Embedded Files
Viruses & Bacteria
Viruses & Bacteria
About 3.5 billion years ago, long before the first plants, people, or other animals appeared, prokaryotes were the first life forms on Earth. Recall that prokaryotes are single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus, and that the prokaryotes include bacteria and archaea. For at least a billion years, Bacteria and Archaeabacteria ruled the Earth as the only existing organisms. Even though life is much more diverse on Earth today, bacteria (singular: bacterium) are still the most abundant organisms on Earth. And not to be forgotten, this unit examines viruses. At the edge of life, these tiniest assassins live in capsule of protein surrounding their genetic material. Are they actually alive? Debate this topic and more as we examine their life cycle. You probably know bacteria and viruses as “germs” that cause disease, but as you will see, they can also do many helpful things for the environment and humankind.
19.1 Characteristics of Bacteria
Living on the edge of life, Bacteria are the oldest organisms on our planet. They reproduce asexually via binary fission and sexually. With incredibly quick reproductive cycles, bacteria can divide in under twenty minutes. They grow, adapt, and play vital roles. They are the great decomposers, photosynthesizers, chemotrophs, pathogens, and symbionts among us that we cannot see directly.
Instructions - complete the following
Lessons
Video - Understanding Bacteria
Eukaryote vs Prokaryotic Cells with the Amoeba Sisters
Archaebacteria with the Amoeba Sisters
Bacteria with the Amoeba Sisters
Read Section 19.1 pg 470-477 or
Digital Text pg 169-177
Move to Lesson 2 - Viruses
19.2 Viruses - the Silent Killers
Existing at just a billionth of a meter, viruses are the silent killers. By definition, they are not even cells. Best described as crystalline protein cases for genetic material, viruses must hijack surrogate cells to reproduce. They cannot reproduce directly. The debate whether viruses are "alive" rages to this day.
Instructions - complete the following
Lessons
Viruses with the Amoeba Sisters
Antibiotics, Antivirals with the Amoeba Sisters
Watch the following items
T4 Bacteriophage (with Pirates of the Carribean music)
TED-Ed - How Vaccines Work
TED-Ed - How We Conquered Small Pox
TED-Ed - What We Do & Don't Know about Ebola
The Lytic and Lysogenic Lifecycles of Viruses
Read Chp 19.2 or Digital Text pg 58
19.3 Bacterial & Viral Disease
Contrary to popular belief, only a small number of viruses and bacterial cause disease in humans. Although their numbers are small, this seeming handful of pathogens are responsible for considerable human suffering.
Instructions - complete the following
Lessons
Review the following items
TED-Ed - What Causes Antibiotic Resistance?
TED-Ed - How Pandemics Spread
TED-Ed - How We Conquered Small Pox
Animation - How Prions form
Video - Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy - Mad Cow's Disease
Video - How Pasteurization of Milk & Beer Works to keep us Safe
Read text pg 485-491 or Digital Text pg 175.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse