In episode 218, we get curious about germs for Myles and Lila of Mobile, Alabama, Hans of Niagara Falls, Canada, Enzo and Emil of Denver, Colorado, and Ethan of Washington. We learn about the different types of germs, whether or not there are good germs, and how we can protect ourselves and those around us from bad germs that can make us sick.
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In episode 218, we get curious about germs for Myles and Lila of Mobile, Alabama, Hans of Niagara Falls, Canada, Enzo and Emil of Denver, Colorado, and Ethan of Washington. We learn about the different types of germs, whether or not there are good germs, and how we can protect ourselves and those around us from bad germs that can make us sick.
Visit the Curious Kid Podcast Website - http://www.curiouskidpodcast.com
Send Us An E-mail - curiouskidpodcast@gmail.com
Leave Us A Voicemail - 856-425-2324
Support Us On Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Curiouskidpodcast
Shop Curious Kid Podcast Merchandise - http://tee.pub/lic/fqXchg3wUVU
Follow Us On Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/curiouskidpod/
Follow Us On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/curiouskidpodcast/
Follow Us On Twitter - https://twitter.com/CuriousKidPod
PODCAST 218: CURIOUS ABOUT GERMS
RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4TH, 2022
D: HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST. WE GET LOTS OF EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTIONS… THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF SUGGESTIONS EACH AND EVERY YEAR. IF WE BROKE DOWN THOSE SUGGESTIONS INTO CATEGORIES, THE MOST POPULAR TOPIC SUGGESTIONS WOULD DEFINITELY BE ANIMALS. IN A CLOSE SECOND, WE GET LOTS OF SUGGESTIONS TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT THE HUMAN BODY. THAT MAKES SENSE, BECAUSE THE HUMAN BODY IS BOTH AMAZING AND FASCINATING. WHILE WE ALL GO ABOUT OUR DAILY ACTIVITIES, OUR BODIES ARE DOING AMAZING THINGS. ONE OF THOSE THINGS OUR BODIES DO TO KEEP US NICE AND HEALTHY IS PROTECT US FROM SUPER TINY, TOO SMALL TO SEE WITHOUT A MICROSCOPE, INVADERS THAT COULD MAKE US SICK. LET’S LEARN ALL ABOUT IT.
O: QUADRUPLE-MAILBAG!
D: QUADRUPLE-MAILBAG!
“HI JACOB AND OLIVIA! WE ARE LONG TIME LISTENERS. WE LOVE LISTENING TO THE PODCAST IN THE CAR AS WE GO TO AND FROM SCHOOL. WE DANCE ALONG TO THE INTRO MUSIC AND JOIN IN WHEN YOU GUYS SAY “MAILBAG”. WE HAVE SO MANY FAVORITE EPISODES THAT WE LISTEN TO AGAIN AND AGAIN. OUR TOP FAVORITES ARE THE EPISODES ON THE TITANIC, BIGFOOT, MERMAIDS, AND PEE AND POOP. SOME THINGS WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU GUYS TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT ARE GERMS, ANYTHING SPACE OR ASTRONAUT RELATED, AND THE HUMAN BODY. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND KEEP IT UP!
MYLES (AGE 8) AND LILA (AGE 4) FROM MOBILE, ALABAMA”
“HI JACOB AND OLIVIA, MY NAME IS HANS. I AM 5 YEARS OLD AND I LOVE YOUR PODCAST. I ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR PODCAST WHEN I GO TO SCHOOL. I REALLY LIKE YOUR MONSTER TRUCK ONE AND I AM A BIG FAN OF MOSTER JAM. I AM CURIOUS ABOUT GERMS AND BACTERIA. I WONDER HOW THEY EXIST. I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON. THANK YOU
HANS FROM NIAGARA FALLS, CANADA”
“HELLO, I AM A NANNY FOR A WONDERFUL EIGHT YEAR OLD IN DENVER, COLORADO. WE LISTEN TO YOUR PODCAST DAILY WHILE DRIVING TO ACTIVITIES. YOU TWO ARE AMAZING AND BRING SO MUCH JOY! THE LENGTH OF YOUR PODCAST IS WONDERFUL AS IT KEEPS ENZO AND HIS BROTHER EMIL’S ATTENTION, AS WELL AS SPARKS MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE VARIOUS TOPICS AFTER THE PODCAST IS OVER. ENZO HAS A QUESTION ABOUT GERMS. HIS QUESTION IS: HOW DO GERMS GET YOU SICK? THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS FOR WHAT YOU’RE DOING!!!
