How can good germs help your body?
Answers
Germs can creep into our bodies in many different ways without being noticed. Although some can cause sicknesses and infections, such as sore throats, ear infections, and cavities, others are helpful to our bodies. That's right. Some actually are helpful!
The four main types of germs are bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. We'll concentrate on bacteria for now.
You might be surprised to know that your body contains over 100 trillion bacterial cells. That's 10 times the number of human cells! How can your body hold that many bacterial cells? Don't forget how tiny they are: a single bacterium is one-thousandth the size of a regular human cell.
Some of the bacterial cells in your body may cause you to get sick from time to time. However, many of those bacterial cells work with your body to keep it balanced and healthy.
For example, the good bacteria that live in your intestines help your body make the best use of the nutrients in the food you eat. They also help turn what's left over into waste. Without these good bacteria, your body couldn't efficiently process the food you eat.