• Question: does everything need some sort of bacteria to live/survive and what would the world be without germ bacteria

    Asked by gars520hogg on 18 Mar 2025.
    • Photo: Kirsty Lindsay

      Kirsty Lindsay answered on 18 Mar 2025:

      Humans certainly do- our digestive system wouldn’t work without bacteria, and we would get more fungal and yeast infections without the helpful bacteria on our skin.

    • Photo: Min Yap

      Min Yap answered on 18 Mar 2025:

      I’m not too sure on the exact relationship life has with bacteria, but as humans, the bacteria in our guts and on our skin help us in various ways like with digestion, with fighting off infections and more.

    • Photo: Caroline Roche

      Caroline Roche answered on 18 Mar 2025:

      Bacteria is a key component of life on earth, not just for humans.
      Bacteria is responsible for decomposition and breaking down organic matter. It helps put nutrients back into the ecosystem.
      Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, is an important oxygen producer on earth through photosynthesis and are a food source for some plants and animals.

    • Photo: Erin Pallott

      Erin Pallott answered on 19 Mar 2025:

      Bacteria have been on this planet for billions of years longer than us, so it’s impossible to image how life would be shaped without them! All living things co-exist with bacteria (good and bad), and we rely on lots of microbiota to do jobs for us like in digestion.
      It is possible to live without bacteria. In research we have “germ-free” mice which have no bacteria in or on them, but they would die of infection very quickly in the outside world. This helps us understand how important the microbiota is.

    • Photo: Pete Webb

      Pete Webb answered on 24 Mar 2025:

      I agree with the other answers, good bacteria are an essential part of human and other life.

Comments

  • Photo: Laura

    Laura commented on :

    My favourite biology fact is that human mitochondria (also known as the powerhouse of the cell) is actually decended from primitive bacteria! The theory is that at some point in time many millions of years ago, these primitive bacteria started working together with other unicellular organisms in a process called ‘coevolution’ that would later give rise to humans. So if this theory is true, human life would not be possible without bacteria!

  • Photo: melissau

    melissau commented on :

    Humans have ‘good bacteria’ in their gut to help to digest food. Some animals, such as cows and sheep are ‘ruminants’ which means that instead of having one stomach like humans they have four chambers instead, the largest of which is called the rumen. The rumen contains huge numbers of bacteria whose job is to break down cellulose cell walls of grass and leaves to make energy for the animal to live on. While doing their job, the bacteria generate lots of gas so ruminants have to ‘burp’ this out, to prevent it from building up pressure inside their digestive system. If the burping process or the bacterial breakdown doesn’t work properly these animals can suffer a condition called ‘bloat’ where the gas builds up inside their gut and can make them very ill or even die if it’s not treated.