About Bacteria for Kids

Bacteria are invisible, living things which are all around us but are impossible to see. You have probably heard about bacteria when being told to wash your hands or in conversations about preventing sickness, but there is more to know about these small organisms than just their role in sickness.

The Basics

• Bacteria are living organisms, though they are not considered to be animals or plants. They are made up of single cells and tend to exist in large packs rather than alone. There can be millions of tiny bacteria in a very small place, because they are too small to be seen without a microscope.

Appearance

• Although they can only be seen under a microscope, bacteria have three shapes. The names that they are given are based upon their shape. The three shapes are rods which are called bacillus, spheres which are called coccus and spiral-shaped which are called spirillum. The largest bacteria that has ever been uncovered by scientists is about the same size as a period typed on your computer screen.

Bad Bacteria

• You have probably heard about bacteria when people are discussing diseases or sickness. This is because in order to stay alive, bacteria feed off of nutrients from things around them. Your body can fall into this category. When bacteria attach to your body they can begin to reproduce and cause infections. Some of the negative things that bacteria can cause in your body are ear infections, sore throats, cavities and colds.

Good Bacteria

• It is tempting to think that all bacteria are bad, but there are some good bacteria. Scientists responsible for making medications and vaccines sometimes use certain kinds of dead or weak bacteria in their research. Your body also needs certain kinds of bacteria to keep things working in an orderly fashion. Some bacteria that live inside of your intestines help your body take in the nutritious parts of food and create waste out of what is left over after the nutrients are removed.

Killing Bacteria

• A vaccine called penicillin is able to kill some kinds of bacteria by creating holes in the cell walls of the bacteria. If you ever have tonsillitis, your doctor may try to treat it with penicillin before suggesting surgery to remove your tonsils. Some bacteria in your home can be killed using bleach. When cleaning your bathroom or kitchen especially, it is smart to use cleaners which specify that they are "anti-bacterial". Bacteria in food can be killed by cooking food thoroughly, using high temperatures.

Random Fun Facts For Kids

• You still can have up to one hundred thousand bacteria living on each one of your teeth after you have brushed. If you like to eat cheese, pickles or yogurt, then you have eaten bacteria because it is contained in these foods.