Bacteria
Bacteria are living cells that are too small to be seen by the naked eye but can be seen under a microscope.
Given the ideal conditions bacteria will split in two, approximately every 20 minutes in a process known as Binary Fission.
Bacteria are single-cell, microscopic organisms. Over 1 million (1,000,000) would fit on a pinhead and would still not be seen with the naked eye. They are found everywhere: in soil, water, air, in and on food and on people. In most cases, hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of bacteria need to be consumed to cause food poisoning. However, some strains of bacteria can cause illness even if only a few of them are eaten.
Many varieties of bacteria are harmless or even beneficial to humans as they thrive in the gut where they break down foods and absorb nutrients. Other bacteria are necessary in the production of foods such as yoghurt and cheese, and some are essential for sewage treatment. Not all bacteria are harmful.
The harmful bacteria that cause food poisoning are known as pathogenic bacteria. They represent about 1% of all known bacteria. Other cause food to rot and decay. They are known as food spoilage bacteria.
