There are many thousands of known species of bacteria and many more that have not yet been isolated or identified. The vast majority of species of bacteria are harmless. Unfortunately, not all bacteria are harmless. A few species of bacteria are able to cause disease in man and animals. Diseases such as tuberculosis, strep throat, cholera, and some forms of pneumonia, to name a few, are all caused by bacteria.
Pathogens have the unique ability to invade the body, multiply, and cause harmful effects.
Some pathogens produce toxins that have a harmful effect on the body. Each species of bacterium is given a two word Latin name. Different bacteria belonging to the same genus are closely related, but may not be identical. Similarly, different bacteria belonging to the same species are even more closely related, but again they may not be identical. Serotyping is a technique that uses specially prepared antibody molecules to identify specific molecules on the surface of the bacterial cell.