Bacteria
“Don’t touch that! It is covered with bacteria!”
Have you ever heard that? Bacteria are probably the most misunderstood living thing in our culture today. We know that they are around, and we’re told to avoid them at all cost. But what are they?
Bacteria are very small, single-celled creatures. Bacterial cells do not have a nucleus, so they are considered by some to be “simple” life forms. But if you talk to any microbiologist they will tell you these critters are hardly the basic, uncomplicated, scary life forms we make them out to be. First of all, there are millions of different kinds. We haven’t even discovered them all yet! They reproduce in as little as a few minutes, and they can “eat” and “breathe” substances that are toxic to other forms of life.
What very few people understand is that few bacteria are harmful to humans–less than 10%. Those that do cause sickness aren’t trying to–they just end up in the wrong place. It isn’t even the bacteria themselves that cause the problem; it’s usually their waste products, and our bodies’ overreaction to them.
For example, the most common sickness due to an overdose of bacteria is food poisoning. If you eat food that is kept too long in conditions that allow bacteria to grow (such as leaving food out on a warm day), you bombard your stomach with a bit more than it bargained for. The waste products that bacteria excrete are irritating to the body, so your body defends itself. If the reaction is particularly strong, you might throw up. As unpleasant as it is to lose one’s lunch, those few moments of discomfort might be preferable to the next option: the body’s flushing of the toxins out of your body the other way. Yeah, diarrhea. If the body goes this route, it makes the body very dehydrated (since your water stores are being used to wash your intestines). If you go to a doctor with such food poisoning, in most cases, all your doctor will say is “keep hydrating!” And unfortunately, that really is all you can do.
Now, let’s get back to the main point here. Not all bacteria give you food poisoning or make you sick (such as the common sinus infection). The vast majority of them don’t hurt you at all, and a good number of them actually help you. Yes! They are GOOD bacteria. Why is it that these little guys aren’t ever on the news at 5:00? For one thing, they help us digest our food. You have millions of bacteria living inside your intestines right now making you feel good. Have you had yogurt recently? What makes yogurt yogurt is “live, active cultures” of–you guessed it–bacteria! You can even see what strain of bacteria you are eating if you read the side of the container. If you take antibiotics, you might have an upset stomach because the antibiotic kills the harmful bacteria and all the happy nice ones too! They didn’t even get a warning, the poor little things.
Bacteria are just about everywhere: all over your skin, in your intestines, on your pen, on your food, in the air. If all bacteria were as scary as we think they are, humans couldn’t exist on this planet. A little knowledge goes a long way when confronting a fear. Bacteria aren’t all bad. Now, this doesn’t mean you should go to the nearest public restroom and lick the floor. No, no, no. I just mean that it’s not worth the energy to be afraid of bacteria and spray your entire home with bleach.
So take a look around and imagine you can see all your little bacterial friends hanging out with you in your office or home. They just want to be loved. So show a little compassion, and give bacteria a break.
