Bacteria as the backbone of life (Introduction)
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