With such a variety of microscopic organisms, it's bound to happen that some do not help anything in the world. I'm going to talk about a few of the bad ones... Many species of bacteria cause disease in humans, animals, and even plants. Humans worry about bacteria that cause botulism (bacteria living in spaces without oxygen, such as cans), tetanus and E. coli. You should know that there are also some good forms of E. Coli living in your intestines. They help break down food and live a simple life (and yes, they make it smell down there). There are also E. Coli that can be passed to you from under cooked meat. These bad bacteria can make you very sick and even kill you. Never eat from a can that looks like this! It has microbes growing all over and they can make you very sick! All of us should have regular tetanus shots. This bad microbe can be found in dirt, on dirty nails or glass. Once it finds its way into your body it will cause horrible sickness. Your muscles contract so tightly they can make your whole body bend backwards. Bad e coli can be found on raw meat and raw vegetables. Always wash your hands with strong soap after touching raw meat and always wash and dry your raw vegetables and fruit. We don't know of any viruses that are good for the world. They are an important piece of evolution and natural selection. Weaker and older animals are more easily infected. Those organisms are removed from the population so that healthier animals can survive. But the virus life cycle, that of a parasite, only hurts the organisms. Some even destroy cells in order to reproduce. And don't think you are the only one to get sick. Viruses attack plants and even bacteria. No organism is safe from damage. Examples of viruses include Rabies, Pneumonia, and Meningitis. This is not fake picture! These are viruses attacking a bacteria. Isn't it creepy how alien-ish they look? The little yellow organisms are the HIV virus attacking a healthy T cell in your body. Another very serious virus causes inflammation in your brain.
Humans are learning that bad microbes are very smart and we are only staying a bare step ahead of them with our medicines. Every now and again a bad microbe will pass through a population, like the plague, so scientists are working hard to make sure they can knock these guys out fast!
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |