What are some things that bacteria can do that are not gross?

Question

Germs are so gross. They cause diseases, odors, tonsil stones, tooth loss, decay, etc.

Answer 1

They help create certain foods such as cheeses, with blue cheese being the most known here.

They help the body to digest food. The bacteria found in yogurt and other dairy are good for the body and helps aid in food digestion.

Bacteria helps decompose dead creatures and helps convert them to soil.

Bacteria is used in scientific experiments to help discover new medications.

Bacteria can be used to make certain medications.

Viruses, while not bacteria, are used in genetic research to help change genes in cells, including bacteria. The reengineered cells can then be used for research, creating medicines, and even cellular cures (such as stem cells for instance).

Answer 2

The formation of penicillin is one of the things. Modern insulin production is by bacteria growth. You would not have ice cream, cheese, or yogurt with out bacteria. Your body has a normal bacterial flora that is essential for normal functioning. It is only when you have an increase in certain of those bacteria that problems arise. We have had e coli scares. Did you know that every human being has a certain amount of e coli in and on their body that is normal and essential. Bacteria aren't all bad and grossl

Answer 3

You might not be aware my friend but in your stomach you have billions of friendly bacterias that's helping digest your eaten food and help turn into something useful for your body.

I hope this will change your perspective on bacterias. Bacteriologist claimed bacterias are fascinating.

Answer 4

nitrifying bacteria can also turn elemental nitrogen into useful nitrate which plants can use as a nutrient. While it still may be thought of as 'gross' bacteria are used in sewage treatment plants to break down sludge tremendously so less of your waste has to be disposed.

Answer 5

they can do things like make human hormones and enzymes like insulin, growth hormone, or interferon (which fights cancer). they can also convert dead animals into nutrients, help digestion of things like lactase, make vitamins including vitamin K which is needed for blood clotting. they are also used in yogurt and cheese production. there are things like E. coli which live in our intestines and help us survive.

an excerpt from my bio-chem textbook says

"Certain bacteria form close spatial associations that are essential for their survival. One such mutualistic association, called interspecies hydrogen transfer, occurs between clusters of anaerobic bacteria that consume organic acids and produce hydrogen, and methanogenic Archaea that consume hydrogen. These bacteria are unable to consume the organic acids and grow when hydrogen accumulates in their surroundings, with only the intimate association with the hydrogen-consuming Archaea keeping the hydrogen concentration low enough to allow the bacteria to grow.
In soil, microorganisms which reside in the rhizosphere (a zone that includes the root surface and the soil that adheres to the root after gentle shaking) carry out nitrogen fixation, converting nitrogen gas to nitrogenous compounds. This serves to provide an easily absorbable form of nitrogen for many plants, which cannot fix nitrogen themselves. Many other bacteria are found as symbionts in humans and other organisms. For example, the presence of over 1,000 bacterial species in the normal human 'gut flora' of the intestines can contribute to gut immunity, synthesise vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin K and biotin, as well as fermenting complex undigestable carbohydrates. Bacteria that offer some benefit to human hosts include Lactobacillus species, which convert milk protein to lactic acid in the gut. The presence of this gut flora also inhibits the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria (usually through competitive exclusion) and these beneficial bacteria are consequently sold as probiotic dietary supplements.

i hope this helps.

Answer 6

It is bacteria that puts the Bleu part in Bleu cheese. Yum.
I am going to add one more thing, bacteria do not make alcohol yeast do.

Answer 7

Coughing and Sneezing
Serious respiratory illnesses like influenza (the flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), whooping cough, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are spread by coughing, sneezing and unclean hands, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Droplet spread" is the term used to describe respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes that are passed from person to person. If someone sneezes or coughs near you, particularly without covering their mouth, droplets will move through the air and can be deposited on your mouth or nose, or on a desk or other surface where they can be picked up later.

2. Nose Diving
Fingers that have been inside a nose are filled with germs that will be transferred to just about every surface they touch. Though this is particularly problematic among preschoolers and young children, adults can do it too (remember that Seinfeld episode?) If you notice someone wiping or picking their nose, be wary about touching anything they have touched.

3. Not Washing Hands After the Bathroom
The number of germs on your hands can double after you use the toilet, yet -- though most people won't admit it -- experts say up to one-third of the population does not wash their hands after using the bathroom. Unwashed hands can spread not only colds, flus and viruses, as mentioned above, but also diarrhea and other intestinal problems. If you don't think washing your hands is necessary, consider that the CDC says that washing hands is the single most important way to prevent the spread of infections.

4. Digging for Gold
This popular pastime mostly applies to young toddlers who aren't yet aware that picking underwear out of their backsides isn't socially acceptable, but can also apply to adults who just don't care that it is. Again this gets into the possibility of spreading germs from one potentially quite dirty area to the fingers and then to tables, doorknobs and other surfaces that you may touch. In the case of preschoolers, Parents Magazine says that children under 4 may lack the motor skills to wipe properly, leading to "sloppy wiping" that can be quite messy if a parent doesn't step in to help.

5. Spraying it Not Saying It
How many times have you been in a close conversation with someone when all of a sudden you feel a spray on your face? Those tiny drops of saliva that land on your lips, chin, nose, cheeks or eyes could be full of flu and other respiratory diseases like tuberculosis. Spitting on the ground can also transmit disease, particularly when the saliva dries and particles are swept up into the air where they can be inhaled.

6. Teeth Pickin'
You finish a tasty meal only to look over at your companion who's picking away at their molars. Similar to coughing, sneezing and spitting, this practice has the potential to transfer germs from the mouth onto the fingers and then onto any surface the person touches. Even if a toothpick is used, though preferable to a finger, saliva can creep up over the stick and onto the hand.

7. Double-Dipping
Dip a chip, bite it, dip again ... germs! All it takes is one person to double-dip a chip and the entire bowl of guacamole becomes ridden with germs and bacteria. Not surprisingly, a survey by Kimberly Clark tissue makers found that 13 percent of holiday partygoers said they would avoid foods that could have been plagued by double-dipping.

8. Clipping Nails in Public
Some estimates say that 95 percent of the bacteria on your hands is found under your fingernails. So while keeping your nails short is a good thing bacterially speaking, cutting them in a public place is not. It is, however, a good way to spread that bacteria all around.

9. Dousing in Perfume
People who wear tons of perfume or cologne are not just unpleasant to be around -- they represent a real health hazard for people with allergies, asthma or multiple chemical sensitivities. Chemicals used in perfumes (read this past article for more on the little-known dangers of chemicals in cosmetics) are almost entirely synthetic, as these are cheaper than natural fragrances, and only about 1,500 of the more than 5,000 materials used in fragrances have been tested for safety.

As many as 30 percent of the public say they have some sensitivity to chemicals, including fragrances, according to the University of Texas Health Sciences Center. Even more serious than that, the American Lung Association reports that exposure to fragrance chemicals may result in dangerous and painful asthma attacks in which muscle spasms, fluid and excess mucous obstruct the airways.

Answer 8

Make Cheese
Make alcohol

Answer 9

Make a really yummy bleu cheese!

Answer 10

Make cheese, yogurt, and all kinds of things. They also make vitamins for us in our intestines.