Fact or Fiction: Microbes

There are approximately 10 billion cells in the human body.

(10,000,000,000 cells)

• True

• False

Answer explanation

False; Adults have approximately

30 trillion human cells

30,000,000,000,000 Human CELLS

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-1

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You have trillions of bacteria inside your body right now.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The typical adult human body has about 30 trillion human cells AND about 38 trillion bacteria.

Cells are about the size of atoms.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Atoms make molecules, and molecules make cells. Cells are much larger than atoms!

 It is unhealthy to eat food containing microorganisms (microscopic living things).

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Fermented foods add "good" bacteria to your gut.

(Undercooked or spoiled foods can cause food poisoning though!)

Microorganisms (bacteria) cannot live in extreme heat or cold.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Different species of bacteria inhabit all types of environments!

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NGSS.MS-LS1-5

 Bacteria make up about 0.3% of your body weight.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Bacterial cells are much smaller than eukaryotic human cells!

 Microorganisms (bacteria) produce some of the oxygen we breathe.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The marine unicellular cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is the most abundant photosynthetic organism on Earth.

It lives in the oceans and produces between 5 - 20% of all Earth's oxygen.

Source, Science (https://bit.ly/4aI1bwV) and NOAA(https://bit.ly/3PYsPfN)

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There are over 700 different species of bacteria living inside your mouth.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Source , NIH (https://bit.ly/40G5wMD)

Antibiotics kill viruses.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Antibiotics only work on bacteria!

If you have a bacterial infection, finish your prescription.

The bubonic plague bacteria was responsible for killing one-third of the population in Europe.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Black death, or the bubonic plague of the 14th century killed between 75-200 million people, or 30-50% of Europe's population.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4