Expert: Dana Krempels, Ph.D. - 7/10/2008

Question
Hi D.Dana
i am  mouna
do all germs cause disease?
what is the difference between G+ DND G-?
what does capseed consist of
thanks

Answer
Dear Mona,

Not all "germs" (if by "germs" you mean microorganisms) cause disease.  In fact, relatively few are pathogenic (i.e., disease-causing) in humans if you consider all the species on earth.

I'm not sure what you mean by G+ and G- unless you are referring to Gram staining.  If this is the case, then you can learn all about the difference between Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria here:

http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/bugdrug/antibiotic_manual/Gram1.htm

I don't know what you mean by "DND," but if you write back and clarify, I'll try to help.

Similarly, I don't know what you mean by "capseed," as this is not a term related to bacteria.  Do you mean "capsid?"  If so, this is the protein coat of a virus.  You can read more about this here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsid

Hope this helps.

Dana