen. But neither plants, nor animals, nor fungi can absorb nitrogen directly from the air. But this can be done by special (nitrogen-fixing) bacteria. Some plants (for example, legumes, sea buckthorn) form special “apartments” (nodules) on their roots for such bacteria. Therefore, alfalfa, peas, lupins and other legumes are often planted on poor or depleted soils so that their bacteria "feed" the soil with nitrogen.

Yogurt, cheese, sour cream, butter, kefir, sauerkraut, pickled vegetables - all these products would not exist if there were no lactic acid bacteria . Man has been using them since ancient times. By the way, curdled milk is digested three times faster than milk - in an hour the body completely digests 90% of this product. Without lactic acid bacteria, there would be no silage for livestock feed.

It is known that if you store wine for a long time, it gradually turns into vinegar. People have probably known about this since they learned how to make wine. But only in the XIX century. Louis Pasteur (see Art. " Louis Pasteur") found that this transformation is caused by acetic acid bacteria that got into the wine. They use them to make vinegar.

Various bacteria help a person to make silk, produce coffee, tobacco.
One of the most promising ways to use bacteria was discovered only towards the end of the 20th century. It turns out that it is possible to introduce into the body of a bacterium the gene of some protein that a person needs (although it is completely unnecessary for a bacterium) - for example, the gene for insulin. Then the bacterium will begin to produce it. The applied science that makes such operations possible is called genetic engineering. After a long and difficult search, scientists managed to establish a bacterial "production" of this substance (insulin), which is vital for diabetics. In the future, it will probably be possible to turn bacteria into microscopic "factories" for the production of certain proteins on demand.