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e. A microorganism, or microbe, [ a ] is an organism of microscopic size, which may exist in its single-celled form or as a colony of cells. The possible existence of unseen microbial life was suspected from ancient times, such as in Jain scriptures from sixth century BC India.
The germ theory of disease is the currently accepted scientific theory for many diseases. It states that microorganisms known as pathogens or "germs" can cause disease. These small organisms, which are too small to be seen without magnification, invade humans, other animals, and other living hosts. Their growth and reproduction within their ...
Nearly all animal life is dependent on bacteria for survival as only bacteria and some archaea possess the genes and enzymes necessary to synthesise vitamin B 12, also known as cobalamin, and provide it through the food chain. Vitamin B 12 is a water-soluble vitamin that is involved in the metabolism of every cell of the
The term pathogen came into use in the 1880s. [ 2 ][ 3 ] Typically, the term pathogen is used to describe an infectious microorganism or agent, such as a virus, bacterium, protozoan, prion, viroid, or fungus. [ 4 ][ 5 ][ 6 ] Small animals, such as helminths and insects, can also cause or transmit disease. However, these animals are usually ...
Bacterial secretion systems are protein complexes present on the cell membranes of bacteria for secretion of substances. Specifically, they are the cellular devices used by pathogenic bacteria to secrete their virulence factors (mainly of proteins) to invade the host cells. They can be classified into different types based on their specific ...
Pathogenic bacteria. Neisseria gonorrhoeae (small red dots) in pus from a man with a urethral discharge (Gram stain) Pathogenic bacteria are bacteria that can cause disease. [1] This article focuses on the bacteria that are pathogenic to humans. Most species of bacteria are harmless and are often beneficial but others can cause infectious diseases.
The evolution of bacteria has progressed over billions of years since the Precambrian time with their first major divergence from the archaeal / eukaryotic lineage roughly 3.2-3.5 billion years ago. [1][2] This was discovered through gene sequencing of bacterial nucleoids to reconstruct their phylogeny. Furthermore, evidence of permineralized ...
Bacterial taxonomy is the classification of strains within the domain Bacteria into hierarchies of similarity. This classification is similar to that of plants, mammals, and other taxonomies. However, biologists specializing in different areas have developed differing taxonomic conventions over time.