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Look around you.

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Look around you.

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Just look around you.

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Have you worked out
what we're looking for?

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Correct. The answer is...

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This programme, "Germs",

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is discussed in chapter 622
of your textbook,

8
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which accompanies this series.

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Please ensure that you have
your copybook at hand,

10
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as you'll be asked to take down
notes from the screen

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at various points
throughout the programme.

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Germs.

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Germs, germs, germs.

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Everywhere, germs.

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Dirty...

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filthy...

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germs.

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But where do they come from?

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Germs originated in Germany,

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before rapidly spreading
throughout the rest of the world.

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They're basically a form
of malevolent bacteria,

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with one purpose, to spread germs.

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An experiment was carried out

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to illustrate just how fast
germs can multiply.

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First, a solution rich in germs is
collected in a Bakerloo bell jar.

26
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We're using some filthy drain water
from an overflowing sewer.

27
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Next, several drops
of the germ-ridden solution

28
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are removed
from the Bakerloo via a pipette.

29
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This pipette is then
taken over to our subject.

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This is Ashley Swain,

31
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a first-year chemistry student
at the University of St Christmas.

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Ashley's tongue is cupped,

33
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and the scientist releases
a few drops of liquid sewage

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into his mouth.

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We're going to see how fast
the germs can spread

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from inside Ashley's mouth
to this man,

37
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Ashley's tutor at the faculty,
Professor Clifford Miles.

38
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Now we take
the professor's temperature.

39
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It's normal. 98.4 degrees.

40
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Note that down in your copybook.

41
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The scientist now instructs Ashley

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to cough in the direction
of Professor Miles.

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The germs have hit their target.
The Professor.

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Let's see how fast
the germs get to work.

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Get ready to take down
readings from the screen.

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Let's see
if there's been any change

47
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in the Professor's temperature.

48
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It's gone up a little: 101 degrees.

49
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Two hours have passed,

50
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and the Professor's showing
signs of deterioration.

51
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Let's check his temperature again.

52
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It's now 103.8 degrees.

53
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After three hours the Professor
is clearly highly feverish.

54
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He's rambling and is obviously
in a great deal of discomfort.

55
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And it's hardly surprising, as his
temperature is 107.2 degrees.

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107.2. Write that down.

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As we can see, in just a few hours,
Professor Clifford Miles' body

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has become completely riddled
with the germs from inside Ashley.

59
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Do get well soon, Professor.

60
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You can pick up germs
from a variety of sources,

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and because they're invisible,
they're almost impossible to see.

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You can get them from nasty places.

63
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For example, if you haven't
washed your hands properly

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after wiping your bottom.

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Sharing a friend's recorder.

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Kissing a dog.

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Or a tramp.

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In the laboratory,
we can cultivate germs

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in order to study
their behaviour in detail.

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An experiment was carried out

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to cultivate
the Milenius mytoteme germ.

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The Milenius mytoteme germ

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is unique
to one specific branch of moth,

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the Brown Maiden,
seen here in our gribbin.

75
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The Brown Maiden is normally found
in shrubland and thickets,

76
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and feasts on tiny grubs
and leaves.

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It's a different sort of moth
to one you'd enjoy in a sandwich.

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They have a rather bitter taste,
but are ideal for our experiment.

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A lamp is turned on, and the Brown
Maiden begins its futile flight.

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As it flaps its tiny wings,

81
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they brush up against
the inner walls of the gribbin.

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The wings are rich in mytoteme,

83
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and soon the walls
are coated in the germ.

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The moth is now free to stay...

85
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or go.

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Next, a cotton bud is used

87
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to scrape off germ samples
from inside the gribbin.

88
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These are then wiped
in a petri dish containing agar.

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The germs are now left
to grow overnight.

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The next morning,
we can examine the results.

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Have your pen and paper ready.

92
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A strange reaction has occurred
in the middle of the petri

93
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in the middle of the night.

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The mytoteme germs
have multiplied so fast

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that they have bonded
to form a plant-like organism.

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Note the little leaves at the peak.

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And underneath, tiny apples.

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This is a fruit-bearing bush.

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It's called Lepidopterus arboratus,
or moth-apple tree.

100
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Moth apples are smaller
than crab apples. Sweeter, too.

101
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But don' t be tempted to eat them
because they're highly explosive.

102
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Now hand in your copybook
to your teacher or head of class.

103
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In the next programme,
we will look at hitchhiking.

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(HORN)