bacteria

«bacteria» in Mova's school dictionary: tiny living things, each made of just one cell, too small… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (plural; one is a bacterium)

meaning for a pupil

1) Bacteria are tiny living things, each made of just one cell, too small to see without a microscope. tree →

2) Some bacteria are harmful and cause illness (germs), but many are helpful, for example in your gut, in soil and in making yoghurt and cheese. tree →

sense in the lessons

In science bacteria are one of the simplest kinds of life; they live almost everywhere: in water, soil, air and inside our bodies. In health lessons we wash hands, cook food properly and keep food cold to stop harmful bacteria growing. Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria (but not viruses). Phrases: harmful bacteria, good bacteria, kill bacteria, bacteria grow.

examples

• Bacteria are so small that you need a microscope to see them. tree →
• Wash your hands with soap to get rid of harmful bacteria. tree →
• Some bacteria help us digest our food. tree →
• Keep milk in the fridge so bacteria grow more slowly. tree →
• Yoghurt is made with the help of bacteria. tree →
• Brushing your teeth removes bacteria that cause holes. tree →
• Bacteria can live in very hot springs and in ice. tree →
• Cook chicken all the way through to kill the bacteria. tree →

note

«Bacteria» is plural: «bacteria are», one is «a bacterium». Bacteria and viruses are different: colds and flu are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not help against them. Not all bacteria are bad; most are harmless or helpful.

In the corpora

• Antibiotics kill bacteria but do nothing against colds, which are caused by viruses.
• Microbes are living things far too small to see; a thousand bacteria in a row would just about stretch across a pinhead.
• Milk left out on a warm table goes sour because bacteria multiply fast in warmth and make acid; the fridge slows them down.
• The large intestine soaks up water and salts from what is left, and its bacteria break down some of the fibre.
• Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics if the medicines are overused, which is why doctors do not give them for colds.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «bacteria» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.