The Human Microbiome

Match the following creatures with their descriptions.

• Organisms that decompose organic material.

• Aliens

• Microscopic organisms that can be found everywhere.

• Fungi

• Hypothetical extraterrestrial beings.

• Eyelash mites

• Tiny mites that live on human eyelashes.

• Bacteria

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Hey there, science whiz! Can you tell us what we call those tiny, invisible bacteria that happily live in and on our bodies?

• Microbiome

• Biome

• Microorganisms

• Invisible creatures

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Guess what? The bacteria in our bodies have a combined weight! Can you take a wild guess at how much the bacteria in the microbiome of one human weigh?

• Is it around 2 to 5 pounds?

• Could it be 10 to 20 pounds?

• Maybe it's 100 to 200 pounds?

• Or is it a whopping 1000 to 2000 pounds?

Did you know that there are tiny little creatures living in your gut right now? They have an important job to do: (a)  

• Do they break down your food?
• Or do they protect your body from i
• Maybe they invade your body?
• Or do they digest your food?

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Imagine you could count all the bacteria in one person's microbiome. Now, compare that number to the total population of Earth. How do they stack up?

• They're about the same

• The bacteria would outnumber us 10 to 1

• The bacteria would outnumber us by millions

• The bacteria would outnumber us by billions

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Ready for a fun fact? Can you guess the main type of microorganism that's partying in your human microbiome?

• Funky Fungi

• Bodacious Bacteria

• Eyelash Party Mites

• Alien Invaders

Match the following bacteria habitats with their meals.

• Nose and mouth bacteria

• Do they feast on our skin?

• Various bacteria

• Or do they enjoy a variety of different things?

• Gut bacteria

• Do they snack on our nose and mouth?

• Skin bacteria

• Do they gobble up our gut?

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Imagine you're a tiny bacterium! What would you need from the human body to thrive and party?

• Yummy food and a cozy living space

• A shield to protect from nasty infections

• A personal chef for digestion of food

• A wardrobe full of different shapes

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Match the following descriptions with the correct type of bacteria or infection.

• A type of bacteria that aids in digestion and boosts immunity.

• Or, is it a type of infection caused by that spoiled pizza you ate last night?

• An upset stomach after eating contaminated food.

• Could it be a type of infection caused by some naughty bacteria?

• An infection resulting from bacteria that disrupts normal body functions.

• Is it a group of harmful bacteria partying inside our body?

• A type of bacteria that can cause diseases.

• Or, is it a group of helpful bacteria working tirelessly for our well-being?

Imagine you're a detective, and you're trying to figure out how those pesky harmful bacteria sneak into our human microbiome. Any ideas?

• They slip in through tiny cuts on our skin

• They hitch a ride on some spoiled food we eat

• They float in through the air we breathe

• They use all of these sneaky methods!