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What is a microorganism?. It is a living thing too small to see without a microscope. Let’s look at examples of microorganisms. Bacteria. Bacteria are single-celled organisms (made of one cell). They are found everywhere. They come in three shapes. Round (coccus). Rod (bacillus).
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What is a microorganism? It is a living thing too small to see without a microscope.
Bacteria are single-celled organisms (made of one cell). They are found everywhere.
They come in three shapes. • Round (coccus) • Rod (bacillus) • Spiral (spirillum)
Some make their own food. Example – cyanobacteria. (producer – makes own food)
Other bacteria are consumers. (Has to find food and eat it.)
Beneficial uses of bacteria. • Provides nitrogen for plants. • Fixes the soil (changes the nitrogen to a form the plant can use). • Get minerals from ores. • Used to make plastics and laundry detergents. • Help make antibiotics.
Beneficial uses of bacteria (food). • Yogurt • Sauerkraut • Pickles • Olives • Chocolate • Cheese • Soy Sauce
Harmful effects of bacteria. • Cause Diseases (<1% of bacteria cause diseases) • Three ways to get disease. • Through air (breathe in). • Through touch. • Eating contaminated food. • Examples of bacterial diseases. • Dental caries (cavities). • Strep throat. • Salmonella. • Typhoid fever. • Causes disease in farm animals. • Causes metal to rust and wear away.
How to prevent diseases. • Vaccinations. • Antibiotics. • Wash hands after using bathroom or whenever dirty. • Cook food properly. • Store food properly. • Cover mouth when sneezing, coughing.
When you see a pond, you see a lot of life! Photo source: Hobo’s Pond B&B
There’s also life you can’t see! Photo source: Hobo’s Pond B&B
It’s too small for you to see. To see it, you will need a microscope.
This is the world of the microorganism. Photo source: University of Winnipeg, Dr. Simmons’ protist webpage
The amoeba has an irregular shape. (In other words, its shape always changes.)
It moves using a psuedopod (false feet). It’s clear (you can see through it). The amoeba is a consumer.
The Amoeba Staples High School, West Port, CT, Mr. Lazaroff’s webpage
The paramecium is an oval shaped protozoan. It moves using tiny hair-like appendages called cilia.
It is a pale, translucent color. It is a consumer.
The Paramecium Biology Teaching & Learning Resources - Biological Drawings: Protista. Paramecium
The Euglena is an oval-shaped protozoan. It moves using a tail-like structure called a flagellum.
The Euglena is green. It is primarily a producer, but can be a consumer.
Algae can be microscopic to 150 feet long. Source: Scribemedia.orgc
Algae are producers. Source: http://bennettkids.homestead.com/mrsbennetthome.html
Algae are an important food source for sea life. Source: eFuse.com
Benefits of Algae • Used in … • livestock feed. • cosmetics. • prescription drug production. • identifying possible environmental problems.
Benefits of Algae • Food Production • Sushi. • Ice cream. • Salad dressing. • Syrup. • (thickener)
Consumer. • Eat by absorbing food. • Get food from soil, wood, decaying organic (once living) matter, and living plants/other organisms. • Can be from single-celled to largest organism alive. • Can’t move.
Decomposers. • Feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter. • Examples. • Mushrooms. • Truffles. • A mushroom like fungus that grown underground; primarily found in Europe; a highly valued food. • Lichen • Fungus often found as white or yellow patches on old walls, etc.
Benefits of Fungi • Used to make chemicals used in manufacturing. • Produce antibiotics (example – penicillin). • Clean the environment. • Food production. • Cheese • Mushrooms • Yeast • Truffles • Soy sauce
Harmful Effects of Fungi • Causes 70% of all crop diseases. • Diseases in humans. • Respiratory (lung) diseases (example – pneumonia). • Athlete’s foot. • Ringworm (makes a raised round circle that looks like it was caused by a worm).