• Question: hi where do you find bacteria and why do we have it?

    Asked by gracefulforever04 to Joe, Juan, Kate, Rory, Rosie on 7 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by miriamirwin.
    • Photo: Rosie Coates

      Rosie Coates answered on 7 Mar 2014:

      Bacteria is everywhere! You would find it hard to find somewhere bacteria hadn’t found first….

      Bacteria has been around for about 3 and a half billion years, where humans are a relatively recent addition to the planet one or two million years ago. In this time bacteria has evolved, or adapted, to living everywhere from the very deep, cold, dark oceans to hot springs and the very dry deserts.

      Bacteria are actually much better at taking advantage of all the different places to live on our planet than we are. That’s why they will probably be around for much longer than we will!!

    • Photo: Kate Salmon

      Kate Salmon answered on 9 Mar 2014:

      Bacteria is EVERYWHERE! They’re on your skin, inside your body, on your pencil sharpener, even in the air you breathe! Bacteria is microscopic and has been around a lot longer than any human being. In fact, bacteria are thought to have been some of the first living things on earth nearly 3.5 billion years ago. They are still around today because all living things need bacteria to survive and they are also very good at surviving in very difficult environments. For example, some bacteria are able to grow in very hot temperatures, near volcanically active vents. Others grow on bottom of the ocean. Other bacteria which have been frozen for millions of years in the ice start to come back to life after they have been thawed out!

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