ScienceAugust 26, 2026
bacterivore
bak-TEER-ih-vor
Definition
An organism, typically a small animal or protist, that consumes bacteria as its primary source of food.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'bacteria' (rod-shaped) and the Latin 'vorare' (to devour or eat). It follows the linguistic pattern of other dietary descriptors like 'herbivore' or 'carnivore'.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe specific types of nematodes that feed on bacteria, highlighting their role in the complex food webs within soil communities.
A single teaspoon of soil from a healthy forest floor contains more living organisms — bacteria, fungi, protists, nematodes — than there are humans on Earth, and most of the species in that spoonful have never been named or described
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com