MadSci Network: General Biology |
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.
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