Malicious Microbes: A Closer look

Everywhere you go, you run the risk of encountering one or another of the germs that can make you sick. Too tiny to be seen by the human eye, these bugs are transmitted by air, food, water, insects and contaminated objects, such as doorknobs.

Let’s have a closer look at these lethal microorganisms.

Bacteria:

They may look harmless even under the most powerful microscopes, but these single celled organisms can cause big problems when they invade our bodies. They reproduce rapidly and excrete toxic by-products. Bacterial infection range from cat -scratch fever to plague (Black Death), but not all bacteria are bad; some, in fact, help to keep as healthy.

Viruses:

Made from nothing more than a strand of genetic material (DNA or RNA), viruses are so simple that they aren’t even considered living things. Yet they can trigger illness by overtaking the genetic machinery of cells within the body. Once in command, they direct those cells to produce more viruses, which, if not stopped, may overwhelm vital organs.

Parasites:

Any organism tat survives by living off a host is called a parasite. Parasites able to latch onto humans vary from tiny single-celled creatures, such as the protozoan Giardia lamblia, to tapeworms 9m long. These nasty creatures can induce a range of health problems, including rashes, fever, nausea, cramps, diarrhea and even miscarriage. Many of the most common parasites are transmitted through food and water.

Moulds:

The airborne spores of these simple plants can cause a variety of infections when they are inhaled.into the lungs or gain a foothold in other dark, warm places, such as the mouth, vagina, or the skin folds. Although these infections tend to strike people with compromised immune systems, they can also occur in people with seemingly normal immune systemdefine. Some of these types are very widespread. Moulds have been reportedly noticed to be the cause of many chronic sinusdefine infections.