Bacterial Survival: How Bacteria Deals with Environmental Stress

When some hear the word bacteria, they may just think of germs that will get you sick if you don’t wash your hands. However, not all bacteria are created equal. While some bacteria may do harm to us, others actually help us every day in digestion! This goes to show that all bacteria are not the same. There are many different species in bacteria and each of these species have varying characteristics.  For example, some bacteria may grow well in an environment that may be inhospitable for other bacteria. Temperature, pH, and osmolarity are just a few ways that this diverse group of bacteria may differ from one another. These values are all characteristic of the environments that these bacteria thrive in. Just like other organisms, bacteria rely on their environment for survival. However, sometimes the conditions of a bacteria’s environment may not be optimal for the bacteria’s survival. In some ways bacteria are just like us. If it’s cold outside we may put on a coat, or in some cases just avoid going outside all together. We take precautions to make sure that we won’t freeze. Bacteria also take precautions to help increase their chances for survival in a challenging environment.