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ANIMAL CEll Inside our body live millions of fhey need to know more about the tiny bugs. Their real name is way germs live and spread, and micro-orgonisms. That is, they the ways that we can stop them. are far too small to be seen with Let's find out more about germs, only our eyes. We often just call science and scientists ... them germs. There are many different kinds of germs. There are also good germs and bad germs. Our bodies need some germs to help us live and stay healthy. For body fights back using the defence example, when we eat, some forces it has, such as white blood germs change our food so that our cells. Also, some of the organs bodies can make use of the things inside our body (such as tonsils) we need. Others work on the waste help. that our bodies don't need. But germs are at work in your Some germs make us feel sick. body every minute of the day. When we arc not well, some of The work of medical scientists is these tiny bugs are trying to take to research and discover ways to control of our body. Naturally, our fight the germs that cause disease. When was the last time you went to the doctor? More than likely, the doctor looked down your throat; maybe even into your ears. Perhaps he or she took your temperature. This was probably because you were not feeling well - headache, sore throat, a cough. Remember? More often than not, the doctor However, some cause disease. is looking for signs of infection. Measles, chicken-pox, tlu and the Something you can't see may be common cold are all caused by attacking your body, making you germs. Some are deadly. A micro- rganism I ha UI 5C5 feel unwell. There are different types of infection or d'sease may b c.alled What attacks the body are micro-organisms which look and a germ or aug. harmful micro-organisms. A micro­ behave differently from each other: organism that causes disease may for example, bacteria, viruses be called a germ or a bug. Usually, and fungi. One of the group of bugs germs live inside the body without Bacteria are very small, single that does make us sick is called causing harm. But sometimes, they cells. Look at the size of anyone of viruses. Viruses are the smallest break through the normal barriers the full stops on this page. A thou­ and simplest micro-organisms we and attack healthy cells in your sand bacteria stretched end-to-end know about. body. They cause infection, chang­ might just reach from one side of Another group of micro­ ing the way you feel. You feel sick. the full-stop to the other. organisms is fungi. There are It is often very difficult to tell Some bacteria move and more than 100 000 known species one micro-organism from another. wriggle and react to the environ­ of fungi. But the ones that you To see them, scientists use powerful ment immediately around them. know best are mushrooms, yeast, microscopes that magnify them Like the bugs we find in a pond or mould and mildew. a thousand or many thousands of compost, they are almost every­ Scientists use their microscopes times. where. There are billions in a to study the way micro-organisms, Most are harmless. Many are gram of rich garden soil and there especially bacteria, behave. What helpful. Without micro-organisms are millions in one drop of saliva they discover helps fight germs and there would be no life on Earth. (spit). Air contains bacteria. the diseases they cause. Some They are in our bodies and in the The reason we wash our discoveries are so important they environment. Some help make the hands with soap and warm water have saved millions of lives around food we eat; for example, cheese after visiting the toilet or handling the world. and yoghurt. pets, and before we eat, is to kill bacteria that could make us sick. Jean Macnamara (1899-1968) S lent.$ . Born at Beechworth in Victoria. Her work on polio saved many lives and led 0 the lat discov ry of ~ VacCkll:. she aIso helped save Au&tra Ii a and it tann' from ,a pfagu$ of 'rabbi' . sh persuaded gayem!flenb to .introduce: the my~omatt:>si Virus that rid Aus,tralia of millions of rabbi • Up until the time your grand­ containing bacteria overnight What Howard Florey achieved parents were born, people with and in the morning noticed that a (together with others) was to turn infections often died. When the slimy green mould had grown in an interesting scientific discovery germs won their struggle with the the dish. He also noticed that it into a drug for general use. It took body, people sometimes died from had stopped the growth of the him and his team 10 years to cuts, injuries or everyday infec­ bacteria. make enough to try on humans. tions. Soon after, he reported that he He then developed ways of provid­ ing large amounts for use during Imagine! A scratch could had discovered penicillin. His the Second World War. It was a result in a person's death. With discovery led to the development of drug that would save millions of nothing to stop the germs spread­ a series of drugs that we know as lives. ing, the body had to rely on its antibiotics. One day, they would own defences. The bad bacteria change forever the way disease sometimes beat the good ones. was treated. The scientist's name was Alexander Fleming. Thanks to scientists who study disease, your doctor has a But there was still a lot of work number of medical weapons to to be done. fleming's knowledge of fight diseases. To return you to penicillin did not mean it could be good health, the answer is often used to make people well. Turning medicines called antibiotics. the discovery of penicillin into a These arc drugs that destroy the useful drug was the work of an bacteria attacking your body. Australian scientist, Howard Florey. Antibiotics that the doctor Florey's work on penicillin gives you go to work against the meant that it could be made avail­ bacteria inside your body that able for everyday use by doctors. make you feel unwell. But the way to control them was discovered almost by accident. More than 70 years ago, a scientist was working in a labora­ tory in England. He had left a dish HQward Florey ( 898-1968) Sd.entisLs investigllte micro­ organisms to find new way Sdentis -Born ip laide, Florey. studi:ed in o [Ontrolling diseas . En land al1d the 'United Stat-es+' H (,led the team which developed the I'il"St ,antibiotic. penicillin. ': e w~.$ awarded the :ob I Prize for ~r~ T e dl~covery of penicillin Med itine in 1945. Nobel Pnzes awa rded I 0 h de'le opment of each year in Stockholm. Sweden, to the il series or drugs tl1at w wol'fd'~ most outstanding p op~e in differen know as antibiotics. fild of achievement., 'Frank'Macf.arlane Burnet (1899-1985) Scienfist Borh in Traralgon in \1id:ori . O'irecror of th~ What do all the following Wllrter and Ell£a Ha.UhlSlilu~e of Medical ~eaKh (1944~ people have in common'? 1965),A Ii:!ading scientist of hJs'day. Elton John, Madonna, the He developed a method for growrng v'ru 'Ii th~lab­ Spice Girls, Savage Garden, oratory. OJ COy r how lh body immune System works. Leonardo di Caprio. Awarde:d the Nobel Prize for MediEine in 1961). You guessed it. They are aU famous film actors or pop be made well of the world's leading research stars. If anyone of these again soon. But scientists, she was an expert on people came to your it's not the doc­ the polio virus. Before long, she school, you would probably tor who makes became Dame Jean Macnamara in get very excited. You may you well. More honour of her important medical even scream and shout and likely, it is the result of the work of research, especially her work with ask for their autograph. one of the not-sa-famous scientists victims of polio - mostly children. You would probably also want who found the drugs and made Sometimes, the work that out­ the autograph of Cathy Freeman, them safe for everyday use. standing people do is not men­ Mark Phillipoussis, Jelena Dokic, One of Australia's best- tioned on the front page of news­ Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan or known heroes of science is Frank papers. It may not be mentioned Susie O'Neill if one of them Macfarlane Burnet. He increased on the radio or on television. dropped in. Many people think of our knowledge about how viruses Usually, magaZines do nof print these people as heroes. They are. cause infection and the way the stories about the life or work of But what do the folloWing body fights them using the scientists. Perhaps they should. people have in common? Louis immune system. However, Macfarlane Burnet Pasteur, Alexander Heming, One of his most important and Jean Macnamara are impor­ Marie Curie, Howard Florey, discoveries was how the immune tant Australian heroes. They have Frank Macfarlane Burnet, Jean system can tell its own cells from helped save millions of people's Macnamara, Ian Clunies Ross, other people's and from germs. So lives. Isn't that something to get Peter Doherty.

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