When bacteria die, do they decompose too?

and how?


cos you usually read that bacteria are decomposers themselves and break down other organisms. but who breaks down the lil' bacteria when they die? :(

When bacteria die, do they decompose too?
Other bacteria. Or possibly even their 'children' - if that word applies to later generations of bacteria!
Reply:Yes. How depends on where they die. Other bacteria and protists break down dead bacteria. Even environmental chemical reactions, such as increased acidity, may play a role.
Reply:These simply decompose into the constituent macromolecules (proteins, fats, DNA etc.) which may be readily absorbed by other living cells around them.





This is readily the case with genetic material where other bacteria may include and process DNA absorbed in the surroundings "transformation".
Reply:Unless they are embalmed well at the bacteria funeral home.
Reply:Bigger organisms have many more cells (as opposed to a bacterium's one). They also have lots of other tissues, such as skin (cells filled with a solid protein called keratin - the same stuff that makes up your fingernails) and connective tissue. These tissues are very sturdy, and won't usually fall apart on their own. Bacteria, on the other hand, secrete chemicals capable of breaking these tissues down (and turn them into a tasty lunch).





Usually, a dead bacterium will get broken down and eaten by another bacterium. If they don't, bacteria are so small, that once their internal processes stop, they break down on their own (poor little guys).





They usually don't have a lifespan, like more complex organisms do. When a bacterium reproduces, it splits into two identical 'young' copies of itself. Whereas a mammal will get old and die, a bacterium will keep on dividing and renewing itself until it acquires a lethal error in it's DNA, is killed by a toxic environment, or gets eaten by another microorganism.