• Question: how many different types of bacteria are there in the world and how many do you think havn't been discovered?

    Asked by petrosthegreekgod to Ceri-Wyn, Betul, Bridget, Maria on 25 Jun 2010 in Categories: . This question was also asked by kbanham.
    • Photo: Bridget Waller

      Bridget Waller answered on 24 Jun 2010:

      I don’t know exact figures, but lots and lots!! I imagine there are many that haven’t been identified yet, and there are also lots of very rapid changes happening to populations at the moment! Particularly as we kill so many of them with anti-biotics, and so allow resistant individuals to thrive. So new species and sub-species could be developing all the time!

    • Photo: Ceri-Wyn Thomas

      Ceri-Wyn Thomas answered on 25 Jun 2010:

      I’m afraid I don’t know hoe many different bacterial species there are but I imagine it’s close to millions! I bet there are also many species that have not yet been discovered since bacteria can inhabit some of the most extreme environment on Earth like boiling hot acidic lakes, the mouths of volcanoes, deep under the sea, and maybe even out in Space!

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