What is bacterium?

A bacterium is a tiny living creature that can’t be seen without a special tool called a microscope.

Imagine you have a super small friend who lives inside your body and helps you stay healthy. That’s what a bacterium is like! Some bacteria are good, they help you digest food or protect you from bad germs. Others can be bad, they might make you sick if you eat something that has too many of them.

You find bacteria in places you touch every day, like your hands, your toys, and even on your pet’s fur! They are so small, millions of them could fit on the tip of a pencil. Even though they’re tiny, they can do big things, like making food sour (like yogurt) or helping your body fight off sickness.

You don’t need to see bacteria to know they're there, sometimes you feel their effects, like when you get a tummy ache from eating something that has too many bad bacteria!