In this new book by Marsilio Atlante dei Batteri
Un Mondo di Bellezza Contagiosa by Ludwig Wess a fascinating topic: bacteria, their role in the world with a little introduction and explanation of some of the most important bacteria presents on Earth.
Wess starts to reveal to his reader that he became a bacteria addicted when very young. He was fascinated by this world that we can't see but that it is all around us.
On our surfaces, in the sea water, in hostile places like very hot water, or in the North and South Poles! wherever you can think at, there are millions of bacteria.
Although we know 140.000 bacteria, just 1400 more or less bring illness to man.
For the rest, most of them are incredibly helpful for keeping our environment in good health.
When bacteria have been discovered? It happened surely 350 years ago, in 1632, and thanks to another passionate of the so-called micro-micro-cosm. Antony van Leeuwenhoek was a merchant but he felt attraction for the invisible world and observed with the microscope every thing that could be seen; doing that he discovered the first bacteria, analyzing several animals and also...his tongue! when fell ill. He compared what he discovered in his tongue with what he found in a vase with pepper not in great state.
Comparing what he saw in the microscope and what he saw in his tongue he discovered bacteria, these little invisible animals. His studies were long, he made wagons of experiments that at the moment as remarks Wess are not anymore done, pity, sending everything at the Royal Society of London. Pasteur, later thanks to several experiments understood the importance of bacteria for our existence in every state.
With Koch there was the birth of the modern bacteriology that would have brought at important discoveries and a different approach with bacteria.
Bacteria's names in general are put by the first man who discovered it; so we find also modern and hilarious names, like the one put by Andrea Campisano at a new bacterium discovered in a vine, Proponibacterium acnes zappae. The scientist told to everyone that when he discovered the bacterium was listening a CD by Zappa called Sheik Yerbouti.
Bacteria have always been with us and they are very old creatures if I can use this expression. Bacteria and who lived before them, were the first citizens of the world. Rocks can tell us much more about bacteria and the role played by them for example; thank to them the birth of different and more complex unicellulars shapes of life; and then...all the rest that we know.
But...In the other planets of our Solar System are there bacteria? This one is an interesting question considering also the composition of some of our Planets and the fact that when an asteroid destroyed the existence of Dinosaurus on Earth certainly some portion of that big Asteroid reached also planets close to us. You musn't never imagine that it was a gentle explosion. The universe was in formation and mutation.
So, probably, yes! these organisms are also in other planets . Waiting for discovering much better them and their role in their Planets, enjoy this book that will guide you at the discovery of several kind of bacteria that live in the most diversified places.
We will discover the bacterium that caused the plague or the one of anthracis, but also the one who lives in the intestine; the one that enjoys the profoundity of the Ocean, the one in love for some food; the one found in the vineyard, the bacterium that causes legionella, a serious, sometimes fatal illness of the lungs.
A bacterium reduces sulphur; another one is in love for other bacteria and simply "eat" them; a bacterium is resistant at the nuclear radiations!
Oh, read it, it's an illuminating, fascinating book that you will absolutely love to explore. It is the perfect gift for your children or someone in love for the topic! or science.
Highly recommended.
I thank Marsilio for the physical copy of the book.
Anna Maria Polidori
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