GERMS

ENGLISH ORAL ASSESSMENT 2019

Assalamualaikum and a very good morning.

Today, I, Alya and my fellow members, Nurin, Diyana and Naufal are going to talk
about germs .

A lot of things that you might think are clean, are actually full of germs. The
things that might seem germy are surprisingly clean.

There’s a whole world of germs out there and inside you that affect your
everyday lives.

So, the more you know about germs, the more you can prevent getting sick,
infecting others, or just being gross.

Now, it’s time to get down and dirty.

Question, what is the most dominant species to have ever lived on Earth?

X : Probably dinasours because they’re big

Y : Humans

Z : Maybe a cockroach or sharks?

Hmm let’s see, at one time it might’ve been the dinasour … but they’re extinct
now. Sharks have been around since prehistoric times and certainly rule the
seas .. but they’re not too scary on land.

Y : So it must be the human, right?

Well, a human couldn’t survive a nuclear bomb, but they say a cockroach could!
So what do you think?

Z : It must be the cockroach then

Nope, the most dominant species is actually BACTERIA !

There are four quadrillion quadrillion bacteria living on Earth. That’s 500 billion
billion times the number of people on the planet ! There are more germs than
there are stars in the universe. But while germs might dominate us, could they
also outweigh us?

X : Germs weigh almost nothing right?

Well, if you were to pile all the bacteria on one side of a scale and on the other
side, the combined weight of every person on Earth, which would weigh more?

Y : Obviously humans, right?

Wrong. Turns out, the bacteria would weigh more than 3000 times the weight of
all people put together !

Heavy right?

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Why can’t we just kill all these germs? I mean
like can you imagine a world without germs? You would never get sick again or
have to miss out on fun things because of a cold. You could drop mac&cheese on
the floor and still eat it … nah just kidding

A world without germs would .. actually look like this * picture * That’s right.
Without germs, all life would be wiped out.

That’s because germs play a role in breaking down dead organisms and waste
and help turn them into new life-forms. But not all germs are created equal.

The key to staying healthy is knowing the difference between the harmful germs
and the good germs and knowing where to find them.

Now, let’s take a look at our friend here : MR SPONGE

The harder he works at cleaning, the more germs he leaves behind.

Z : Hmm. Why is that

It’s because the same things that make a sponge so good at absorbing water and
soap, make it perfect for sucking up germs. Lab tests have found up to 54 billion
bacteria in a single cubic centimeter of sponge, the size of a sugar cube.

But let’s see what these baddies really look like

This fella right here * picture * is Helicobacter Pylori which is the common cause
of stomach bugs

And how would you like to dine with this fella * picture *, well not unless you’re a
fan of diarrhea. Eurgh Sayonara.

How about the next one, * picture * Oh no! it’s the influenza virus. Bail out !

So, a sponge is an example of something much dirtier than you thought it was.
But what about other things you use every day ?
Okay, say you had to eat dinner off of one of these things. Which one would you
pick?

1. A cutting board
2. An Ipad
3. The toilet seat in your bathroom

So which would you rather choose ?

Let me guess. Like most people, you’d probably say cutting board right? And like
most people, you’d be wrong.

So it must be the Ipad, hmm Nope

X : Wait a second, It can’t be ….

Z : I refuse to believe it

Yup ! it’s the toilet seat

It turns out your cutting board is full of tiny knife grooves that can become
microscopic caves for germs, no matter how much you rinse. Then, there’s your
Ipad. Not only do you touch it all day after touching who knows what, but it’s
rarely, if ever, gets cleaned, making it a germ factory. Both contains more
bacteria than a public toilet seat. But why is that ?

Well, most toilet seats get cleaned regularly, and they come into contact with a
part of you that is less exposed to germs in your daily life, unlike the most
exposed part of your body.

