ABSTRACT
Ignoring a low rate of mutation as a source of heterogeneity, bacterial division results in clonal expansion, with the daughter cells considered to be similar if not identical to the parent cells. Collectively, these cells are called a population. However, bacteria rarely exist as a single species within any one habitat but, instead, are usually found as collections of different species called communities, where each particular species will exist in a particular niche but may well contribute to the maintenance of the entire community (e.g. syntrophism).
