Germs are everywhere — on hands, in soil, even inside our bellies — but what exactly are they, and are they all bad? This episode breaks down the tiny living things called bacteria, viruses, and fungi in ways a young listener can picture, from helpful gut bacteria that digest food to the soap-and-water trick that pops germs right off skin. Along the way, the conversation connects germs to the bigger natural world: decomposers in a forest, microbes in ocean water, and the invisible allies that keep ecosystems running.