THE MANY MICROBES IN OUR DAILY LIVES
When you think you’re alone, you’re actually not. In the ground, the air, your room, and even your body are trillions and trillions of creatures so tiny you can’t see them. They’re microbes, and they’re everywhere. You’ve probably heard people call them germs— microscopic critters that you have to wash away with soap and water so they won’t make you sick.
Yes, some microbes can cause deadly diseases and infections. But, in general, they have gotten a bad reputation. Most aren’t harmful, and some are even good for you. Microbes in the soil can help plants grow. Those on your skin and in your body can help you stay healthy. Scientists have found that if people don’t have the right kinds of microbes in their guts—the stomach and digestive systems—there’s a greater chance they may have health problems, such as obesity, diabetes, and even certain types of cancer.
A Whole Other Scale
Look at the back of your hand. Millions of microbes are living on just one square inch of skin. Both inside and out, your body has tens of trillions of microbes (a number with 13 zeroes after it). You have about as many microbes as you have human cells in your body. That means half of the cells you’re walking around with are microbial. It’s like you’re only half human.
“If you were asked what are the species that live in your backyard or in your home, you might say there’s a cat, three humans, and a couple potted plants,” says Anne Madden, a biologist at North Carolina State University. “But most of life . . . exists at a whole other microscopic scale.”
Esta historia es de la edición January 2018 de Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
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Esta historia es de la edición January 2018 de Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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Who's Your Cousin?
The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?
Is it possible to die of boredom?
To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL
Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.
SERGE WICH
Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.
ELODIE FREYMANN
When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.
Guardians of the Forest
EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.
APE ANTICS
The Whirling World of primate play
Dr. Ape Will See You Now
HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.
THE LEFT OVERS
A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.
SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?
What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.
