INSpiREzine Germs Gone Viral! | Page 8

GERMS!

By definition, a germ is any type of microorganism that can cause disease. The four major types of germs are bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa.

To understand how germs, in particular viruses, can make us sick, we need to understand the tiniest parts of ourselves - our cells.

CELL STRUCTURE

At a microscopic level, we are all composed of cells. In fact, the average human body is made up of 37.2 trillion cells. Our muscles, our organs, our hair and even our teeth are made up of cells. Every single piece of us!

So what is a cell? Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things - stand-alone living entities able to eat, grow and reproduce. Cells group together to form tissues, which in turn group together to form organs, like the heart and brain.

Cells can have many specialized parts, each with a different function to perform. Human cells consist of a number of parts. Because of their complex make-up, human cells fall into a category of cells called eukaryotes.

The Cell Membrane (aka plasma membrane or cytoplasmic membrane) is a biological barrier that separates and protects the interior of all cells from the outside environment.

Cytoplasm is the jelly-like fluid that fills each cell and is enclosed by the cell membrane. It is mainly composed of water and proteins that have been made by the cell.

The Nucleus serves as the cell’s command center, directing the cell to grow, mature, divide, or die. It also stores DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) - the cell’s genetic material.