All mysteries
Mystery #2Tier 2microbes / health

Are all germs bad for you?

We're told to wash our hands and avoid germs, so it's easy to think every microbe is out to make us ill. But scientists say only a tiny fraction of microbes are harmful. Are most germs actually... fine?

A bowl of yogurt, a food made by helpful bacteria, a reminder that many microbes are friendly.
Photo: Susan Slater, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Your guess

What's your hunch: are all microbes harmful, or are most of them harmless or helpful?

There's no single magic word to type, have a go in your own words, then reveal the answer to see how close you got.

Make a guess to unlock the hints and the answer.