Good Vs. Bad Bacteria
Your body is full of bacteria, but then so is everything on earth. Bacteria live in soil, air and water, as well as on the inside and outside of your body. But before you go crazy trying to get rid of all the billions of bacteria around you, be aware that many bacteria are good for you.
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Basics
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Bacteria are the second smallest living thing on earth---only viruses are smaller. A drop of water can contain billions of bacteria. Bacteria are usually single-celled organisms that have only one chain of DNA and no nucleus. They are shaped like spirals, spheres, rods or commas. They multiply rapidly in favorable environments and many are aggressive. Bacteria are either aerobic (must have oxygen to live) or anaerobic (can flourish without oxygen). Bacteria were first seen with a magnifying lens in the 17th century by a Dutch scientist. Before the discovery of bacteria, most people thought disease was caused by the devil or some other dark force.
Good Bacteria
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Many bacteria are either harmless or helpful to human beings. Your digestive system is full of billions of bacteria, including Escherichia coli (commonly known as E. coli), which help us digest our food. Other bacteria, like Staphylococcus, are always present on your skin and are harmless. Bacteria are also useful in producing some of your favorite foods, like yogurt, cheese and sauerkraut. Some bacteria are decomposers, cleaning your environment of dead and decaying plant and animal material.
Some beneficial bacteria are known as probiotics, live and active cultures that promote the body's digestive system. In some yogurts, Bifidobacterium may assist in increasing the speed at which digested food moves through the colon. Probiotic supplements may not be as effective as live cultures since the processes of creating these supplements may drastically decrease the benefits of the helpful bacteria.
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Bad Bacteria
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Better known are the harmful bacteria in our world. These bacteria have caused illness and death since human life began. Many bacteria secrete a toxin that causes illness, like Clostridium tetani (which causes tetanus) or Clostridium botulinum (which causes botulism). Some bacteria can be either good or bad depending on their environment. For example, when ingested, E. coli (which helps us digest food) can cause deadly diarrhea, and Staphylococcus (harmless bacteria on your skin) can kill you if it enters your bloodstream through a cut or sore.
Killing Bacteria
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Several methods are used to destroy bacteria, especially in our food supply. Heating food to a particular temperature for a specific amount of time, a method called pasteurization, is used to rid milk and fruit juices from harmful bacteria. Drying and freezing foods can also kill bacteria. Cooking meats to a specific temperature can kill the bacteria that cause Salmonella. Antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria, but not viruses. For example, a course of antibiotics can help cure bacterial meningitis, but not viral meningitis.
Considerations
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Keeping everything too clean may be harmful for you. Human beings build up immunities by limited exposure to harmful organisms. If you were raised in a bubble, never encountering any bacteria, you would be vulnerable once you stepped outside your sterile environment. Even a scratch could kill you because you were never exposed to bacteria. Though there are many anti-bacterial cleaning products on the market, simply washing your hands with soap and hot water for at least 15 seconds before eating or touching your mouth, nose or eyes will keep most harmful bacteria at bay.
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