ENZO AND EMIL FROM DENVER, COLORADO
* VM FROM ETHAN OF WASHINGTON
O: THAT WAS INCREDIBLE. WE CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN ALL ABOUT GERMS FOR MYLES, LILA, HANS, ENZO, EMIL AND ETHAN.
D: BEFORE WE LEARN MORE ABOUT GERMS, WHY DON’T YOU TELL US ABOUT THE GROSS QUESTION OF THE WEEK? PREPARE YOURSELVES, EVERYONE.
O: BACK IN 2011, NSF International, WHICH IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATION, DID A STUDY. THEY STUDIED A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLD ITEMS TO SEE WHICH ONES HAD THE MOST GERMS ON THEM. I’M GOING TO NAME FIVE HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. LET’S SEE IF YOU CAN GUESS WHICH ONE IS THE MOST GERMY ACCORDING TO THE STUDY BY NSF INTERNATIONAL. TV REMOTE CONTROL, DISH SPONGE, TOILET SEAT, PET BOWL, AND TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER.
D: OOF, ALL OF THOSE THINGS SEEM LIKE THEY COULD GET PRETTY DIRTY AND GERMY. WHILE YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT THE ANSWER, LET’S LEARN WHAT GERMS ARE.
O: GERMS ARE TINY LIVING THINGS THAT CAN SOMETIMES CAUSE DISEASE OR MAKE PEOPLE SICK. GERMS ARE ALL OVER, EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN’T SEE THEM WITH YOUR EYES.
D: BECAUSE THEY ARE SO SMALL, THEY ARE ABLE TO GET ONTO OR INTO OUR BODIES WITHOUT US NOTICING.
O: YOU WON’T EVEN KNOW THAT YOU’VE BEEN INVADED BY HARMFUL GERMS UNTIL YOU START GETTING SICK.
D: THERE ARE FOUR COMMON TYPES OF GERMS. GERMS CAN BE BACTERIA, VIRUSES, FUNGI, OR PROTOZOA.
O: BACTERIA ARE SO SMALL THAT THEY HAVE ONLY A SINGLE CELL. IN COMPARISON, THE HUMAN BRAIN ALONE HAS ABOUT 86 BILLION CELLS.
D: LIKE OTHER LIVING THINGS, THEY NEED TO HAVE NUTRIENTS TO LIVE. IN THE CASE OF BACTERIA, THE HUMAN BODY CAN GIVE THEM ALL OF THE NUTRIENTS THEY NEED. THEY CAN EVEN MULTIPLY INSIDE THE HUMAN BODY.
O: BACTERIA ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CAUSING COMMON INFECTIONS LIKE EAR INFECTIONS, PNEUMONIA, SORE THROATS, AND THEY ALSO CAUSE TOOTH CAVITIES.
D: ALL THOSE THINGS ARE BAD, BUT IN ADDITION TO BAD BACTERIA, THERE ARE ALSO GOOD BACTERIA. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS A TON OF GOOD BACTERIA IN OUR INTESTINES THAT HELP US DIGEST FOOD.
O: VIRUSES ARE ANOTHER GERM THAT CAN MAKE US SICK. UNLIKE BACTERIA, THAT CAN MULTIPLY INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF ANOTHER LIVING THING, VIRUSES NEED TO HAVE A HOST, OR ANOTHER LIVING THING TO LIVE IN SO THEY CAN SURVIVE. THE HOST CAN BE AN ANIMAL, PERSON, OR A PLANT.
D: VIRUSES CAN ALSO CAUSE DISEASE, LIKE THE FLU OR MEASLES.
O: FUNGI ARE ANOTHER TYPE OF GERM, AND THEY ARE NOT FUN AT ALL. DON’T LET THEIR NAME FOOL YOU. UNLIKE BACTERIA, WHICH HAVE ONLY ONCE CELL, FUNGI ARE MADE UP OF MULTIPLE CELLS. THEY ALSO RELY ON ANIMALS, PEOPLE, OR PLANTS FOR NUTRITION.
