• Question: why cant we live without bacteria

    Asked by neve to Rosie, Liz, Kevin, Beccy on 14 Jun 2017.
    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 14 Jun 2017:

      We need bacteria in our bodies to help us digest food.

      Also some bacteria work as decomposers of dead plants and animals. These need to be broken down so the components can be reused in new plants and animals.

    • Photo: Rosie Fok

      Rosie Fok answered on 14 Jun 2017:

      Without bacteria, we would be literally drowning in rubbish. Soil saprophytes (bacteria that live in the soil and feed off dead plant matter) break down all this organic material and stop it building up layer upon layer endlessly. Some bacteria can even break down certain plastic waste.

      We wouldn’t have any yogurt (I like yogurt. A lot. I couldn’t live without bacteria or yogurt) or blue cheese.

      There have been experiments where mice have been bred without any bacteria in their guts. When they get fed the same diet as mice with normal gut bacteria, the bacteria-free (could gnotobiotic) mice get much fatter than the mice with normal gut bacteria.

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