When you hear the word bacteria, you immediately think of disease and death. It is automatically perceived by anyone that when bacteria are present, you will readily contract an infection that would destroy your health. But if you take the time to study about these microorganisms, you will find out that bacteria can be very beneficial in every way. Before time was even recorded, bacteria have already played the all important role of being the precursors of all living organisms on Earth. The biomass that you see was brought about by single-celled bacteria. Bacteria come in different sizes, shapes, and have different requirements to survive. They are absolutely everywhere, no matter what the climate or terrain. They can be found in very extreme environments like radioactive wastes, below the crust of the earth, and hot springs. With there being so many types of bacteria what makes them different? What is aerobic bacteria?
You already know that your septic system is run by bacteria. There are two types of bacteria that accomplish the job of treating your wastewater and one of them is aerobic bacteria. The conventional septic system is composed of a septic tank and a leach bed. The aerobic bacteria are found in the septic tank because it is the part of the septic system that contains oxygen. Aerobic bacteria or obligate aerobic bacteria need oxygen to survive. Cellular respiration for aerobic bacteria takes place only when there is oxygen present so that the aerobic bacteria can harness the energy needed to be produced. There are also bacteria that are classified as microaerophilic bacteria that do require oxygen but only at a very low amount.
Obligate aerobic bacteria are able to undergo isolation in the laboratory by being cultured in a liquid medium. In this type of medium, the aerobic bacteria accumulate on the surface because they need oxygen. The surface of the liquid medium has the maximum levels of oxygen so that is where they stay. The following are some examples of aerobic bacteria:
1. Bacillus
This aerobic bacterium has facultative and obligate types of bacteria, including the pathogenic or free-living variety. Bacillus bacteria have large genomes, ubiquitous, and usually included in genetics and the production of enzymes.
2. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
This bacteria strain causes tuberculosis. It shaped like a rod and has a waxy cell wall. It usually lives in the lungs of mammals where there is a high concentration of oxygen. Fifteen hours after the initial infection, it divides slowly or incubates inside the host.
3. Nocardia
Nocardia is a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria that has at least eighty species. There are pathogenic and non-pathogenic types. If you are infected by this bacteria, your condition may be called nocardosis that affects the entire body or just the lungs. It is usually found in the oral cavity (periodontal pockets and gums).
4. Lactobacillus
This bacterium is classified as a facultative type of aerobic bacteria. This is used in the fermentation or curdling of certain foods. These are found in the intestines and oral cavity. Lactobacillus are known as probiotic flora and are known to be very good for your health. It can be acquired through health drinks and yogurts that help aid your digestion.
There are also Enterobacteriaca, Pseudomonas, and Staphylococcus. Aerobic bacteria are also needed in the decomposition of waste products, nutrient absorption in plants, and nutrient recycling. They are very crucial in septic systems because they help degrade and purify solidified waste materials. Through aerobic bacteria, disarming odors and toxic gases in the septic system are eliminated as well.
Aerobic bacteria are really very indispensable when it comes to making your living environment and your own body safe. There may be a few pathogenic varieties but if these weren’t discovered, there wouldn’t be any developed cures for them. In caring for your septic system, you should consider the condition of the aerobic bacteria. It is one half of the dynamic team that treats the wastewater that flows from your house.