bacteria or bacterium?

Do you know what the difference between bacteria and bacterium? There isn't one! Bacteria is the plural of bacterium. I'm studying the bacteria Bartonella quintana right now. It used to be called bartonella rochalimae. It's the cause of trench fever. Quintana means reccurs every five days which was a symptom of Trench fever. Its also very closely related to Bartonella henselae which causes cat-scratch disease. Bet you didn't know that! You probably didn't care either!

While I'm on little known things that interest me have you heard of Alice in Wonderland syndrome? Lovely name, an often terrifying syndrome. Alice in Wonderland syndrome usually effects children with a lot of adults claiming to have grown out of it during their teenage years. Alice in wonderland syndrome (or AIWS) is a neurological condition where the sufferer experiences a distorted view of reality. One of the most common symptoms and the one that gave it its name is the alteration of body perception. Really just a fancy way of saying parts of them seem wrong or distorted for example a sufferer might feel like they're head is growing up to four times its normal height even though they know it can't be. Time can also be distorted as well as the size, shape of objects etc around them. It can be confusing and scary for people with the disorder. I don't actually have it though!

You know there is some speculation that Lewis Carol based Alice in wonderland on his own experience of the syndrome and he was also a sufferer.

Guess that sounds a bit depressing actually when you write it all down! I'll try and make tomorrows entry a little cheerier!