2007-03-29 13:17:25 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Bacteria are solely responsible for the 20% of the atmosphere that is oxygen, which is a highly reactive gas that took millions of years of evolution to harness correctly. If there was a way to kill all bacteria, the amount of oxygen on Earth would drop to zero, as it literally floats right out of the atmosphere and must be created constantly. While plants definitely play a role, they themselves could not exist without bacteria.
Furthermore, many bacteria are helpful to humans. They aid in our digestion, producing vitamin K and helping to break down food. They are used to make products such as cheese, butter, and yogurt. They are used to make many kinds of beneficial drugs, including insulin and antibiotics such as tetracycline and streptomycin. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria such as rhizobium in the soil are essential to life on Earth. Bacteria are used in sewage treatment plants, and tailored bacteria have been made that can clean up chemical and oil spills, and remove environmental pollutants from coal2.
2007-03-29 13:22:46 · answer #1 · answered by HoneyBunny 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bacteria Helpful To Humans
2016-10-30 06:45:20 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. Bacteria fix nitrogen. Plants use the nitrogen and we get our nitrogen from the plants.
2. Bacteria decompose dead organic matter and wastes, recycling the molecules in the ecosystem. All life depends upon this, including humans.
3. Bacteria are the source for some antibiotics.
4. Bacteria are used to make foods and other products, including yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, ...
5. Bacteria can be altered genetically to produce chemicals that we need, including insulin, ...
6. Cyanobacteria produce oxygen gas as a by-product of photosynthesis.
7. Bacteria produce methane gas which can be collected and used as a fuel.
2007-03-29 13:23:29 · answer #3 · answered by ecolink 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cheese, yougurt, a lot of foods use bacteria or mold to make it what we eat. Scientists also use bacteria to isolate specific DNA fragments among many other uses.
2016-03-18 06:12:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
break down food (like E. Coli in your gut), clean our wastewater, fight off bad bacteria on your skin surface... um....
2007-03-29 13:20:42 · answer #5 · answered by jdubs914 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They help build up your immune system against viruses and all that...there's one lol. I gotta get some sleep.
2007-03-29 13:20:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