MadSci Network: General Biology
Query:

Re: Do dogs share a mutualistic relationship with bacteria as humans do?

Date: Sun May 11 09:52:48 2003
Posted By: Dave Williams, Science Department Chair, Valencia Community College
Area of science: General Biology
ID: 1052424988.Gb
Message:

Yes, dogs have bacteria just like humans do. Estimates indicate that the 
number of bacteria on the external (skin) and internal (digestive space) 
surfaces of humans out number the actual body cells by about 10 to 1. 
There is no reason to believe that dogs are any different or that the 
bacterial are any more or less important to them. In fact, bacteria are 
everywhere and probably do much more "good" than harm (I put the 'good' 
in quotes  because of the strictly human relativistic perception of things).

This is no less true, of course, for cats, and cows, and birds, and snakes, 
and fish. There is evidence that they are also important to plants and very 
small (even unicellular) animals as well.

[Note: The term for all of the "mutualistic relationship" is symbiosis]
If one takes into consideration that mitochondria and chloroplasts are 
actually highly modified endosymbiotic bacteria then it becomes obvious 
that bacteria are really the dominant biological force on Earth.



Current Queue | Current Queue for General Biology | General Biology archives

Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on General Biology.



MadSci Home | Information | Search | Random Knowledge Generator | MadSci Archives | Mad Library | MAD Labs | MAD FAQs | Ask a ? | Join Us! | Help Support MadSci


MadSci Network, webadmin@www.madsci.org
© 1995-2003. All rights reserved.