Discuss The Economic Importance Of Bacteria In Agriculture Industry Medicine And Daily Life?

Although it may not seem like it does, bacteria actually has great important economic value, especially when it comes to things such as medicine. Bacteria have actually been used in some of the most life changing medicines. The economic importance of bacteria actually comes from the fact that we, as a species, are exploiting the use of bacteria for our own benefits.

• Bacteria and genetic engineering.

Genetic engineering refers to the medical tampering or manipulation of genes for the benefit of medical conditions. Genetic engineering takes place when microscopic piece of genes are introduced by a carrier system into a host. This DNA alteration then becomes a permanent part of the host's genetic code. The benefits of this can be extraordinary.

Examples of this can be the growing of insulin can be used to treat and control diabetes, infections can be used to combat violent viruses and the human growth hormone that is found in the pituitary gland of the human brain which can be harnessed and used to treat cases of dwarfism.

• Vitamin synthesis.

Escherichia coli has been found living inside the large intestines of humans. It helps to synthesize vitamin D when it enters a human's digestive system and releases it for the human to use in beneficial ways.

• Digestion.

Some types of bacteria that are found living inside the stomach and intestines of cattle and horses have been found to secrete something called cellulose. This is a type of enzyme the contributes to the digestion of cellulose content that is found inside the cell walls of plants.

This means that the cellulose if an extremely important energy source for the animals that have it in their gut. All types of plants also contain this type of cellulose, which means it could be harnessed and used if necessary.