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Use word decoding to see what you can figure out about the following phrases:
Obligate aerobe (*Hint: what does obligated mean?)
Obligate anaerobe (*Hint: what does the prefix 'an' mean?)
Facultative anaerobe
Which term matches with each picture above? *Hint: There is more oxygen near the surface of the test tube than at the bottom.
Come up with an hypothesis to explain why the bacteria in the third test tube are not evenly distributed.
Interested in CSI (crime scene investigation) or forensics? Research the role of bacteria in this field of work. If you find something interesting, please share it. Here are a couple of articles to get you started.
Interested in CSI (crime scene investigation) or forensics? Research the role of bacteria in this field of work. If you find something interesting, please share it. Here are a couple of articles to get you started.
Differentiate between injury, disease, and infectious disease.
Differentiate between injury, disease, and infectious disease.
Injury - damage to the body from an outside source, excluding germs. Examples: cuts, bruises, broken bones.
Injury - damage to the body from an outside source, excluding germs. Examples: cuts, bruises, broken bones.
Disease - disruption to the functions of the body, not caused by an injury. It is an "infectious disease" if it is contagious, or can be "caught" from someone else. These diseases are also called "communicable" in medicine.
Disease - disruption to the functions of the body, not caused by an injury. It is an "infectious disease" if it is contagious, or can be "caught" from someone else. These diseases are also called "communicable" in medicine.
Practice
Practice
Is it a disease or an injury? Ask yourself these questions to decide:
Is it a disease or an injury? Ask yourself these questions to decide:
1. Is it an injury? Injuries are trauma caused to the body from external forces, such as a hit or a fall.
1. Is it an injury? Injuries are trauma caused to the body from external forces, such as a hit or a fall.
2. Is it a disease? A disease disrupts the normal body functions, but is not caused by an injury.
2. Is it a disease? A disease disrupts the normal body functions, but is not caused by an injury.
3. If it is a disease, is it infectious (contagious)? It is infectious if you can catch it from another person.
3. If it is a disease, is it infectious (contagious)? It is infectious if you can catch it from another person.
Try these examples:
Try these examples:
Broken leg
Broken leg
Cancer (Your own body cells reproduce too fast and build up into a tumor.)
Cancer (Your own body cells reproduce too fast and build up into a tumor.)
Cold
Cold
Bruise
Bruise
Diabetes (Your pancreas can no longer produce enough insulin to keep your blood sugar in check.)
Diabetes (Your pancreas can no longer produce enough insulin to keep your blood sugar in check.)
Flu
Flu
Cut
Cut
Mitochondrial disease (Inherited disease of the mitochondria; inherited from your mother.)
Mitochondrial disease (Inherited disease of the mitochondria; inherited from your mother.)
HIV (AIDS) (STI)
HIV (AIDS) (STI)
Check with a teacher to see if you are correct.
Check with a teacher to see if you are correct.
Be sure you know the four steps of Koch's postulates, in order.
Be sure you know the four steps of Koch's postulates, in order.
Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease
Allen Steere, of Yale University, identified the microbe that causes Lyme Disease. This disease is very common in Loudoun County, Virginia. You probably know someone who has contracted it.
Allen Steere, of Yale University, identified the microbe that causes Lyme Disease. This disease is very common in Loudoun County, Virginia. You probably know someone who has contracted it.
Lyme diseases is often suspected due to the above pictured "bullseye rash" that shows up after an infected tick bite. Not all infections of Lyme disease result in such a rash, though. The scientific name of this disease is Borrelia burgdorferi and it is carried by deer ticks. Deer ticks are the "vector," meaning that they carry the disease from deer to humans and dogs, but they do not get sick with it. It is not transmitted directly from deer to other species. The infected organism is called a "host."
Lyme diseases is often suspected due to the above pictured "bullseye rash" that shows up after an infected tick bite. Not all infections of Lyme disease result in such a rash, though. The scientific name of this disease is Borrelia burgdorferi and it is carried by deer ticks. Deer ticks are the "vector," meaning that they carry the disease from deer to humans and dogs, but they do not get sick with it. It is not transmitted directly from deer to other species. The infected organism is called a "host."
Fighting infectious diseases
Fighting infectious diseases
Use word decoding to figure out what "antibiotics" do.
Use word decoding to figure out what "antibiotics" do.
What are antibiotics and how do they work?
What are antibiotics and how do they work?
Read the University of Utah's webpage below to learn how antibiotics work.
Read the University of Utah's webpage below to learn how antibiotics work.
Be sure to read at least the first two sections, "What is an antibiotic?" and "Antibiotics seek out bacterial cells." The rest of the page is optional to read if you are interested.
Be sure to read at least the first two sections, "What is an antibiotic?" and "Antibiotics seek out bacterial cells." The rest of the page is optional to read if you are interested.
Now, explain why antibiotics have no effect on viruses.
Now, explain why antibiotics have no effect on viruses.
Identify the basic steps the immune system uses to keep you free from infectious diseases.
Identify the basic steps the immune system uses to keep you free from infectious diseases.
Step 1: identify invaders
Step 1: identify invaders
Antigens don't have the same carbohydrate markers on the outside that your own cells have, so your immune system can identify them as "not self." Once the antigen, or invader, is identified as "not self," your immune system is triggered to attack.
Antigens don't have the same carbohydrate markers on the outside that your own cells have, so your immune system can identify them as "not self." Once the antigen, or invader, is identified as "not self," your immune system is triggered to attack.
Step 2: Catch them
Step 2: Catch them
Once the invaders are identified, antibodies "bind" the pathogens, or antigens. You can picture them as police officers that handcuff a criminal to each of their own hands to keep them from getting away.
Once the invaders are identified, antibodies "bind" the pathogens, or antigens. You can picture them as police officers that handcuff a criminal to each of their own hands to keep them from getting away.
Step 3: Destroy them!
Step 3: Destroy them!
A "macrophage" is a type of white blood cell. See if you can decode the word, "macrophage" to figure out what job they do as part of your immune system.
A "macrophage" is a type of white blood cell. See if you can decode the word, "macrophage" to figure out what job they do as part of your immune system.
This is a real life example of endocytosis and exoctyosis. Macrophages take the bacteria or viruses in, using endocytosis. After they digest and destroy them, using decomposing enzymes, they expell the waste products through exocytosis.
This is a real life example of endocytosis and exoctyosis. Macrophages take the bacteria or viruses in, using endocytosis. After they digest and destroy them, using decomposing enzymes, they expell the waste products through exocytosis.
Story time
Story time
There are two good books that I recommend about infectious diseases. Both are written by Richard Preston and are true stories about science and medicine. "Hot Zone" is about the Ebola virus and an outbreak in Reston, Virginia. "Demon in the Freezer" is about the eradication of smallpox, which is the only human disease to be completely wiped out, world-wide (so far.)
There are two good books that I recommend about infectious diseases. Both are written by Richard Preston and are true stories about science and medicine. "Hot Zone" is about the Ebola virus and an outbreak in Reston, Virginia. "Demon in the Freezer" is about the eradication of smallpox, which is the only human disease to be completely wiped out, world-wide (so far.)
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