How Clean Are Your Hands?

Take an agar plate

Press your fingers on the agar

Incubate the plate for a few days...for a few days...

Aargh! BACTERIA

More BACTERIA

Bacteria colonies from your hands!

BBaacctteerriiaaThe colourful world of

Bacteria are grouped according to their shapes.

The most common shape is the rod shape.

Pseudomonas fluorescens - soil bacteria

Haemophilus influenzae (yellow) - causes flu

Anthrax bacteria (green), used as weapons by terrorists

Listeria monocytogenes (purple), infecting human brain cells.

Escherichia coli (E. coli)The most common bacteria in the human intestines.

Then there are the spheres.

Streptococcus bacteria (orange) - attaching to human throat cells

Streptococcus pyogenes - in a chain.

MRSA - Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus infects thousands... in hospitals!

A bunch of grapes? It’s the deadly staphylococcus again!

Bacteria ejected out in a sneeze at speeds up to 160 km/h.

So cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze!So cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze!

Some look like noodles!

Leptospira - causes fever, headache, muscle ache, vomiting, jaundice, red eyes, diarrhoea, and abdominal pains.

Luckily, we have white blood cells, our body’s soldiers.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (green) - causes TB, being eaten up by white blood cell (brown).

Shigella (orange), trapped in white blood cells.

Some have flagella to help them move.

Helicobacter pylori (with flagella) - causes gastrointestinal diseases.

Helicobacter

Some stay in the most harsh environment.

Bacillus infernus, found deep below earth’s surface.

Here are some infamous viruses, which are smaller than bacteria.

H5N1 (brown) - Bird Flu

HIV = AIDS

Bacteria, they’re everywhere.

Wash your hands with soap before you eat.