Bacteria are essential because they break down dead organic material, allowing raw materials once locked up in animal and plant bodies to recycle through the pond community. The bacteria themselves, become food for protozoans such as Paramecium and Vorticella , and these organisms, in turn, feed the insects, crustaceans, and baby fish, building up food chains and creating a pond community. The same principles apply to a forest, grassland, or ocean. This informative text includes color photomicrographs by Bruce J. Russell. This material may be copied for use in student classroom projects and reports.
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