Raise your hands if you know what that is, because the answer is … your hands.
Turns out, your hands are the perfect way to spread germs. It’s kinda like having
these at the end of your arms. Everytime you touch something, you transmit
germs to the object and the more you or other people touch it, the germier it gets.
But there’s one thing that we all do that’s guaranteed to get you sick.

There, look at them quick

Hmm? Right there.

Thousands of microbes just found a new home.

A handshake might be a polite way to greet a friend, but it’s an even better way
to get each other sick.

BACTERIA ANALYSIS ( PP )

Y : So, what if they were to high-five instead?

The shorter duration of contact in a high-five means that a high-five can be up to

two times cleaner. However, since a high-five still puts your whole hand in
contact, a high-five still transmits germs.
Sorry guys

But wait !!!!! there’s still one other option ! Can you think what it might be ?

Err.... No

X : What about a fist-bump ?

Yay

It turns out a fist-bump is over 20 times more hygienic than a handshake and 10
times cleaner than a high-five. Boom !

Here’s the thing, no matter how you greet your friends, the best things you can
do are, stay home when you’re sick, cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough,
and wash your hands often. Scientists recommend at least 6 times a day.

But wait a sec !

We just got done saying that you can’t survive in a world without germs
remember?

And now we’re telling you to wash your hands 6 times a day to avoid them

Hey what gives ?

Well to answer that, first we need to answer a more basic question. What are
germs ?

There are 4 main categories of germs. Let’s meet them.

1. Bacteria
2. Virus
3. Fungi
4. Protozoa

Whether it’s infections, illness, rashes, or parasites, any one of these germs could
be bad for you.

But wait ! if these germs are so bad for us then how is it we can’t live without
them? As it turns out, there are also good germs and everyday inside your gut,
the battle rages on. The good germs inside your body are known as the
microbiome.

Here to tell us more, is our science friend , ___________________

Your microbiome helps you out in a bunch of ways, it helps you burn calories and
store nutrients. It also helps you get rid of waste in your body. Most importantly,
the good germs are like your own personal army fighting back against bad germs.
So, the more good germs you build up, the more protection you have against
whatever harmful infections and bacteria you come in contact with. So, in other
words, your gut’s totally got your back and lucky for you, your good germs roll
deep. Inside your body, you have 30 trillion human cells, they’re what makes you,
You. But there are roughly 39 trillion bacteria cells in your microbiome. So
technically, you, me, everyone you know is actually more microbe than human.

But did you ever wonder how germs get into your body to begin with?

Well, one of the main ways is from eating them. Disgusting right? I mean like who
the heck would eat germs right?

Let’s find out in the next experiment. It’s called the plating game !

I hope you’re hungry, you hungry guys ? because I’m about to give you a choice of
things to eat.

A : Would anyone like a nice big plate of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae?

B : How about – Strephylococcus Thermophiles ?

C : How about – Strephylococcus Xylosus ?

D : And for our forth and final option – Pepperoni Pizza

So, which would you choose to eat?

Would it be A, B, C, or D

You probably picked “ D “ right? Because who doesn’t like pepperoni pizza ?

It wasn’t much of a choice, was it? But there’s just one catch about those other
things you didn’t choose.

The first one is also known as yeast. Which can be found in bread or pizza crust !
Hmm let’s talk about our second one, commonly found in …. Cheese, which is also,
that’s right, in your pizza. What about the third one, which might sound like a
bad infection, but is actually a microbe commonly found in meat or pepperoni !

As a sweet reward, how about some Lactobaccilus Acidophilus? That’s right,

frozen yogurt has germs too.

The truth is, there are bacteria in a lot of the foods you eat, and they aren’t just
delicious, they’re nutritious. We call these helpful bacteria, probiotics. Probiotics
can help knock out nausea, beat bad breath and even drop-kick diarrhea.

Yes ! Another win for the good germs. Like I always say, if you can’t beat them,
eat them.

Just as you saw, germs are here to stay and that’s a good thing as long as you take
the proper precautions to stay clean.