Microorganisms

Mrs. McNuttAnd

Mrs. Brown

Essential Questions

What kind of harmful and beneficial microorganisms are found in our daily lives?

How are microorganisms harmful and beneficial?

How can microorganisms be controlled?

Standards

S5L4 Students will relate how microorganisms benefit or harm larger organisms.

a. Identify beneficial microorganisms and explain why they are beneficial.

b. Identify harmful microorganisms and explain why they are harmful.

Vocabulary to know:

Virus Microorganism Fungus

Microorganism

What is a microorganism? It is a living thing that is too small to see without a microscope. It includes amoebas, algae, bacteria, and other tiny organisms.

Some are harmful and helpful.

How can microorganisms be harmful?

Do you know of any examples of harmful microorganisms?

Ever heard of Salmonella or E. Coli, these can make you very sick.

They are found on raw chicken and other meat, raw eggs, and other foods.

Harmful microorganisms

How do you kill the bacteria? By cooking it of course…but if food

is left out of the refrigerator for two hours or longer, harmful bacteria will start to grow on it.

Do you know that you probably have bacteria on your skin right now???

You probably have some staph bacteria on your skin.

Staph can cause pimples and can even cause serious infections of the blood, bones, and lungs if you are not careful.

What is a virus?

A virus is another microorganism that caused diseases.

A virus is even smaller than bacteria. It must use a living cell to grow and reproduce.

Virus can cause colds.

What about a fungus?

Do you know that you eat some fungi?

Can you give any examples? Yeast that is in bread, mushrooms,

and penicillin. These are NOT harmful to you.

How can a fungus be harmful?

You have probably found something hidden in the back of your refrigerator that has something furry and green growing on it.

You do not want to eat this. Why?

Harmful mold and other fungi..

spread through crops and kill them. can rot food and wood. can cause several kinds of skin

diseases like athlete’s foot and ringworm.

So are there really helpful microorganisms?

You might be surprised to learn that we can not live without microorganisms.

Without algae and other tiny plants floating in the ocean, we would not even have enough oxygen to stay alive!

Algae and Plankton

These float on the surface of the ocean and is an important part of the food chain.

Microorganisms and food

Did you know that microorganisms help provide us with food? Can you think of any?

Yes! Did you know that on gram of

yogurt contains 1 billion bacteria!!

Microorganisms and digestion...

Without microorganisms you would have trouble eating any food.

Certain bacteria in our bodies help digest our food.

Also there many medicines that are produced with microorganisms. Have you ever taken penicillin?

Are there any other uses for microorganisms?

Yep! Some help remove harmful wastes from sewage at water treatment plants.

Others can help clean up oil spills. Microorganisms make dead things

decay.