Germs and bacteria are everywhere! Not all germs and bacteria are bad, but many kinds can make us sick. It’s good to have all the facts about germs and bacteria so your students know which kinds to avoid and which not to worry so much about. Here are some fun facts to get you started.

50 Fun Facts about Germs and Bacteria
  1. Germs are living things that cause disease.
  2. There are four types of germs: bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoans.
  3. You need a microscope to see germs.
  4. Bacteria are one-celled creatures.
  5. Bacteria are a type of germ.
  6. There are millions of types of bacteria.
  7. A commonly believed myth is that if all the bacteria on earth were lined up, they would stretch for 10 billion light years. However, this is a slight exaggeration.
  8. Bacteria were first seen through a microscope in 1676.
  9. The human body has ten times more bacteria cells than human cells.
  10. Germs live everywhere and on almost every surface, including skin.
  11. Germs make you sick when they get into your body through your eyes, nose, and/or mouth.
  12. Some foods, such as yogurt, contain good bacteria that help keep the gut healthy.
  13. One thousand bacteria lined up in a straight line would be about one millimeter long.
  14. Bacteria come in several shapes, including spirals, rods, and spheres.
  15. Extremophiles are bacteria that can live in extreme places such as inside rocks or on the bottom of the ocean floor.
  16. Most of the bacteria in your body live in your gut.
  17. There is a type of bacteria that can eat plastic.
  18. There is also a type of bacteria, called Ralstonia metallidurans, that can turn dissolved gold into solid gold nuggets.
  19. Saliva, tears, and ear wax have chemicals that can help kill germs.
  20. A clean mouth still contains between 1000 and 100,000 bacteria per tooth.
  21. Shaking hands usually spreads more germs than kissing does.
  22. The average desk has 400 times more bacteria on it than a toilet has.
  23. Most bacteria have not been identified yet.
  24. When you take an antibiotic, it also kills the good bacteria in your body.
  25. A species of bacteria, called Deinococcus radiodurans, can survive radiation at doses 10,000 times what is safe for humans, making it a potential way to clean up nuclear waste.
  26. A teaspoon of soil can have up to 1 billion germs.
  27. Some germs can live on surfaces for several days while others can only live for a few minutes.
  28. One sneeze can contain up to 40,000 germs.
  29. Bacteria help with the decomposition of plants, which helps put nutrients back into the soil.
  30. The word “bacteria” comes from a Greek word that means “small rod.”
  31. When you cough, germs can spread up to nearly 10 feet away.
  32. Bacteria can reproduce very quickly – some can form billions of reproductions in just 24 hours.
  33. An infection can occur if bacteria gets into a wound on the skin.
  34. One thousand germs could line up on a pencil eraser.
  35. Germs can spread through animal or insect bites.
  36. Germs live longer on plastic than on fabric.
  37. Some types of bacteria can live without oxygen.
  38. Antibiotics only work to kill bacteria – they don’t kill viruses.
  39. Pathogens are bacteria that can cause infections.
  40. Flu germs can live on hard surfaces for 24 to 48 hours.
  41. Germs that cause the common cold can live on hard surfaces for up to one week.
  42. Hydrogen peroxide will kill germs and bacteria.
  43. Boiling water can kill bacteria on food.
  44. The best way to kill germs on your hands is by washing them with soap and water.
  45. Probiotics are good bacteria that you need for a healthy gut.
  46. Probiotics are found in yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha.
  47. Colonization is when someone has germs on or in their body but don’t have symptoms of an illness. These people can still pass the germs to other people who might get sick.
  48. Some bacteria have a tail called the flagellum.
  49. Bacteria cause ear infections, urinary tract infections, whooping cough, strep throat, and tetanus.
  50. Bacteria usually live in colonies of millions.

At the very least, these facts will hopefully encourage proper handwashing, but they can also spur further exploration into just how germs and bacteria impact humans.

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50 Fun Facts About Germs & Bacteria