The unique smell of rain comes from plant oils, bacteria, and ozone.
100 Mind-Blowing Bacteria Facts
Cucumber can cure bad breath. A slice pressed to the roof of your mouth for 30 seconds with your tongue allows the phytochemicals to kill the problematic bacteria.
Pure cocoa can help prevent tooth decay. Naturally occurring chemicals in cocoa beans fight harmful bacteria in the mouth.
All the world’s bacteria stacked on top of each other would stretch for 10 billion light-years. Together, Earth’s 0.001mm-long microbes could wrap around the Milky Way over 20,000 times.
Bacteria on your skin cause your itches. Specifically, bacteria known as Staphylococcus aureus can release a chemical that activates a protein in our nerves. This sends a signal from our skin to our brains, which our brain perceives as an itch.
There are more bacterial cells in your body than human cells. The average human is around 56 per cent bacteria. This was discovered in a 2016 study and is far less than the earlier estimates of 90 per cent. As bacteria are so light, however, by weight, each person is over 99.7 per cent human.
You inhale 50 potentially harmful bacteria every time you breathe. Thankfully, your immune system is working hard all the time, so virtually all of these are promptly destroyed without you feeling a thing. Phew.
Penicillin was first called “mould juice”. In 1928, bacteriologist Alexander Fleming left a petri dish in his lab while he was on vacation—only to return and find that some liquid around the mould had killed the bacteria in the dish. This became the world’s first antibiotic, but before naming it penicillin, he called it “mould juice.”
Putting sugar on a cut will make it heal faster. Pour some sugar on top of the wound and wrap it with a bandage. The granules of the sugar crystals will absorb any moisture that bacteria thrive on. How’s that for some sweet treat?
Most businesses do not see the practicality of having diaper tables. However, they quickly change their minds after being given the idea that women would have to change their baby’s diapers on a bathroom floor. Who knows how many bacteria are on those floors?
The human vagina always holds a small amount of yeast. Even without an infection, the vagina will always hold some kind of fungus. Regular cleaning of this area is advised to prevent the growth of bacteria and infections.
Scientists discovered a new bacteria that lives inside hairspray. Microbacterium hatanonis was discovered in 2008 after isolating the many properties inside the hairspray.
Coffee beans can cure bad breath. Coffee beans are a known odour neutraliser. Perfume shops even make customers sniff coffee beans when trying different fragrances. However, you must chew them if you’re going for deodorizing – drinking coffee can worsen your breath through bacteria. Science, right?
The only food that doesn’t spoil is honey. The water content of honey is a key factor in why it doesn’t spoil. At 17% water content, it dehydrates bacteria which makes it resistant to spoiling.
Wearing headphones for an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear 700 times. Guess that’s what they mean when they call songs an earworm.
Sweat doesn’t stink. Sweat in itself is not stinky, but the bacteria in our skin break the sweat down and cause the odour.
One kiss transfers more than 80 million germs. When Dua Lipa said, “One kiss is all it takes,” she meant more than just falling in love. In one 10-second French kiss, over 80 million microbes are transferred between partners. Sounds pretty icky, but scientists think kissing may boost the immune system through shared bacteria. Similarly, people in long-term relationships were found to have the same bacteria in their mouths. How sweet!
Plants do a lot for your room aside from making you happier. Rooms with plants have up to 60% less airborne mould and bacteria.
The average belly button has 67 species of bacteria. Your mom wasn’t playing around when she told you to clean your belly button. According to research, the belly button is a rainforest of bacteria, with even previously unknown bacteria found in the 60 participants’ navels.
Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times You cover your ears from the natural air when you wear headphones which increases the production of bacteria by 700% in 1 hour. Your eardrum cannot bear an influx of bacteria in that much quantity so it starts to react by painting or hearing loss in the long term.
Headphones can increase the bacteria in your ears. Wearing headphones for just an hour could increase the bacteria in your ears by 700 times. (Ew!)
More than half of our bodies are not human. Bacterial cells outnumber the number of human cells in our bodies. Research has found that the average human is around 56% bacteria. Wow!
The bacteria on your skin cause itching on your skin. Staphylococcus aureus releases a chemical that activates a protein in our nerves and tells our brain that there is an itch.
In your body, there are more bacterial cells than human cells. The average person is made up of around 56 per cent bacteria.
If all of the world’s entire bacteria were stacked together, it would stretch for 10 billion light-years. Here’s another weird science fact about it: it could wrap around the Milky Way over 20,000 times.
Some fish cough. To clear the particles and bacteria out of their gills, the fish’s ventilation cycle is interrupted by a cough.
Wearing headphones for just an hour could increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.
Import of haggis to the US has been banned since the 70s: Scottish haggis is a sheep’s stomach filled with the sheep’s liver, heart and lungs, as well as oatmeal, suet, stock, onions and various spices. This dish has been forbidden in the United States of America since 1971. The reason for this is that the U.S. Department of Agriculture believes that lungs should not be saved for use as human food. The lungs of a sheep can contain bacteria, so the ban is in place with food safety in mind.
Money Is Dirtier Than You Think: Both paper currency and coins can carry viruses and bacteria that can live on surfaces and easily transfer to your skin or onto other objects after touching them. Research has found physical currency changes hands at least 55 times a year or almost once a week. One recent study found banknotes made with cotton or linen fibres, such as U.S. dollar bills, present increased areas for germs and the capacity to retain moisture, which can make it an easier place for bacteria to thrive.
Banknotes are a breeding ground for infections. According to scientists, 94% of the world’s money is infected with bacteria. Researchers at the University of Oxford tested several currency samples for germs and found that the 100 yuan was the dirtiest note, with more than 180,000 bacteria found on it. A relatively “clean” banknote can be considered a euro – 11,000 bacteria.