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/sci/ - Science & Math

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9091353 No.9091353 [Reply] [Original]

If you wave your hand in the air, do the bacteria and viruses on the surface of your hand's skin go flying everywhere or do they cling to the surface?

>> No.9091355

Depends.

>> No.9091365

>>9091355
On what, acceleration?

>> No.9091555

>>9091365

On several factors.

>> No.9091556

>>9091555
Name three.

>> No.9091557

>>9091353
it doesnt depend on anything, they just stay on the surface. have you ever had an ant on you? it's not going to fly off if you wave your arm around

>> No.9091560

Yes they do, in fact if you wave your hands long and quickly enough only the bacteria embedded deepest in the skin will remain.

>> No.9091562

>>9091557
Well, it kind of will if you wave it really hard. People shake ants off.

>> No.9091580

>>9091556

Gravitation, atmospheric pressure and altitude.

>> No.9091596

>>9091557
>it doesnt depend on anything
What if there's also a really strong wind blowing when you're waving your hand in the air?

>> No.9091609

pretty sure they have a number of attachment factors that help them adhere to the surface and each other. Most flying off would probably be on dead skin particles that get sloughed off.

>> No.9092956
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9092956

Basic high school biology experiment. Culture media in a petri dish. Make a fingerprint. Wave you hand in the air. Another fingerprint. Incubate 24 - 48 hrs at 98 degrees F. Results?
Bacteria have two obvious means of attachement, flagella & pilli. I get upset when my wife squeezes all the soap out of the dish sponge because that increases bacteria, not decreases them as soap breaks their attachement. (oh, you didn't know? soap doesn't kill bacteria, it just allows them to be washed down the drain)

>> No.9093168

>>9092956
>oh, you didn't know? soap doesn't kill bacteria, it just allows them to be washed down the drain
That's common knowledge, dude.

>> No.9093380

>>9092956
I thought the suds acted as a lysing agent

>> No.9093389

>>9091353
aren't they sticky with all the cillia and the glycoproteins?
only read microbiology 101 though so don't take my word for it

>> No.9093394

>>9093380
it emulsifies lipids so organic surfaces of phospholipids etc get in the water, iirc

>> No.9093442

>>9092956
>squeezes all the soap out of the dish sponge

What do you mean by this?

>> No.9093662

>>9093442
When you are done using a sponge you can store it wet and soaked in soap/detergent or dry. His wife prefers to store it dry.