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Bacteria are amongst the smallest living things in the world, containing just one cell. Bacteria are single-celled, or unicellular organisms. Bacteria are so small that we need a microscope in order to see them. Bacteria can be found everywhere, including in the air, on our skin, on the ground, in our bodies, and in nature.
Bacteria are microorganisms which need nutrition from their environment. There are many different types that come in various shapes and sizes, including spheres, spirals, and rods. Some can swim, some can glide, and others stay still for a lot of the time.
Most bacteria are not dangerous, though there are some kinds of bacteria that can make us sick. Bacteria that make us sick are called pathogens. Pathogens can cause diseases in many living things, including animals and plants. Our bodies can fight off pathogens with our immune system, but in the process, we can get sick. We can prevent pathogens from entering our bodies by washing our hands.
Although bacteria are just a single cell, they can carry out all 6 life processes:
Keep reading to learn some fun bacteria facts!
Although there are many different types of bacteria living around the world, there are 5 most common types of bacteria that are distinguished by their shape and the structure of their wall, which include:
Bacteria come in a range of different shapes and sizes. Certain types of bacteria are rounder in shape, whilst others are shaped like rods, and some have a really unusual shape. Generally speaking, there are three main shapes of bacteria:
In addition to the different shapes of bacteria, there is a range of different types of bacteria cell arrangements. The common types of bacterial cell arrangements are as follows:
These are all the standard arrangements and shapes of bacteria, but there are a number of exceptions. The more unusually shaped bacteria are known as pleomorphic and will experience different forms at different stages in their life cycles.
One of the three main shapes of bacteria is coccus bacteria. Coccus bacteria, the plural for which is cocci, have a round, oval, or spherical shape. There are a few different arrangements that these bacteria can take on:
Types of cocci
There are a few different types of coccus bacteria, all of which are named based on their bacterial cell arrangement. The types of coccus bacteria include Diplococcus bacteria, Streptococcus bacteria, Staphylococcus bacteria, and Enterococcus bacteria.
The next of the three main shapes of bacteria is bacillus. Bacillus bacteria, the plural of which is bacilli, are rod-shaped bacteria cells. There are a number of different arrangements that bacillus cells can take on:
Types of bacilli
There are several types of bacillus bacteria, all of which have slightly different functions. Bacillus bacteria can be found in various environments, including the soil, and the ocean. This type of bacteria is also found within the human body, wherein they help the process of digestion and boost immune health. Bacillus bacteria are also used to make different types of food and drink, including wine, cheese, yoghurt, and beer.
The last of the three main shapes of bacteria is spirilla bacteria. Spirilla bacteria have a spiralled, twisted shape, and typically occur in three main forms: spirillum, which is the plural of spirilla, spirochaetes, and vibrio. Let’s have a look at each of these forms of bacteria:
Spirilla bacteria have a long spiral shape and are rigid cells. It is also likely that these cells have flagella, which are lengthy projections at each end of the cell that are used for movement.
Spirochaetes bacteria are long, tightly-coiled cells that are spiral in shape. One difference between spirochaetes and spirilla bacteria is that, whilst spirilla are super rigid, spirochaetes are much more flexible.
Whilst vibrio bacteria are fairly similar to spiral bacteria in terms of shape, there are a few key differences. Vibrio bacteria have a slight curve to them, similar to the shape of a comma. Like some spirilla cells, this type of bacteria also has flagella, which are projections used for movements. Many types of vibrio bacteria are what are known as ‘pathogens’, which are organisms that cause disease. They are heavily associated with food poisoning and can also infect open wounds to cause blood poisoning.
This type of bacterium are known as ‘facultative anaerobes’, meaning they can survive without any oxygen at all.
Although not all bacteria are bad, the easiest way to clean away bacteria is by washing your hands! Handwashing is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself and others from illnesses, such as flu and food poisoning, and is easy to promote and teach in schools to develop effective and safe hygiene standards. There are many resources available on the Twinkl site that can teach pupils how and why they should be washing their hands in different scenarios, such as:
Learn all about bacteria with this list of fun bacteria facts!
