Bacteria are single celled organisms found in soil, air, water, on us humans, animals and food

Bacteria is not visible to the naked eye until they from large numbers causing slime, mould, or growth. Bacteria is used in the food industry when producing cheese, wine, bread using species of bacteria,yeasts and moulds that do not produce harmful toxins or spores.

Bacteria can be observed through a microscope . Scientists grow a culture on a petri dish in order to observe bacteria and its characteristics

Bacteria can form may different shapes as there are species, some form into chains , some spheres or spirals some appear rod shaped

Certain bacteria produce spores and others toxins as they multiply.

Bacteria multiply by a diving themselves into two ( also called binary fission)

They carry on dividing themselves quickly if conditions are right.

1,000 can divide in to 1,000,000 in as little as ten minutes for some species. After a few hours bacteria could react the millions.

Food poisoning usually occurs when contaminated food is consumed it is then whilst in the body most bacteria multiply rapidly releasing toxins into the system causing stomach cramps vomiting fever and sometimes can be fatal.

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Optimum conditions for bacteria to multiply are moisture, nutrients, temperature , time and some need oxygen such as viruses and moulds.

The use of high sugar , salt acid or alkali to store goods are efficient at stopping the growth of bacteria.

Foods that are fermented using yeast find that the yeast bacteria uses sugar as food ( nutrient) and alcohol  and carbon dioxide as a waste product ( toxin) which in turn kills most other bacteria that may be competing to grow. This is favourable in the beer and wine industry and also the baking industry as a leavening aide also in sour dough starters and sponge dough.

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