What are some facts about harmful bacteria?

I'm doing a research paper and can't find what I'm looking for. I just need to know some stuff about it and what kind of types there are and things such as that

What are some facts about harmful bacteria?
Some bacteria are pathogens causing tetanus, typhoid fever, pneumonia, syphilis, cholera, leprosy, and tuberculosis. Examples of harmful bacteria include Steptococcus and Staphylococcus. Bacterial infections can sometimes be treated with antibiotics such as penicilin.
Reply:Many of us know bacteria only as “germs,” invisible creatures that can invade our bodies and make us sick.


Few know that many bacteria not only coexist with us all the time, but help us do an amazing array of useful things like make vitamins, break down some garbage, and even maintain our atmosphere!








Bacteria can be found virtually everywhere. They are in the air, the soil, and water, and in and on plants and animals, including us. A single teaspoon of topsoil contains about a billion bacterial cells (and about 120,000 fungal cells and some 25,000 algal cells). The human mouth is home to more than 500 species of bacteria.





Some bacteria (along with archaea) thrive in the most forbidding, uninviting places on Earth, from nearly-boiling hot springs to super-chilled Antarctic lakes buried under sheets of ice. Microbes that dwell in these extreme habitats are aptly called extremophiles.





Like dinosaurs, bacteria left behind fossils. The big difference is that it takes a microscope to see them. And they are older.





Bacteria and their microbial cousins the archaea were the earliest forms of life on Earth. And may have played a role in shaping our planet into one that could support the larger life forms we know today by developing photosynthesis





Cyanobacteria fossils date back more than 3 billion years. These photosynthetic bacteria paved the way for today's algae and plants. Cyanobacteria grow in the water, where they produce much of the oxygen that we breathe. Once considered a form of algae, they are also known as blue-green algae.





The human body consists of millions of different cells. A bacterium consists of a single cell.





A bacterium’s genetic information is contained in a single DNA molecule suspended in a jelly-like substance called cytoplasm. In most cases, this and other cell parts are surrounded by a flexible membrane that is itself surrounded by a tough, rigid cell wall. A few species, such as the mycoplasmas, don’t have cell walls.





Even though bacteria have only one cell each, they come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colors.





The more we know about bacteria, the more we are able to figure out how to make microbes work for us or stop dangerous ones from causing serious harm. And, for those of us who like to ponder more philosophical questions like the origins of the Earth, there may be some clues there as well.





Whether a bacteria has a thin or a thick cell wall determines what antibiotic will work against it. If you’ve ever been sick and waited for the results of a culture and sensitivity test, you may have heard the terms “Gram-positive” or “Gram-negative.”





Bacteria with thick cell walls retain dye from a cell-staining method developed by Christian Gram; bacteria with thin walls do not. Knowing the difference can and does save lives, time and money, and ensures that you or your loved one is getting the best and most effective treatment.





Just like in animals, where size ranges from the giant blue whale to the tiny gnat, bacteria vary from 1 millimeter in diameter at the largest end of the scale to 20 nanometers in length at the smallest.





The largest bacteria found so far can actually be seen without the use of a microscope (Thiomargarita namibiensis and Epulopiscium fischelsoni). The smallest known bacteria are so tiny that they were once thought to be viruses (Mycoplasmas).








Hope this helps!!!