In
my blog about the immune
system a while ago I mentioned that bacteria can cause infection,
however, they are not all bad and some are vital to gut health!
Bacteria
are small cellular organisms that have been present on earth for over 3500
million years. There are a huge number
of different types which live in every place on earth, from mountaintops to
oceans and everything in between. They
can survive in the most extreme conditions where little else would survive.
·
Aerobic bacteria - can only grow where there is oxygen.
·
Anaerobic bacteria - can only grow where there is no oxygen
eg: in the gut. However, this type also
includes those that cause tetanus
and botulism.
·
Facultative anaerobic
bacteria - can live with or without oxygen but prefer oxygen. They are usually found in soil and water eg: streptococcus zooepidemicus which
causes upper respiratory tract disease.
·
Mesophilic bacteria - are responsible for many infections
and thrive in moderate temperatures eg: 37°C
Bacteria
are extremely small and very few can be seen by the human eye, typically they
are between 0.5 and 5 micrometres in length.
They also come in different shapes; spherical bacteria are called cocci,
rod shaped are called bacilli. There are
also spiral shaped bacteria called spirilla and curved ones called vibrio!
In
some ways bacterial cells are the same as other
cells, but they do not usually have a nucleus, mitochondria or chloroplasts. However, they do have:
·
a cell wall
·
a plasma membrane, which allows the transfer of some
substances in and out
·
cytoplasm
·
DNA
·
ribosomes
·
flagella
·
pili, which are on the outside of the cell and allow it to
stick to surfaces
Some
bacteria get their energy from 'food' - they
are called heterotrophs and others make their own - called autotrophs - using
water, sunlight and carbon dioxide or other chemicals.
Mutualists
are bacteria which form close relationships with other organisms. In humans and horses these types of bacteria
are found in the gut (intestines) where they have a number of roles including
fermenting some complex
carbohydrates. Pathogens are the
bacteria which cause disease and infection eg: tetanus, strangles.
Sadly,
the use of antibiotics does not only kill infection, it also kills the bacteria
in the gut and this in turn can affect a horse's ability to digest food. This does not mean you should not use
antibiotics when recommended by the vet BUT think about their use and the other
things you should do to help your horse if they are ill.
Have you seen this week's video 'One Day in November' on my You Tube channel?
Horse Life and Love. Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.
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Until next time!
Jo
