Transcript Microorganisms

Microorganisms
Mrs. McNutt
And
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

a.
b.
S5L4 Students will relate how
microorganisms benefit or harm
larger organisms.
Identify beneficial microorganisms
and explain why they are
beneficial.
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.