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Most childhood vaccines are 90–99% effective in preventing disease. Side effects are rarely serious.
Bacteria have been found alive in a lake buried one half mile under ice in Antarctica.
The average human gut is home to perhaps 500 to 1,000 different species of bacteria.
Certain rare plants containing cyanide include apricot pits and a type of potato called cassava. Fortunately, only chronic or massive ingestion of any of these plants can lead to serious poisoning.
The most dangerous mercury compound, dimethyl mercury, is so toxic that even a few microliters spilled on the skin can cause death. Mercury has been shown to accumulate in higher amounts in the following types of fish than other types: swordfish, shark, mackerel, tilefish, crab, and tuna.