Introduction to the Bacteria - Research Paper Example

 Introduction to the Bacteria Introduction Bacteria refer to single-celled living organisms, which are smaller than the smallest animal and plant cells. A bacterium contains cytoplasm enclosed by a membrane and a cell wall. The bacterial cell contains some genetic material with the purpose of carrying the body’s instructions to the cell. Bacteria differ in their nature as some contains additional features such as flagella, which helps them in moving and protecting the slim capsules. They also exist in varying shapes and sizes because some are rod shaped, round, comma-shaped and spiral. Some bacteria cause diseases while many others are important to human beings as they support them in living healthily (Storey 339). The useful bacteria exist on the skin surface, genitals and in the intestines. The bacteria found on human skin are important because they clean the waste material on the skin surface hence preventing dissimilar skin infections. The bacteria in the intestine help in the breaking up of food molecules, thus allowing the body to absorb important nutrients (Storey 340). Cause of disease and the interaction Bacterial diseases occur in different forms, therefore, for a person to avoid it, it is vital to have the knowledge concerning the disease. The bacteria cause different types of diseases ranging from skin diseases to tuberculosis and bubonic plague. It is easy for an individual to get bacterial diseases because bacteria are single celled microscopic organisms, hence, seeing them with a naked eye is impossible. Bacterial diseases occur because of harmful bacteria, also called pathogenic bacteria, getting into the human body. These bacteria can get in the human body through contamination of bites, eating unhygienic food, sexual contacts with the infected person, sharing needles and touching dirty areas. When these bacteria get into the human body, they initially enter the blood system, where they find a good environment with optimal conditions for growth. Even though their growth rates are low when in blood, they reproduce considerably within a few days (Storey 342). A bacterium is capable of causing diseases such as throat and ear infections to children. In addition, the bacteria can also cause other diseases to adults, for example, tuberculosis, plague, syphilis and cholera. Bacteria cause disease because of varying aspects, which include their toxicity, autoimmune activity such as destroying the human body tissues while others can reproduce, hence increasing their presence in the body. This affects the body working mechanisms. Bacteria become harmful to the human body because too many of them produce toxins that have chemicals that cause inflammation and kill the nearby cells. These toxins are capable of causing diseases because the bacteria producing them reproduce, hence, increasing the amount of the toxins. Therefore, these bacteria create holes within the cell membranes, killing the cells. Such bacteria negatively affect the immune system of the human body thus leading to internal bleeding and damage to the body. Pathogenic bacteria also culminate in varied infections and diseases in human beings. The bacteria infect the human body, multiplying and reproducing at a very high rate within different vestigial organs (Storey 343). The bacteria also stick on the cell membranes, destroying them and spreading infectious diseases among individuals. In addition, the bacteria found on the skin of humans are also capable of causing different types of diseases. These bacteria are responsible of causing and spreading infectious diseases, which include bubonic plague, a life threatening disease. Bacteria of yersiniapestis variety cause this disease. Bubonic plague occurs in different forms commonly spread by rats and fleas and then transferred to the blood system of human body. The incubation rate of this infection ranges from two to seven days (Storey 343). Cholera is also among the common diseases resulting from bacterial infections. It is an intestinal infection caused by vibrio cholera bacteria after an individual consumes contaminating food and water. The disease causes water diarrhea and vomiting to the victim. However, the bacteria can also cause tuberculosis, which mostly spreads through the air and affects the lungs. Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria are responsible for causing tuberculosis. Tetanus is also a disease caused by the bacterium clostridium tetani. This disease is not contagious, instead, the bacterium are always present in soils, intestines and feces. This disease is dangerous to human body as it affects the nervous system and causes paralysis which can likely lead to death. In addition, bacteria can also cause anthrax that is an acute infectivity caused by a bacterium Bacillus anthracic (Storey 345). The bacteria are mostly common in agricultural areas because they occur in animals including the wild and domestic lower vertebrates. It is also capable of infecting human beings, who expose themselves to infected animals or exposes themselves to the tissues from the infected animals. The bacterial infection leads to local mechanical injuries together with toxic, chemical effects. Consequently, such infection results in headache, rapid breathing, delirium, paralysis and nausea. Bacteria interaction The interaction that goes on between the host and the bacteria occurs when the bacteria that reside in the gut of human beings interact with their immune systems, which mostly starts happening after birth when the gastro-intestinal tract has bacteria from the maternal Uri-genital tract. After birth, the bacteria modulate the gene expression within the intestinal epithelial cells of the newborn; hence, offering healthy environment for bacteria colonization. The interaction between the bacteria and human body occurs when the ingested probiotics participate in the cascade of events hence triggering signals, which activate the immune cells in the lamina prairie. The connection that exists amongst the bacteria and the human body entails different types of interaction, which include the adhesion to intestinal mucus and epithelium. It also entails the interaction between the aggregation with pathogens as well as the production of the antimicrobials (Storey 347). Conclusion It is important for every individual to realize that bacterial diseases occur because of different reasons and they tend to be destructive to human beings. A bacterial outbreak occurs in unhygienic environment and the affected individuals can spread it to others when they encounter them. Therefore, it is important for people to note different causes of the disease in order to take good measures. People should also take the bacterial treatment seriously because they are capable of causing death when not treated during the early stages. They should also ensure that they carefully consider their hygiene, have proper rest, good nutrition and increase their fluid intake so that they can avoid such incidences. Works Cited Storey, Thomas A. Principles of Hygiene. Stanford University, Calif: Stanford university press, 2005. Print. Read More