Here are a few facts that we can start with. Bacteria are simple, single-celled organisms. They have no organized organelles and genetic material is distributed throughout the inside of the cell. This complex of molecules is far more than a simple covering and it is where interesting things happen both for the bacteria and for us in our story. We will begin with picking out the bacteria we are interested in and separating them from the rest.
Biological science is built upon classifying distinctions among organisms.
One way scientists have grouped bacteria is by using a method called the Gram Stain. Hans Christian Gram was a scientist who discovered that if you put certain chemical pigments onto bacteria colonies, some would hold the dye and show up clearly under a microscope and others would not retain it. There are other groupings and types but these are the two we care about. Think of a balloon wrapped in plastic wrap. In bacteria, the strength of this wrapping comes from the materials that it is composed of and also how thick they are.