Transcript Balloon Bugs

Balloon Bugs
Make your own balloon bacterium
What are bacteria?
• Bacteria are living
organisms.
• They are so small you
need a microscope to
see them.
• They come in different
shapes and sizes.
• They can be found
everywhere!
How big are bacteria?
• Bacteria are tiny! Millions can fit on a
single pin head.
Images: Genome Research Limited
What shape are bacteria?
There are three main shapes of bacteria:
Balls
(Cocci)
Rods
(Bacilli)
Spirals
(Spirochetes)
e.g. Staphylococcus
sp.
e.g. Citrobacter sp.
e.g. Campylobacter
sp.
Images: Sharon Peacock, Oxford University; David Goulding, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; De Wood, Pooley, USDA, ARS, EMU
How do bacteria move?
• Some bacteria have special structures that
help them move. These are called
flagella.
flagella
flagellum
Images: David Goulding, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; De Wood, Pooley, USDA, ARS, EMU
Some bacteria can make us feel ill
Streptococcus
pneumoniae
Salmonella
Typhimurium
Campylobacter
jejuni
Causes a sore throat
and pneumonia
Causes food
poisoning
Causes food
poisoning
Images: Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NID; David Goulding, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; De Wood, Pooley, USDA, ARS, EMU
Are there “good” bacteria?
• Not all bacteria are
harmful. There are
some bacteria that are
used in producing
cheese and yogurt.
This is called
Lactobacillus.
Images: Genome Research Limited
Can you make a balloon bacterium?
Choose from the three bacteria below
Streptococcus
pneumoniae
Salmonella
Typhimurium
Campylobacter
jejuni
Images: Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NID; David Goulding, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; B Wren, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine