The Importance of Bacteria to Humans

The Importance of Bacteria to Humans

Bacteria affect human life in ways that are both beneficial and harmful, which is why they are often summed up as being both friends and foes of man. On the beneficial side, bacteria such as Escherichia coli are used as host organisms in genetic engineering and biotechnology, where a chosen gene is inserted into a bacterial plasmid and the bacterium is then grown in large quantities to manufacture a useful product. Bacteria are also central to the natural cycling of nutrients, since decomposer bacteria break down dead organic matter and return its elements to the soil and atmosphere for reuse by other organisms; nitrogen-fixing bacteria, such as Rhizobium living in the root nodules of leguminous plants, convert atmospheric nitrogen into forms plants can use, directly supporting soil fertility and agriculture. Bacteria naturally present in the human gut also assist with digestion and other bodily functions. …