What are bacteria?

Bacteria are tiny, living creatures that can be found almost everywhere, on your skin, in the air, even in your favorite snack.

Imagine you have a super small, invisible friend who lives on your toy. That’s a bacterium! These little friends are so small that you need a special kind of magnifying glass called a microscope to see them. They can be round like a ball, long and skinny like a pencil, or even twisty like a corkscrew!

Some bacteria help us. For example, the ones in your tummy help you digest food, kind of like how your dog helps you chew up bones! But not all bacteria are friendly. Some can make you feel sick, like when you get a sore throat or a bellyache.

Bacteria also love to copy themselves. When they’re happy and have enough food, they split in two, like how a chocolate bar breaks into pieces. Then each piece becomes a new little bacterium!