Taking a Closer Look at the Bacterium
Wednesday, May 9th, 2007Taking a Closer Look at the Bacterium
Bacteria are everywhere. From the computer keyboard, to the mobile handset to the car seat you are seating at, they are sure to be there.
Bacteria are among the simplest, the most rapidly reproducing and the oldest forms of life on earth. Scientists believe that bacteria have started living in the environment for almost 3.5 billion years.
A bacterium (singular for the plural bacteria) is a single cell that is structured in a way that an observer can easily spot its vital parts. At the outermost layer of a bacterium is the capsule; next lies the cell wall on top of the cell membrane.
However, a bacterium’s size is incredibly miniscule that one can never look closely at it without using a powerful microscope. Biologists often use dyes to easily look at the simple structure of a bacterium. (more…)