Germs Make Me Sick

Germs Make Me Sick

You wake up one morning. But you don't feel like getting out of bed. Your arms and legs ache. Your head hurts. You have a fever. And your throat is sore. “ I'm sick, " you say. “ I must have caught a germ. Everyone knows that germs can make you sick. But not everyone knows how. Hurry or you will be late for school! Rise and Shine! He's Sick as a dog.

Germs are tiny living things. They are far too small to see with your eyes alone. In fact, a line of one thousand germs could fit across the top of a pencil! There are many different kinds of germs. But the two that usually make you sick are bacteria and viruses.

Under a microscope, some bacteria look like little round balls. Others are as straight as rods. Still others are twisted in spiral shapes. Viruses are far tinier than bacteria. Some look like balls with spikes sticking out on all sides. Others look like loaves of bread or like tadpoles. There are even some that look like metal screws with spider legs.

Germs, such as bacteria and viruses, are found everywhere. They are in the air you breathe, in the food you eat, in the water you drink, and on everything you touch. They are even on your skin and in your body. You should wash your hands before you eat that!

Although germs are all around, they do not always make you sick. Many germs are not harmful. Also, your body keeps out harmful germs most of the time. Your skin blocks the germs. As long as there are no cuts or scratches on your skin, germs can't get in.