INSpiREzine Germs Gone Viral! | Page 66

Germy Gems of Knowledge

1. Bacteria have been on earth for over 3 billion years. In comparison, "humans" (more specifically, members of the genus homo) have only been around for 6 million years ("modern humans", only 200,000 years).

2. One germ can multiply into more than 8 million germs in 1 day.

3. Collectively, all the bacteria in your body weighs about 4 pounds.

4. Less than half of you is human! Human cells make up only 43% of the body's total cell count. The rest are microbes!

5. On average, a single dog lick contains 400 bacterial cells. A human kiss, on the other hand, can transfer 8 million bacteria per second!