 Micro-organisms The word MICRO means very small. (So you need a Microscope to see it!) Micro-organism Man! 

Micro-organisms  Micro-organisms So Micro-organisms are very Micro- very small Organism- a living thing. So Micro-organisms are very small living things! N.B Viruses are often classed as micro- organisms but technically they are NON-Living so call them Microbes instead! Micro- organism man 

Bacteria The good the bad and the ugly!  Bacteria The good the bad and the ugly! Bacteria are small living single celled organisms that can come in good (beneficial) forms and bad (pathogenic) forms that cause disease. Some different shapes of bacteria

Flagellum (Tail for movement) Structure of bacteria Cytoplasm Flagellum (Tail for movement) Strand of DNA Cell wall Cell membrane Slimy capsule

Bacteria can double in number every 20 minutes!

The motility (movement) of some bacteria in culture. How fast!   Pseudomonas aeruginosa  

During this lesson we are going to grow some of the bacteria that are found in this room on a petri dish ……. (exciting stuff huh!)

 Good bacteria Did you know Farts are made from methane gas which is produced by the bacteria in your gut?

Bacteria help to break down faeces (poo) in sewage works. Good bacteria Bacteria help to break down faeces (poo) in sewage works.

Bad bacteria in the mouth cause teeth to rot. Mouth bacteria Mouth bacterium

MRSA- the bacterial superbug MRSA- the bacterial superbug! Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Methicillin (an antibiotic) WON’T Work to cure this infection! 

Viruses  Viruses are extremely small (much smaller than bacteria) It’s not popcorn! It’s a picture of a virus! Viruses Viruses are extremely small (much smaller than bacteria) NON-LIVING microbes that need a host cell so that they can reproduce and survive. NON-LIVING because they do not fulfil all of the MRS GREN criteria. 

Structure of viruses

How viruses replicate inside cells

Examples of viruses The HIV virus. This attacks T4 lymphocytes. It is responsible for AIDS. A T4 bacteriophage. This infects only bacterial cells, in this case only E. coli

One sneeze can transmit many cold virus particles 

Bird flu virus 

Measles virus Electron microscope picture of the measles virus Boy with measles

Viruses cause cold sores, warts and verucae

Foot and mouth disease is caused by a virus and is VERY infectious for cows From this To this

Treatment of viral infections 

Fungi  Fungi are organisms that produce spores Why did the mushroom want to go out with the toadstool? Because he was a Fungi to be with! Fungi Fungi are organisms that produce spores and come in the form of moulds, yeasts, mushrooms and toadstools. They also help things to rot and breakdown which is an essential process in the cycle of life. 

Examples of fungi Mould growing a bread bun Yeast cells budding There can be good forms of fungus (used to make bread/beer) and bad forms (Mould, Athletes foot and thrush). Yeast cells budding

Mould and fungus causes things to breakdown

Fungus taking over

Athletes foot

Oral thrush Thrush yeast cells

(So a pathogen is the scientific name for a germ!) A Pathogen is something that causes disease  (So a pathogen is the scientific name for a germ!)

Some micro-organisms are VERY pathogenic and DANGEROUS So you have to be super careful!

How well do you wash your hands?