Did you know that bacteria is the oldest known life form on Earth? Yep, scientific studies have found that bacteria have been around for more than 3.5 billion years, which is longer than any other life form on the planet.
Something that people never really consider when talking about bacteria is their speed. On average, a single bacterium can move around 100 times its body length in just one second, making them super speedy life forms.
All you yoghurt lovers out there are actually eating bacteria with your favourite snack. Lots of common foods, such as yoghurt, cheese, and kimchi are all made using bacteria. Don’t worry, it’s completely safe! In fact, the bacteria used to make these kinds of foods are actually really beneficial for your gut health.
Leading on from that last bacteria fact, there is a common misconception that bacteria is bad for you, when, in actual fact, most bacteria is good. The human body has way more bacterial cells than human cells. In fact, the human body is around 90% bacteria. Bacteria are really useful for processes like digestion and help the body fight off bad bacteria. Shockingly, only 1% of all the bacteria in the world will make us sick.
Bacteria have existed for billions of years, but they were only discovered in 1674. A Dutch scientist named Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was responsible for their discovery. Van Leeuwenhoek was looking at scrapings from the human mouth under a microscope, a device that had only just been invented, when he spotted bacteria for the first time.
Bacteria are extremely adaptable, which actually works against us when we are trying to cure bacterial illnesses. Antibiotics are used to fight off bacteria within the body but, because bacteria can adapt so quickly, it is hard to find an antibiotic that will be consistently effective. For instance, if you take an antibiotic too often, the bacteria within your body develop a resistance to it, and the drug becomes completely ineffective.
Bacteria are single-celled organisms. This means they are made up of just one cell.
Despite being teeny tiny organisms, bacteria are incredibly durable. Bacteria can survive lots of intense conditions, including extreme heat, extreme cold, and even radioactive waste. Not only can bacteria survive in these crazy conditions, but they thrive in them!
Last up on this list of bacteria facts is that the majority of bacteria haven’t been identified yet. For instance, when a geneticist named J. Craig Venter analysed the water of the high seas in 2003, he found over a million bacterial genes that had never been seen before.
Bacteria can be beneficial for us in many ways, notably through its work in the soil. A specific type of bacteria called decomposers can be found in soil, breaking down material from dead animal and plant matter. This fairly gruesome process is crucial for creating soil and getting rid of dead tissue. Another handy type of bacteria found in soil is called Rhizobium. Rhizobium bacteria help fertilise the soil using nitrogen, which plants then use for growing.
No, you didn’t read that wrong, there is actually bacteria in our food. Bacteria are used to make lots of different types of food, with yoghurt being the prime example. Other foods created using bacteria include pickles, cheese, vinegar, soy sauce, and fermented fish, meat, and vegetables.
There are tons of bacteria within the human body, all of which have various different uses. One of the main uses of bacteria within the body involves the digestive system, as they help break down our food. There are also some bacteria in the body that are beneficial for fighting off illnesses and keeping us healthy. These bacteria work with our immune system to help fight off different organisms that could potentially make us sick.
The structure of every cell type is unique. What sets bacteria cells apart from plant and animal cells is that they are prokaryotes, which means that they do not contain a nucleus.
Some of the elements that can be found in the majority of bacteria cells are;
Biology is a well-established part of the National Curriculum and can often include introducing complex topics. This is why we have provided lots of resources for all ages and school levels. They have all been written by our dedicated teachers across the country to take the stress and confusion out of your lesson planning. If you and your pupils have enjoyed these, you may also be interested in expanding your classroom learning into the home with our home learning packs that bring fun and learning together with our wide range of home learning, experiments and lesson packs that are available to introduce children of all ages to biology and bacteria.
Some of our favourite bacteria resources are:
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