RIP Mike Nichols. Thoughts and prayers are with you, @DianeSawyer, in memory of your beloved.... Today, @ABC celebrates the life of the mighty Mike Nichols. Our thoughts are w/ our friend @DianeSawyer & her family. Deepest condolences to @DianeSawyer on the passing of her amazing, talented husband Mike Nichols.
Bacteria break down (or decompose) dead organisms, animal waste, and plant litter to obtain nutrients. But microbes don't just eat nature's waste, they recycle it. The process of decomposition releases chemicals (such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus) that can be used to build new plants and animals. That is, chemicals that used to be a flower or a vegetable will eventually become part of another living thing.
Plant associated bacteria may be beneficial or detrimental. All plant surfaces have microbes on them (termed epiphytes), and some microbes live inside plants (termed endophytes). Some are residents and some are transient. Bacteria are among the microbes that successively colonize plants as they mature.