Why does copper kill bacteria? Copper can kill bacteria by pulling electrons away from the bacteria’s cell wall, breaking it. There are several materials and chemicals that are good at killing bacteria. Of all the metals, only copper, silver, and zinc can kill bacteria. Some plastics have been engineered to kill bacteria and there are […]
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Why can’t the immune system kill all bacteria or viruses? The immune system can’t destroy all of the bacteria and viruses it comes across because some of them can deflect our immune system and some of them are able to hide. Others multiply far too quickly for the immune system to get on top of
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Who was Typhoid Mary? She was a chef in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who was a carrier of typhoid and responsible for the deaths of several people. Someone who spreads diseases is often referred to as a “Typhoid Mary”, but many people probably don’t realize that Typhoid Mary was actually a real
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Why do some things smell good and some things smell bad? The reason things smell good or bad is a combination of learned experiences and evolution. We smell in the same way that we taste. Everything around us is made of molecules and some of these molecules are released. If they happen to be released
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What is pneumonia? Pneumonia is an infection that causes the air sacs in the lungs to become inflamed and sometimes full of liquid. The word pneumonia was coined in 1603 and it comes from the Greek “pneumon”, which means lung. Pneumonia is caused when viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms infect the lungs. It is a
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How does anthrax kill? Anthrax is an infection caused by a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. Because it is a bacterial infection, it can be treated with antibiotics if it is discovered soon enough. We may have heard about anthrax from the news, but it is a naturally occurring bacteria that has been around for a
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What is a zombie virus? Zombie viruses are ancient viruses that have been frozen in ice, but are being released as the permafrost melts due to climate change. “Zombie” virus is rather a dramatic name. These viruses won’t turn people into zombies and they don’t come from zombies. They are given this name because they
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Do antibiotics kill all of the bacteria in the body? Yes, they do. Antibiotics kill bacteria in the body. They do not work on viruses. We use bacteria when we have an infection and they can be very effective. An infection is caused when we have a wound and bacteria get inside. This is very
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How long do viruses and bacteria live for? It depends on the virus and the bacteria. Also, bacteria are alive, but viruses are not alive. In order for something to be considered alive, it has to meet certain characteristics. It has to have specialized parts that are coordinated. It has to metabolize something to make
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What is botulism? Botulism is an illness caused by a toxin that the Clostridium botulinum bacteria produces. Clostridium botulinum is a very strong bacteria. They are usually found in the soil in spore form, but they grow very rapidly on the surface of fruit, vegetables, seafood, meat, and any kind of food. They like a
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