Soil bacteria

Light microscope, 100x - oil immersion (enhanced by camera zoom). Pond sample.

Ever saw a swarm of bacteria ? Well, here you have a swarm of free living bacteria. If you think that bacteria are bad, well, you are wrong. Most bacteria is good and has beneficial properties, not only for living organismis (like the bacteria in our guts, that help digesting food), but also for the whole ecosystem. These bacteria costitutes the soil microorganisms. This group has a vast number of beneficial aspects for the ecosystem. Microbes in the soil are directly tied to nutrient recycling especially carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur. Soil bacteria are a major class of microorganisms that keep soils healthy and productive. Many bacteria produce a layer of polysaccharides or glycoproteins that coats the surface of soil particles thus improvig soil structure.
Soil microorganisms can be classified as bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, algae and protozoa. Each of these groups has characteristics that define them and their functions in soil.
Bacteria are the smallest and most hardy microbe in the soil and can survive under harsh or changing soil conditions. There are 4 functional soil bacteria groups: decomposers, mutalists, pathogens and lithotrophs. Decomposer bacteria consume simple sugars and carbon compounds, while mutualistic bacteria form partnerships with plants like the nitrogen fixing bacteria (Rhizobia). Some bacteria are pathogens (cause disease and death) to plants while lithotrophic bacteria convert nitrogen, sulfur, or other nutrients for energy and are important in nitrogen cycling and pollution degradation.

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#bacteria #microbiology #biology #microscope #soil #ecosystem #ecology #microbes