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Microorganisms

Microorganisms. What are they? What do they do? What do they look like?. Microbiology. Study of microorganisms Organisms not visible with naked eye Require magnifying glass or microscope Includes wide variety of different organisms. Microorganisms are:. Bacteria Viruses Fungi

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Microorganisms

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  1. Microorganisms What are they? What do they do? What do they look like?

  2. Microbiology • Study of microorganisms • Organisms not visible with naked eye • Require magnifying glass or microscope • Includes wide variety of different organisms

  3. Microorganisms are: • Bacteria • Viruses • Fungi • Protozoa • Animals

  4. Microorganisms are Ubiquitous • Found virtually everywhere • Most are harmless • Some are beneficial • Used in research • Used to make foods (yeast, mold) • Used to make antibiotics

  5. Bacteria • Prokaryoticcells • The genetic material in their cells is not contained in a nucleus • Appear as different shapes • Bacilli (rod-shaped) • Cocci (round) • Spirilla (spiral) • Most ubiquitous microorganism

  6. Bacteria Basic Shapes Cocci (Spherical-shaped) Bacilli (rod-shaped) Spiral-Shaped

  7. Usefulness of Bacteria • Decomposers: (“nature’s recyclers”) break down dead matter • Clean up the Earth’s land & water • Help with digestion • Make vitamins your body needs • Used to make medicines (insulin) • Food production: cheese, yogurt, sour cream, sauerkraut, pickles, etc.

  8. Viruses • Tiny, nonliving particle that enters and then reproduces inside a living cell • Most are harmful

  9. Characteristics of Viruses • Does not have all the characteristics essential for life • Viruses can only multiply when they are inside a living cell • Acts like a parasite • Parasite: an organism that lives on or in a host and causes it harm • Host: an organism that provides a source of energy for a virus

  10. Usefulness of Viruses • Gene Therapy • Take advantage of a virus’s ability to enter a host cell • Gene therapy allows scientists to deliver needed genetic material to cells

  11. Viruses, Bacteria, & Your Health

  12. Pathogenic Microorganisms • Are harmful to humans • Able to cause pathology (damage) in host - Invade host and damage tissue • Cause infectious disease • Disease that is transmitted from one source to another • Bacteria and viruses responsible for most infectious diseases

  13. Infectious Diseases • Can spread through contact with: • An infected person (touching, hugging, or kissing) • A contaminated object (sharing drinks or eating utensils) • An infected animal (an animal bite) • An environmental source (eating uncooked eggs or meat)

  14. Common Infectious Diseases • Bacterial • Lyme Disease • Tuberculosis • Tetanus • Strep Throat • Viral • The cold • The flu • Cold sores • Chicken pox • AIDS

  15. Treating Infectious Diseases • Bacterial Diseases • Antibiotics: a chemical that can kill bacteria without harming a person’s cells • Antibiotic resistance • Results when some bacteria are able to survive in the presence of an antibiotic • Viral Diseases: No medications that can cure viral infections

  16. Vaccines • Important tools that help prevent the spread of infectious diseases • Vaccine: a substance introduced into the body to stimulate the production of chemicals that destroy specific viruses or bacteria • Made from dead or weak or altered viruses and bacteria

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