Harmful and Beneficial Microorganisms. EQ: How can a microorganism be both harmful and beneficial?

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Elaine Chapman
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1 Harmful and Beneficial Microorganisms EQ: How can a microorganism be both harmful and beneficial?

What is a microorganism? A microorganism is an organism that can be seen only with the aid of a microscope. They include bacteria, protozoans, algae, and fungi.

2 What is a microorganism? A microorganism is an organism that can be seen only with the aid of a microscope. They include bacteria, protozoans, algae, and fungi. Beneficial microorganisms produce a favorable result. They are helpful and useful. Harmful microorganisms (pathogens) are likely to have a damaging result. They are also called pathogens or germs. (p. 363)

3 Bacteria Harmful or Beneficial? Both! Read about Bacteria on page 93. (Also can be Harmless.) Fungi Harmful or Beneficial? Both! Read about Fungi on page 95, and on page 364. (Also can be Harmless.) A fungus (fungi is the plural) is neither a plant nor an animal.

5 Beneficial Bacteria: Hidden Helpers in our Body- p. 93 Billions of bacteria in our bodies live in our intestines more than 100 different kinds! (There is enough bacteria in you to fill three coffee cups!) These bacteria help us digest our food to get nutrients. Other bacteria make vitamins to help keep us healthy and disease-free.

6 Yummy Food Thank you, Microorganisms. Bacteria that is put in milk changes the milk to be thicker and slightly sour. Yogurt bacteria helps our bodies get more nutrients from other foods we eat. (p. 93) Yeast in bread is what helps it to rise. Yeast is a fungus. (p. 95) Mold, another type of fungus, helps to flavor the different kinds of cheeses we eat.

7 Medicine Thank you, Microorganisms. Some microorganisms are used to make medicines to fight off harmful microorganisms. We will learn more about this in a bit

9 Harmful Microorganisms (Pathogens): Bacteria on your teeth Bacteria live in your mouth. They like to feed on old food stuck in your teeth. As they feed, they make an acid that makes teeth soft and decay. This causes cavities (holes in your teeth). Their favorite foods are sweet, sugary foods. This is why brushing your teeth is so important!!

10 WANT A JOKE? A mushroom looks up at a kid playing soccer. He asks, Hey, can I play? The kid says, Nope. The mushroom replies, Why not? I m a Fungi.

Harmful Microorganisms (Pathogens): Fungi (p. 364) Fungi are related to mushrooms, but the kind that we get on our skin is a type of pathogen. (It s like mold for people.

11 Harmful Microorganisms (Pathogens): Fungi (p. 364) Fungi are related to mushrooms, but the kind that we get on our skin is a type of pathogen. (It s like mold for people.) Rashes like ringworm and athlete s foot are fungi that can live and grow on our skin. The rashes are red and itchy and can be treated by an antifungal cream from the doctor.

make cheese), but some types of mold are also harmful and will make

12 Pathogen: Mold (p. 95) Some mold can be beneficial microorganisms (like the ones that make cheese), but some types of mold are also harmful and will make you sick if you eat them. Mold is also a fungus. Leave out a piece of bread watch how quickly mold will grow on the bread.

Pathogen: Protozoans (p. 364) Protozoans can live in unpurified water (like ponds, streams, and creeks) and drinking unclean water can cause a person to become very ill.

13 Pathogen: Protozoans (p. 364) Protozoans can live in unpurified water (like ponds, streams, and creeks) and drinking unclean water can cause a person to become very ill. Also, a tropical disease called malaria is caused by a protozoan that has infected a mosquito which in turn bites a human and infects that person. Many people that live in places that have the threat of malaria sleep with mosquito nets around their bed for protection.

Pathogen: Virus (p. 365) Viruses are the smallest known pathogens, but are not considered true living organisms due to the fact that they do not have their own cells.

14 Pathogen: Virus (p. 365) Viruses are the smallest known pathogens, but are not considered true living organisms due to the fact that they do not have their own cells. Viruses need to infect other cells to move and duplicate. They get into our bodies on food, through cuts on the skin, or by breathing them in through the air. Some examples of viruses are colds, the flu, chickenpox, and warts. To help our bodies fight off viruses, we get shots called vaccinations (vaccines). Vaccines put a small amount of the pathogen into our bodies so our bodies get used to fighting it off. (p. 376) (One million viruses could fit on the period at the end of one of your sentences on your paper.)

Spreading Pathogens: Airborne and Contact Some pathogens can enter our body when we breathe. They can get into the nose, mouth, throat, and chest. Other pathogens float in the air and land on us.

15 Spreading Pathogens: Airborne and Contact Some pathogens can enter our body when we breathe. They can get into the nose, mouth, throat, and chest. Other pathogens float in the air and land on us. When on our skin, they can then enter through sores or wounds on the body. Some pathogens on our hands can transfer to food when we handle it to eat it. Lastly, if you come in contact with a sick person or touch somewhere that a sick person has been, you might could catch a pathogen as well. This is why covering your mouth when you sneeze and washing your hands is SO IMPORTANT!!

The Immune System (p. 374-376) God made our body to fight off diseases!

They release special proteins called antibodies to kill the pathogen and prevent it from spreading.

16 The Immune System (p ) God made our body to fight off diseases! Your body makes special cells called white blood cells to keep your body protected from dangerous pathogens. They release special proteins called antibodies to kill the pathogen and prevent it from spreading. After that, your body stores information about that pathogen in special memory cells so your body can more easily fight it off again at a later time. You then build up immunity to that pathogen!

In these bio-vats, the microorganisms float, grow, and feed in a watery liquid.

17 Medicine Thank you, Microorganisms. (p.377) To help our immune system fight diseases, antibiotics are made from microorganisms. In laboratories, bacteria and fungi are grown in large tanks called bio-vats. In these bio-vats, the microorganisms float, grow, and feed in a watery liquid. When necessary, some of the liquid is taken from the tanks and medicine is made. Medicines made from these are called antibiotics. Antibiotics can fight bacterial and fungal infections. (not viral infections) One example of an antibiotic is penicillin, which is made from mold (a fungus).

Name Date Class. This section explains what kinds of organisms cause infectious disease and how infectious diseases are spread.

Name Date Class. This section explains what kinds of organisms cause infectious disease and how infectious diseases are spread. Fighting Disease Name Date Class Infectious Disease This section explains what kinds of organisms cause infectious disease and how infectious diseases are spread. Use Target Reading Skills Before you read,