Bacteria as the backbone of life (Introduction)

by David Turell , Wednesday, January 14, 2015, 15:56 (3749 days ago)

They are here since the beginning and are the underpinnings of all life:-
"Bacteria are like smartphones. Each phone comes out of the factory with standard hardware and operating system (core genome), but gains a unique combination of capabilities through apps (accessory genes) downloaded through the internet (by horizontal gene transfer)."-"We increasingly recognise the vital roles played by bacterial communities, such as those in our gut or on the roots of plants. Many researchers have used variation in a standard core gene to draw up lists of the species in a community, but the new research shows that a list of names is not sufficient."-
 Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-personalities-bacteria.html#jCp