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Bacteria are microscopic, single celled organisms capable of reproduction. They vary in size but all are invisible to the normal eyesight. They are the most primitive living organisms and the oldest, being the first living thng to appear on earth.
But bacteria- aren't they the things that cause disease?
Think again!
There are millions of differnt types of bacterua on Earth, but only a small percentage are harmful.
Most types of bacteria are beneficial, and that includes the ones that live in our guts, helping with our digestion and improving our immune system.
Did you know that without bacteria the planet ould become infertile?
Thats right- some bacteria break down waste matter into vital nutrients that plants need to feed on, all plant life would die without them, and without plants there is no life on earth.
Did you also know that some bacteria live inside your body and they are so vital to your health that really bad or even life threatening conditions can develop if you do not have enough of them?
Yes, thats right, bacteria are vital for your health!
The types of Bacteria:
Actually there are three types of bacteria.
Firstly there is Parasitic Bacterria. Parasitic means "to ive within or on another organism in a way that is harmful to that organism". These are the type of bacteria that feed off a human or another organism, reproduce rapidly and produce waste toxins that make the creature sick, sometimes killing it. They cause disease in humans, animals and plants.
Secondly there are Saprophitic Bacteria (live off dead things), these are the bacteria that break down dead bodies and rotting food, most also release harmful toxinsif they fnd their way into the system. Thats why you should not eat rotting food except where it conrtains carefully selected bacteria such as in sour milk, cheese and yoghurt.
Finally there are Symbiotic Bacteria (exist in the body but the arrangement is not harmful but beneficial for both parties). The word "pro" means "for" or "in favour of" and "biotics" means "lviing organisms". Pro-botics are friendly bacteria that actually help other living organisms survive. There are many different types of probiotics, all of which have a different function in the small and large intestine, they promote proper digestion and, among many other things,help create a healthy immune system.
The opposite of probiotics is antibiotics, everyone has heard of these, they kill bacteria and have saved millions of lives. Antibiotics have been at the forefront of the fight against bacterial illness since the early 20th Century. They have saved millions of lives and are one of the greatst discoveries in history.
The trouble is, they have been over prescirbed.Apart from their overuse and misuse in the treament of diseases such as viruses (which antibiotics have no effect on) they have been used extensively in modern meat farming methods, finding their way into the human food chain.
Antibiotics indiscriminately kill all the bacteria in the system, even the beneficial ones that live in your gut, this can cause stomach and other health problems, if you have had treatment involving lots of anti-biotics, you should take a course of probiotics to replenish those killed. It is common for digestive problems to occur after antibiobiotic treatments. Probiotics also decline in numbers with age. | 
