Introduction
1. What are germs?
2. Getting germs
3. Germ environment
4. Germ travel
5. Symptoms
6. Water's role
7. Water suppliers
8. Rules
9. Conclusion
Diseases & pathogens
Note on E. coli
What kind of environment do
pathogens like?
Germs thrive where it is:
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Warm Where body temperature is ideal
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Wet Where there is moisture; in dry places they lose water quickly |
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Dark Where it is dark; most germs much prefer darkness over light |
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Rich in Nutrients Where there is food to grow and reproduce |
In other words, inside you!
Now, you might think it's a stroke of bad luck that your digestive tract is an ideal place for pathogens. In fact, the alimentary canal needs to support micoorganisms, because we depend on some of them in our daily digestive processes. They help break food into its components to supply energy or build our bodies. It's an arrangement that benefits both the microbes and us. We provide a home to the "good" bacteria, and they return the favor by helping us digest our food. Problems arise when pathogenic organisms find their way to the same hospitable enrivonment.
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See
the kinds of germs we're talking about |
Lesson
4
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