Another Reason Not to get caught in the Rain
Its been raining quite a bit lately, and while I don't really mind the cool weather it brings along, I don't really like getting wet. Now I’m sure all your moms would have told you not to get caught in the rain as you could catch a cold. Well, if the research in this article proves true, you could catch more than just a simple cold when you get caught in the rain.
Tiny particles, what microbiologists call nanobacteria, have been linked to a series of painful and sometimes fatal illnesses. Nanobacteria are 100 times smaller than typical bacteria and have been found in kidney stones, arterial plaques and ovarian cancers. However, the cause-and-effect link between these bacteria and the diseases has not been properly established or proven, and microbiologists aren’t sure how these bacteria infect humans.
These nanobacteria are hard to kill as they can withstand all the typical conditions that would kill normal bacteria. Hence, some microbiologists claim that they aren’t living organisms, but some form of unknown crystals or another form of the newly discovered micro-organism Archea. Such nanobacteria have been observed to build shells of calcium phosphate around themselves and have been found in some of the calcium deposits that cause kidney stones, ovarian cancer and calcification of arteries. This is worrying as such nanobacteria could be the cause for countless other calcification-related diseases, and yet there is no proper knowledge yet on how to kill these organisms or how infectious they are.
The theory is that such nanobacteria can be transported through the atmosphere and “hitch a ride” on clouds to travel across the world. However, researchers say that when brought back to ground level (due to gravity) in their dry, inactive form, such bacteria should cause little harm. But those returning in rain drops, after having been incorporated for some time in long-lived clouds, could pose a bigger problem as they stand a higher chance of being revitalised.
Well, whatever it is, knowing such micro-organisms exist in our atmosphere and in our rain just lends more weight to our mother’s argument to not play, or get caught in the rain. Guess mom does know best!
Click here for the full article.
Tiny particles, what microbiologists call nanobacteria, have been linked to a series of painful and sometimes fatal illnesses. Nanobacteria are 100 times smaller than typical bacteria and have been found in kidney stones, arterial plaques and ovarian cancers. However, the cause-and-effect link between these bacteria and the diseases has not been properly established or proven, and microbiologists aren’t sure how these bacteria infect humans.
These nanobacteria are hard to kill as they can withstand all the typical conditions that would kill normal bacteria. Hence, some microbiologists claim that they aren’t living organisms, but some form of unknown crystals or another form of the newly discovered micro-organism Archea. Such nanobacteria have been observed to build shells of calcium phosphate around themselves and have been found in some of the calcium deposits that cause kidney stones, ovarian cancer and calcification of arteries. This is worrying as such nanobacteria could be the cause for countless other calcification-related diseases, and yet there is no proper knowledge yet on how to kill these organisms or how infectious they are.
The theory is that such nanobacteria can be transported through the atmosphere and “hitch a ride” on clouds to travel across the world. However, researchers say that when brought back to ground level (due to gravity) in their dry, inactive form, such bacteria should cause little harm. But those returning in rain drops, after having been incorporated for some time in long-lived clouds, could pose a bigger problem as they stand a higher chance of being revitalised.
Well, whatever it is, knowing such micro-organisms exist in our atmosphere and in our rain just lends more weight to our mother’s argument to not play, or get caught in the rain. Guess mom does know best!
Tiny particles linked to a number of painful and sometimes deadly diseases may spread across the globe by hitching a ride in clouds, claim researchers in a recent issue of the Journal of Proteome Research.
The particles, known as nanobacteria, are 100 times smaller than typical bacteria and have been found in kidney stones, arterial plaques and ovarian cancers.
But scientists have yet to agree whether the particles actually cause the diseases or how they infect humans. Also unknown is whether the particles are life forms or an unknown type of crystal -- a rift that has sparked one of the biggest controversies in modern microbiology.
Click here for the full article.
posted by CS at 7:33 PM
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