Branching order of bacterial phyla (Genome Taxonomy Database, 2018)
Okay kiddo, do you know about different types of tiny living things called bacteria? They are so small that we need a microscope to see them!
Now, scientists have found many different types of bacteria and they have put them in different groups called phyla (f-eye-la). Just like we have different types of animals such as birds, mammals, reptiles, etc.
But it can get confusing when there are so many types of bacteria and they look really similar. So, scientists went ahead and collected lots and lots of information about these bacteria. They found out about their tiny building blocks called genomes. Just like we have DNA, bacteria have genomes.
These scientists created a special database called the Genome Taxonomy Database. It has all the information they collected about different bacteria and their genomes. Using this database, they could compare the genomes of different bacteria and put them in different groups called phyla.
But it's not as simple as just putting them in one big group. The scientists had to look at how similar the genomes were to each other and create smaller groups called branches within each phylum. Think of a tree with many branches coming out of one big trunk.
So now, thanks to the hard work of scientists and their special database, we have a better understanding of the different types of bacteria and where they belong in the big family tree of bacteria!
Now, scientists have found many different types of bacteria and they have put them in different groups called phyla (f-eye-la). Just like we have different types of animals such as birds, mammals, reptiles, etc.
But it can get confusing when there are so many types of bacteria and they look really similar. So, scientists went ahead and collected lots and lots of information about these bacteria. They found out about their tiny building blocks called genomes. Just like we have DNA, bacteria have genomes.
These scientists created a special database called the Genome Taxonomy Database. It has all the information they collected about different bacteria and their genomes. Using this database, they could compare the genomes of different bacteria and put them in different groups called phyla.
But it's not as simple as just putting them in one big group. The scientists had to look at how similar the genomes were to each other and create smaller groups called branches within each phylum. Think of a tree with many branches coming out of one big trunk.
So now, thanks to the hard work of scientists and their special database, we have a better understanding of the different types of bacteria and where they belong in the big family tree of bacteria!