Myth
Phages infect people like flu.
Reality
They infect bacteria. Human viral diseases are a different chapter.
Internet shops sometimes sell 'phage' as a cure-all. Biology is narrower: one phage, one kind of bacterium, often one strain.
Myths below are common queries. They are not a prescription and not a protocol.
Myths vs evidence
Myth
One phage kills all bacteria.
Reality
Host range is usually narrow. That is a safety feature and a logistical headache.
Myth
Phage therapy is a secret they hide.
Reality
It is published, regulated unevenly, and limited by matching. Secrecy is the wrong plot.
Myth
You should isolate phages at home.
Reality
This atlas forbids that how-to. Environmental samples can include pathogens you did not want.
Myth
Phages make antibiotics obsolete.
Reality
They may share the load someday. Surgery, vaccines and stewardship will still exist.
Myth
More phages in a smoothie is always healthier.
Reality
You already host a virome. Random extra particles are not a diet plan.
If a claim says phages will replace every antibiotic next year, ask who matches the strain and who regulates the vial.
Keep exploring
More in Tree of microbes
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Single-celled prokaryotes with cell walls ? the oldest widespread life form, and both partners and pathogens.
Familiarity 95Viruses
Packets of DNA or RNA that are not cells — they replicate only inside living hosts.
Familiarity 96Fungi
A eukaryotic kingdom of yeasts, moulds and mushrooms — chitin walls, external digestion, partners of plants.
Familiarity 80Archaea
A prokaryotic domain that is not bacteria — methanogens, extremophiles and no known human pathogens.
Familiarity 35Protozoa
Motile unicellular eukaryotes — a teaching grade that includes pond ciliates and a minority of serious parasites.
Familiarity 58