Biosphere in a Bottle Think about the different places various kinds of plants and animal live. As you know, many, like penguins and cacti, can only live in certain places. Now think about times you've dug a hole in the ground. Closeup of bottle Lots of different kinds of bacteria make their home in the soil. Light provides the energy they need to grow.
Photosynthetic microbes live in specific kinds of light.
To some, too much light is as harmful to them as no light at all. Different bacteria also need different amounts of oxygen. In mud, the surface area has lots of oxygen. Further below the surface, the mud lacks oxygen. In this experiment you'll explore some of the factors that determine where bacteria can live.