D: FUNGI ARE OFTEN NOT AS DANGEROUS AS BACTERIA AND VIRUSES. A COMMON INFECTION CAUSED BY FUNGI IS TINEA PEDIS, WHICH OFTEN GOES BY THE NAME ATHLETE’S FOOT. ATHLETE’S FOOT IS JUST A RASH YOU CAN GET BETWEEN YOUR TOES THAT MAKES THE AREA REALLY ITCHY.
O: FINALLY, PROTOZOA ARE LIVING THINGS THAT HAVE JUST ONE CELL, AND THEY ARE ABLE TO SPREAD DISEASE THROUGH WATER.
D: PROTOZOAL INFECTIONS WILL OFTEN LEAD TO GASTROINTESTINAL, OR TUMMY ISSUES. PEOPLE WHO ARE INFECTED BY HARMFUL PROTOZOA WILL OFTEN END UP WITH THINGS LIKE NAUSEA OR DIARRHEA.
O: PEOPLE GET INFECTED BY GERMS BY TOUCHING SOMETHING ELSE, OR SOMEONE ELSE, THAT ALREADY HAS THE GERM ON IT.
D: AFTER THAT, THE GERMS WILL RELY ON OUR BODIES FOR NUTRITION, AND THE GERMS CAN ALSO MAKE PROTEINS CALLED TOXINS, THAT MAKE US SICK.
O: DOCTOR’S ARE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER WE HAVE HARMFUL GERMS, AND WHAT KIND OF GERMS WE HAVE, BY TAKING A LOOK AT SAMPLES FROM OUR BODY, LIKE A BLOOD SAMPLE OR A PEE SAMPLE.
D: IT’S IMPORTANT FOR DOCTORS TO IDENTIFY WHAT KIND OF GERM IS MAKING US SICK, BECAUSE THE TREATMENTS AND MEDICINES USED FOR THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GERMS ARE VERY DIFFERENT. TO SHARE AN EXAMPLE, A LOT OF PEOPLE GET COLDS. CHANCES ARE THAT YOU’VE HAD A COLD BEFORE. COMMON COLD SYMPTOMS INCLUDE A RUNNY NOSE, COUGH, AND SORE THROAT.
O: I’VE DEFINITELY HAD COLDS BEFORE, AND THEY ARE NO FUN.
D: NOT AT ALL. WELL, GUESS WHAT? COLDS ARE CAUSED BY A VIRUS. ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO TREAT A COLD IS TO TAKE MEDICINE FOR THE DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU’RE COUGHING, THERE ARE MEDICINES FOR TREATING A COUGH, AND IF YOU HAVE A RUNNY NOSE, THERE ARE MEDICINES THAT ARE GOOD FOR THAT TOO. THERE ARE EVEN COMBINATION MEDICINES THAT CAN TREAT BOTH A COUGH AND A RUNNY NOSE. BUT, THERE IS ONE THING THAT WON’T HELP YOU AT ALL IF YOU HAVE A COLD, EVEN THOUGH MANY PEOPLE HAVE USED IT.
O: AN ANTIBIOTIC WON’T DO ANYTHING TO HELP GET RID OF A COLD.
D: THAT’S RIGHT, AND THAT’S BECAUSE ANTIBIOTICS ARE A GROUP OF MEDICINES THAT ARE USED TO FIGHT BACTERIA, BUT AS WE LEARNED, A COLD IS CAUSED BY A VIRUS, NOT A BACTERIA. THAT’S AN EXAMPLE OF WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF GERM IS MAKING US SICK BEFORE WE START THINKING ABOUT DIFFERENT TREATMENT OPTIONS.
O: GERMS ARE USUALLY SPREAD THROUGH THE AIR. THAT’S WHY ONE OF THE BEST THINGS WE CAN DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES, OR OTHERS, FROM GERMS IS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE COVERING OUR NOSE AND MOUTH WHEN WE SNEEZE AND OUR MOUTH WHEN WE COUGH, SO THE GERMS DON’T GO FLYING ALL OVER THE PLACE. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SNEEZING, YOU SHOULD TOTALLY CHECK OUT EPISODE 3 OF THE PODCAST, CURIOUS ABOUT SNEEZING. I THINK YOU MAY BE SURPRISED HOW POWERFUL A SNEEZE IS. ALSO, I INTERVIEWED MY MOMMY IN THAT EPISODE, AND THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN.
