Our bodies are pretty amazing. Day after day, they work hard —
digesting food, pumping blood and oxygen, sending signals from
our brains and our nerves, and much more. But there is a group
of tiny invaders that can make our bodies sick — they're called
germs. Some kids may think that germs are bugs or cooties or
other gross stuff. Actually, germs are tiny organisms, or living
things, that can cause disease. Germs are so small and sneaky
that they creep into our bodies without being noticed. In fact,
germs are so tiny that you need to use a microscope to see them.
When they get in our bodies, we don't know what hit us until we
have symptoms that say we've been attacked! What Types of Germs
Are There? Germs are found all over the world, in all kinds of
places. The four major types of germs are: bacteria, viruses,
fungi, and protozoa. They can invade plants, animals, and
people, and sometimes they make us sick. Bacteria (say: back-
teer-ee-uh) are tiny, one-celled creatures that get nutrients
from their environme