Facts About Bacteria: The Smallest, Coolest & Fastest On The Planet

bacteria fact example stone wall

Fun Bacteria Facts and Bacterial Records Bacteria really are found everywhere, from the tops of the highest mountains to the bottom of the deepest oceans. In fact, some bacteria live way below the earth’s surface… With many species inhabiting coal measures and subterranean aquifers! But that’s only the beginning, so let’s take a look at … Read more

Cyanobacteria: The “blue green” algae (that aren’t algae at all)

cyanobacteria definition header

Cyanobacteria The cyanobacteria are morphologically a heterogeneous mixture of bacteria. They come in five different types. Firstly they are either unicellular or filamentous. Unicellular species come in two forms depending on whether they divide by binary fission or multiple fission, the latter tending to be colonial. The filamentous forms are either branching or non-branching. The … Read more

Proteobacteria: The 16 Major Groups Examined

proteobacterium enterobacteriaceae

Proteobacteria Proteobacteria is the second largest group of bacteria. This phylum contains 1,534 species – or 32.3% of all known bacteria. Proteobacteria are all gram negative, but otherwise represent a diverse range of organisms such as the Purple Phototrophic, Nitrifying bacteria and Enteric bacteria – as well as the bacteria responsible for animal bioluminescence. Here … Read more

Firmicutes: The Single Largest Group Of Bacteria

firmicutes bacteria are rod shaped

Firmicutes Firmicutes are the single largest grouping of bacteria. Though because it is dominated by a number of very successful genera, it contains somewhat less diversity than the proteobacteria. Of approximately 2,475 species in 255 genera, 40% of these species are aggregated in just 6 genera: Lactobacillus (100 species) Mycoplasma (110 species) Bacillus (114 species) … Read more

The Euryarchaeota: Nature’s Lovers of Salt

crenarchaeota in salt lake

The Euryarchaeota are a diverse group of organisms that live in extremely saline or salty environments. I.e., originally salt lakes, but now also on the surfaces of highly salted foods such as fish and meats. These organisms are called extreme halophiles. This description means not only that they can live in highly saline environments, but … Read more

The Crenarchaeota: Lovers of Extreme Temperatures

hot spring rife with Crenarchaeota

The Crenarchaeota are a smaller group than the Euryarchaeota which contains the majority of the known Archaea. Crenarchaeota are primarily found in extreme environments, either hot ones or cold ones. Little is known about the cold adapted species, except that they live in considerable numbers – 104 per ml. They are found in the Antarctic … Read more