Microbes On 8-Year-Old Boy’s Handprint After Playing Outside
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Tasha Sturm, a lab technician at Cabrillo College in California, has created an extraordinary set of images that illustrate the diverse world of microbes that lives on our skin. This colorful petri dish is full of bacteria, yeast, and fungi that were found on her 8-year-old son’s hand after he finished playing outside.
Sturm explained the process on Microbe World, where she posted the images. She used tryptic soy agar, which forms a nutritious jelly perfect for growing microbial cultures. After her son pressed his hand gently into the gel, she incubated it and let the bacteria flourish for a few days. Though the resulting petri dish should be treated as a biohazard, it should also be noted that having both harmful and good bacteria on your hands and skin is normal. To the displeasure of germaphobes though, exposure to safe amounts and types of bacteria ensures a healthy ‘microbiome,’ immune system and digestive tract.
The different visible structures of these bacterial colonies grown in the handprint reflect their microscopic characteristics. Microbes with and without protective membranes or flagella (which allow them to swim) will all create colonies of different colors, shapes, textures, and sizes.
More info: microbeworld.org (h/t: colossal)
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XD Clean freaks are idiots... We have an IMUNE SYSTEM, you know? Them cute little white blood cells that fight off infections... Washing hands and using bleach kills germs.... Temporarily, but not only does it weaken that immune system that you need to stay alive but it MAKES THE BUGS STRONGER... So next time you get an infections and you die from it, IT IS NOT BECAUSE YOU WERENT CLEAN ENOUGH it is because YOU WERE NOT DIRTY ENOUGH!!!!
I think it doesnt hurt to keep your hands clean. Dont go overboard but within reason...
"Next time you get an infections and you die from it" It's like we'd be able to die more than once?
I thought it was less for clean freaks and more because it's pretty to look at...
No, people who don't think you need to wash your hands and use excessive exclamation points while calling others idiots... are idiots. Calm down. It's basic common sense to wash up. Also, "next time you die"? You were saying about idiocy...?
Yes, that is my brothers reasoning for not bathing. He'll freaking outlive us all. Not that anyone would dare go near him anyway, He is 72 now.
yeah right --"
Thank you, Captain Obvious
Only one in ten cells in the body actually belong to you. It's amazing how so many people go about their lives without the knowledge that they are the spawning ground for countless organisms and species. I like it. It makes me feel like a god.
Whoa whoa bro I agree completely but calm down. When did they say the bacteria was bad? I must have missed that.
Yeah, I agree with you.
These are really amazing. I have always believed that if we could all see what's really on our hands/bodies all the time we would be in the bath every half hour lol.
No, just you :) (jk) but seriously, being paranoid about dirt and germs is what decreases immunity and gives rise to allergies. People should take less baths and get dirty more. As someone said earlier, unless is radioactive, it won't kill you.
I'd still prefer that people wash their hands before cooking my food.
Relax. Playing in the dirt is not going to hurt anyone. Unless it's, you know, beside a radioactive plant. This only serves to make people more afraid of things they don't need to be afraid of.
No, it's OK to be afraid of your kids eating mud pies or putting their mouths on the school water fountain.
I have the fear of looking at lines and dots.... Now this is creeping me out
Me too.. thankfully there are no groups of holes.
I think these photos should show how versatile the microbes on the hands are; the different colors, shapes and textures signify that they're different kinds of microbiomes, but it should not scare parents (or anyone for that matter) microbes are a normal part of the human body. They won't hurt you if you maintain a moderate level of cleanliness. Being clean is a good thing, but don't go overboard and fear the microflora that simply exist on you. They're just as part of you as your skin and tissue!
bacterial art!
My mom always told me to wash my hands without having to see a microbes hand print. Wash your hand when you get home from out doors and wash your hand after using the bathroom. : P I will do the same for my baby boy, not because I saw this picture and I'm freaking out, it is just comment sense to wash my hands from the education I got at home. This is pretty cool to see tho ! :P
If his hands looked like that immediately after visiting a hospital or doctors office, then I might have a problem. Having "germs" from playing outside, not so much. Hence the reason all parents should ask their kids to "wash up before dinner!"
Spare a thought for OCD sufferers before publishing these sort of images as a leader. Among the most bacteria laden items are mobile phones and toothbrushes in shared bathrooms BTW
wow, what the hell?! what was he playing with?!
