Why is it not a good idea to get rid of bacteria?

Answer 1

bacteria are essential for continued existence of life as we know it.

bacteria are essential in recycling organic material for continued use.

bacteria until the past 100 years (when humans figured out how) were the only creatures capable of creating organic forms of nitrogen from inorganic forms for use by all other creatures.

Bacteria also form a miriad of simbiotic relationships with other creatures allowing them to survive.

Answer 2

I read recently that the number of different bacteria in the world runs into the milliions. As others have suggested, some are harmful to man, others are very important & some absolutely essential to life.

One important one is the bacteria which forms a symbiotic (help each other) relationship with legume plants (peas, soy beans, etc.) The bacteria residing around the plants roots actually produces nitrogen that the plant needs. While many crops (corn, wheat, tomatos) require the farmer to add nitrogen fertilizer, beans actually leave excess nitrogen in the soil.

An essential bacteria is the one that resides in the intestines of animals (including you) and digests many foods they cannot by themselves. Cows & other grass eaters cannot digest grass without bacteria & would otherwise die.

One of the personal dangers of taking oral antibiotics (to fight a cold) is that it also kills those "good" bacteria in your gut. Most times enough are left that they restore their population but it doesn't hurt to take some "acidophilus" tablets or some "live culture yogurt" to help.

Answer 3

It depends which bacteria and where it is. Some bacteria are good and should not be eliminated because they pretty much prevent worse and nastier bacteria from growing in some parts of your body. So they do not allow more dangerous bacteria from getting a foot-hold and causing worse problems.

Answer 4

Every answer you have so far is right on. The problem with modern society is "germophobia". The ads you see on TV regarding using various agents to eliminate bacteria and the quickness of doctors to prescribe anti-biotics is actually resulting in genetic mutations of the bacteria resulting in strains we won't be able to control. Add that to the fact that every drug flushed down the drain via human waste or rinsing your cleaning rag ends up in the groundwater of the ecosystem where it further mutates those bacteria. Some of the deadliest strains have developed in Hospitals (staph in particular) where anti-bacterial agents are used on a massive scale.

Answer 5

some bacteria are our symbiotes, in other words, they help us, we help them. an example is the lactose fermenters in our gut. if we get rid of them, we can't get all the nutrients we need from the food we eat. good bacteria also "compete" with other organisms, such as mold and fungi. an example is when a woman takes antibiotics for a sinus infection, her normal flora (normal vaginal bacteria) die, and that leaves the door open to yeast colonizing the area, resulting in a painful, nasty, itchy yeast infection.

Answer 6

There are many types of bacteria that are good for you. Many functions of human organism, such as digestion (for example) wouldn't be possible without bacteria.

Answer 7

every bacteria is not harmful.the important property of bacteria is:the presence of one bacteria will not allow the entry & infection of another bacteria.in this way we are safe from multiple bacterial infections.another imp feature of bacteria is:it is the simplest microorganism to be used in the latest field of biology i.e,BIOTECHNOLOGY,due to its fastest multiplication rate .the resultant products of the usage of bacteria-E.coli is production of rec.insulin,which is given in the form of injections to the diabetic patients.many other bac are used for diff purposes.hence bacteria in present day are used as the most imp tools in latest technology.