D: ANOTHER THING WE CAN DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM GERMS IS TO WASH OUR HANDS OFTEN. IT’S BEST TO WASH OUR HANDS, BEFORE WE EAT, AFTER WE PLAY OUTSIDE, AFTER WE COUGH OR SNEEZE, AFTER WE TOUCH ANIMALS OR PETS, AFTER WE USE THE BATHROOM, AND MORE. ONE MORE THING… YOU CAN’T WASH YOUR HANDS THOROUGHLY IN JUST FIVE SECONDS.
O: YOU SHOULD WASH YOUR HANDS FOR AT LEAST 20 SECONDS WITH SOAP AND WARM WATER.
D: ALSO, THERE ARE LESS OBVIOUS WAYS THAT YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR BODY FROM GERMS.
O: FOR EXAMPLE, EATING WELL AND GETTING LOTS OF SLEEP CAN HELP KEEP YOUR BODY NICE AND STRONG SO THAT GERMS ARE LESS LIKELY TO MAKE YOU SICK.
D: BECAUSE OUR BODIES ARE SO AMAZING, THEY ARE ABLE TO FIGHT OFF GERMS REALLY WELL. THERE IS A CHEMICAL IN OUR EAR WAX, MUCUS, SALIVA, AND TEARS THAT CAN KILL MORE THAN 90% OF GERMS.
O: THERE ARE CLOSE TO 1,000 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF GERMS THAT LIVE IN THE HUMAN BODY. 700 DIFFERENT TYPES OF BACTERIA LIVE IN YOUR MOUTH. THAT’S CRAZY!
D: GERMS ARE ALL OVER, LIKE WE’RE ABOUT TO DISCOVER WHEN WE ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK. ALRIGHT, FIVE HOUSEHOLD ITEMS THAT CAN GET PRETTY GERMY. A TV REMOTE CONTROL, DISH SPONGE, TOILET SEAT, PET BOWL, AND TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER. WHICH ONE OF THOSE FIVE ITEMS HAS THE MOST GERMS ON IT?
O: BY FAR, THE ITEM IN MOST HOUSEHOLDS THAT IS THE MOST GERMY IS THE DISH SPONGE. EWWWWW!
D: THE TOP TEN GERM INFESTED ITEMS IN THE HOUSE, IN ORDER, ARE THE DISH SPONGE, KITCHEN SINK, TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER, PET BOWL, COFFEE MACHINE RESERVOIR, BATHROOM FAUCET HANDLE, PET TOY TENNIS BALL, COUNTERTOP, STOVE KNOBS, AND CUTTING BOARD.
O: I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT A PET BOWL WOULD HAVE MORE GERMS THAN ALL THOSE THINGS, AND IT WASN’T EVEN IN THE TOP 3.
D: FACT OF THE MATTER IS, MANY FAMILIES USE A DISH SPONGE TO CLEAN THEIR DISHES, KITCHEN COUNTERS, AND TABLES, AND ONLY REPLACE THEIR SPONGE EVERY MONTH OR SO. REPLACING DISH SPONGES ABOUT EVERY WEEK, INSTEAD, WILL HELP PREVENT SO MANY BACTERIA FROM CLINGING TO THE DISH SPONGE. EVEN THOUGH IT’S SURPRISING THAT A DISH SPONGE WOULD BE THE GERMIEST PLACE IN THE HOUSE, I WAS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED TO SEE THAT THE TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER CAME IN THIRD PLACE. UNLIKE A DISH SPONGE, WE PUT OUR TOOTHBRUSHES IN OUR MOUTH. MAKE SURE TO CLEAN YOUR TOOTHBRUSH HOLDERS, EVERYONE. THEY MIGHT BE GROSS. WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.
O: 218 - GERMS
D: GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB MYLES, LILA, HANS, ENZO, EMIL AND ETHAN FOR THE KIND OF GROSS EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION THAT REMINDS ME THAT SHARING DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN CARING - WE DON’T WANT TO SHARE OUR GERMS WITH OTHERS, FOLKS. NEXT WEEK, WE GET CURIOUS ABOUT SOMETHING THAT’S NOT QUITE AS DISGUSTING AS GERMS… FLOWERS, FOR LISTENERS IN COLORADO AND FLORIDA. AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.