Jesus Galan, Hannah Van Dyke, and Jessi Weems

Driving Question How can we as tenth grade biology students test areas of the school and examine results so that we can stop the spread of infectious bacteria/fungi?

Cell Theory All living things are made of cells Cells are the basic unit of structure and function in all living things Cells can only be made from other cells reproducing

Basic Vocabulary Cell- basic unit of all life Prokaryote- cell without a nucleus Eukaryote- cell with a nucleus Microbials- any single-celled organism Fungi Bacteria Virus

How do plant cells make food? Photosynthesis Chloroplast Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll Chlorophyll allows plants to absorb sunlight Sunlight is turned into glucose

How do other cells make food? Cellular respiration Mitochondria Use oxygen to convert glucose into ATP (cell energy)

Important Organelles Ribosome- synthesizes proteins Makes up entire body Carbohydrates- supply energy to body and aid communication Nucleic acids- store DNA and RNA and synthesize proteins

Question and Hypothesis What area of the school has the most dangerous bacteria? The handle to the office entrance will have the most dangerous bacteria on it.

Experiment 1. Gather all materials 2. Go to the location 3. Find the area we want to test 4. Take out a Q-tip 5. Wet the Q-tip with water 6. Swab the testing location with the Q-tip 7. Swab the Q-tip on the petri dish 8. Repeat steps Give petri dish to Mr. Lanier 10. Wait 72 hours until the bacteria has grown in the petri dish 11. Repeat steps 1-10 in the other two locations 12. Analyze results/findings 13. Explain if hypothesis was right or wrong 14. Communicate results

What did we find? Dactylium Cobweb Mold Penicillium Staphylococcus aureus MRSA

Water Fountain Findings No threatening bacteria/fungi No identified bacteria from Dichotomous Key

Descriptions of Findings Dactylium Used in cheeses Penicillium Common mold Cheeses, fruits, plywood, cereals, wallpaper, spices, glue, herbs, carpet, dried foods, salami, sausage, and penicillin (an antibiotic) Staphylococcus aureus Found on the skin/in the nose of about one-third of the population

Dactylium

Dichotomous Key Proof

Do we need to clean it up? No, it’s not a major threat It’s a common mold used in foods

Why is it under the stage? Food- Dust in the air vent Water- Moisture from the air Shelter- Air vent

Penicillium

Dichotomous Key Proof

Do we need to clean it up? No, it is a helpful fungus Penicillium is used to make a helpful antibiotic

Why is it on a door handle? Food- Bacteria from people’s hands, skin cells Water- Air moisture Shelter- Slits

Staphylococcus aureus

Dichotomous Key Proof

Do we need to clean it up? Yes, it could be MRSA--an infectious disease Spreads rapidly once it enters body It is hard to treat Resistant to most antibiotics Can be lethal Can lead to other infections Ex. Impetigo

Why is it in a mellophone? Food- Saliva Water- Saliva Shelter- Tubing of instrument

Our Database of Microbials Created a database of microbials Before analyzing our findings Two out of three microbials were in our own database Penicillium Staphylcococcus aureus

Works Cited "Mold, Aspergillus & Penicillium: Questions & Answers." — University of Louisville. Univeristy of Louisville, Web. 16 Sept "MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)." Environmental Health and Safety. The University of Texas at Austin, 5 Feb Web. 16 Sept "Why Is MRSA Dangerous?" Why Is MRSA Dangerous? HAIN LIFESCIENCE, Web. 16 Sept "What Is MRSA? Why Is MRSA a Concern? How Is MRSA Treated?" Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 19 July Web. 16 Sept