Other bacteria, very long ago, entered living cells not to destroy them, but to cooperate for mutual benefit. These bacteria became the mitochondria, essential parts of cells. We could not live without our own mitochondria.It seems that self-interest, once thought to be the driving force behind evolution, is not necessarily the norm. Being altruistic and cooperative has enormous advantages, ...
of this in science history. Anton van Leeuwenhoek one of the very early microscopists, was the first to detect bacteria. He hadn't the faintest idea of what they were, nor did anyone else at the time. They were just tiny specks that might be alive.Nevertheless, in time, Louis Pasteur showed that those tiny specks carried disease and that by dealing with them properly, such disease could be ...
division of prokaryotes are the "bacteria." A second grand division of prokaryotes Woese calls the "Archaea" resembles bacteria very strongly in appearance but have certain characteristics in their RNA molecules more like the eukaryotes. Apparently the Archaea developed eukaryotic characteristics and from them the third grand division of life, which Woese calls "Eucarya," evolved. These are ...
to work on metal scrap which has been discarded by us and which cannot be profitably recycled.The industrious little bacteria may live on the scrap, if it is mixed with the proper kind of what is to them nutritious rock, and they will them recycle the metals for us. In that case, we will never run out of metal ...
think, evolution would be slowed to such an extent that even today there might be no life on Earth more advanced than bacteria.All this, though, depends on the protection of the atmosphere. As you go higher, less air is above you and the amount of cosmic rays you receive is increased. People who live in mile-high Denver, Colo., get considerably more cosmic rays than the people of Los Angeles ...
can incorporate some from of carbon chains that do occur in nature (starch, for instance.) That will be decomposed by bacteria and mold, and the rest will powder away and be easier to handle.That's not as easy as it sounds. You don't want to make plastics too easily biodegradable, because you wouldn't want your bottles, for instance, to go to pieces while they are standing in your cupboard. In ...
proteins of each had important similarities and that this trait distinguishes these two types of cells from other cyanobacteria. This makes it appear that Prochlorithrix and chloroplasts have a common ancestor.However, Sean Turner and others at Indiana University studying nucleic acids in both Prochlorothrix and chloroplasts find differences that make it look as though the two are not closely ...
that without that gas in the atmosphere, no plants would grow and there would be no life on Earth, except, possibly, bacteria.)The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere before our present industrial age began was about 0.027 percent. That's very little but it was enough to keep the plant world growing and to keep the Earth reasonably warm.However, the amount of carbon dioxide in the ...
and are found, particularly, in nodules attached to the roots of leguminous plants like peas and beans. Those bacteria are vitally important to life, generally (including us).And then, there is lightning. Whenever a lightning stroke flashes through the air, it momentarily heats the air around it to unusually high temperatures. The air quickly cools down but before it does so, the heat forces ...