Did you read the article? This is not what wiped off his hand. He made a handprint in bacteria-friendly jelly and this is a picture of the petri dish after several days of growth.
Did you? It very clearly states he played OUTSIDE before that.
this is so awesome! I always loved the petri dishes we did in high school science!! .... gross but awesome :)
Concerned about doctors not washing hands between patients, a hospital did the same with their hands. The experiment did serve to increase hand washing/sanitizing among the hospital's doctors.
microbes are beautiful
Interesting shapes
Beautiful!
interesting
He was just having fun
OK?
XD Clean freaks are idiots... We have an IMUNE SYSTEM, you know? Them cute little white blood cells that fight off infections... Washing hands and using bleach kills germs.... Temporarily, but not only does it weaken that immune system that you need to stay alive but it MAKES THE BUGS STRONGER... So next time you get an infections and you die from it, IT IS NOT BECAUSE YOU WERENT CLEAN ENOUGH it is because YOU WERE NOT DIRTY ENOUGH!!!!
I think it doesnt hurt to keep your hands clean. Dont go overboard but within reason...
"Next time you get an infections and you die from it" It's like we'd be able to die more than once?
I thought it was less for clean freaks and more because it's pretty to look at...
No, people who don't think you need to wash your hands and use excessive exclamation points while calling others idiots... are idiots. Calm down. It's basic common sense to wash up. Also, "next time you die"? You were saying about idiocy...?
Yes, that is my brothers reasoning for not bathing. He'll freaking outlive us all. Not that anyone would dare go near him anyway, He is 72 now.
yeah right --"
Thank you, Captain Obvious
Only one in ten cells in the body actually belong to you. It's amazing how so many people go about their lives without the knowledge that they are the spawning ground for countless organisms and species. I like it. It makes me feel like a god.
Whoa whoa bro I agree completely but calm down. When did they say the bacteria was bad? I must have missed that.
Yeah, I agree with you.
These are really amazing. I have always believed that if we could all see what's really on our hands/bodies all the time we would be in the bath every half hour lol.
No, just you :) (jk) but seriously, being paranoid about dirt and germs is what decreases immunity and gives rise to allergies. People should take less baths and get dirty more. As someone said earlier, unless is radioactive, it won't kill you.
I'd still prefer that people wash their hands before cooking my food.
Relax. Playing in the dirt is not going to hurt anyone. Unless it's, you know, beside a radioactive plant. This only serves to make people more afraid of things they don't need to be afraid of.
No, it's OK to be afraid of your kids eating mud pies or putting their mouths on the school water fountain.
I have the fear of looking at lines and dots.... Now this is creeping me out
Me too.. thankfully there are no groups of holes.
I think these photos should show how versatile the microbes on the hands are; the different colors, shapes and textures signify that they're different kinds of microbiomes, but it should not scare parents (or anyone for that matter) microbes are a normal part of the human body. They won't hurt you if you maintain a moderate level of cleanliness. Being clean is a good thing, but don't go overboard and fear the microflora that simply exist on you. They're just as part of you as your skin and tissue!
bacterial art!
My mom always told me to wash my hands without having to see a microbes hand print. Wash your hand when you get home from out doors and wash your hand after using the bathroom. : P I will do the same for my baby boy, not because I saw this picture and I'm freaking out, it is just comment sense to wash my hands from the education I got at home. This is pretty cool to see tho ! :P
If his hands looked like that immediately after visiting a hospital or doctors office, then I might have a problem. Having "germs" from playing outside, not so much. Hence the reason all parents should ask their kids to "wash up before dinner!"
Spare a thought for OCD sufferers before publishing these sort of images as a leader. Among the most bacteria laden items are mobile phones and toothbrushes in shared bathrooms BTW
wow, what the hell?! what was he playing with?!
Did you read the article? This is not what wiped off his hand. He made a handprint in bacteria-friendly jelly and this is a picture of the petri dish after several days of growth.
Did you? It very clearly states he played OUTSIDE before that.
this is so awesome! I always loved the petri dishes we did in high school science!! .... gross but awesome :)
Concerned about doctors not washing hands between patients, a hospital did the same with their hands. The experiment did serve to increase hand washing/sanitizing among the hospital's doctors.
microbes are beautiful
Interesting shapes
Beautiful!
interesting
He was just having fun
OK?