Download Microorganisms Informational Text with Questions

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Microorganisms
Microorganisms, or microbes, are living organisms that are so small you
need a microscope to see them.
There are five different types of microorganisms. They are bacteria,
viruses, fungi, protozoa, and algae.
Bacteria
Bacteria are one-celled spherical, or rod-shaped, organisms. They are
also called monerans. These organisms are one of the smallest and
simplest living things. Bacteria are unique because they do not have a
definite nucleus. Instead, the chemical that makes up the nucleus is spread
all throughout the cytoplasm. Bacteria are made up of cytoplasm, a cell
membrane and a cell wall.
Most bacteria cannot move on their own. They rely on air or moving
liquids to help them move. Some bacteria can move on their own. These
types of bacteria have a hair-like structure called flagella to help them move
in liquids.
In order to survive, bacteria needs water and the right temperature.
Some also need oxygen. Bacteria feeds on dead plants and animals.
You can find bacteria all over the world. Bacteria can be found in the
food that you eat, in the air and soil, in oceans and inside your body.
Some examples of bacteria which you may have heard of is Salmonella
enteritidis which causes food poisoning and Streptococcus which causes
strep throat.
Bacteria can be helpful. Bacteria helps to break down the remains of
dead organisms, digest food, make foods such as yogurt or vinegar, and
help to change nitrogen into something that plants can use.
In some cases, bacteria is harmful. Bacteria causes
food to spoil, diseases in plants, as well as sicknesses in
humans.
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Virus
Viruses are the smallest of microorganisms and can only be seen through
a powerful microscope. A virus is a parasite that can only live inside the
cells of something that is living. It takes over the cell of a living organism by
injecting its genetic material into the cell. Then it uses this cell to take over
more cells.
Scientists cannot agree on whether or not viruses are alive or not. Most
scientists think that because they cannot reproduce without a host, have
organized cells or change food into energy that they are not living
organisms.
Like bacteria, viruses do not have a nucleus. They float through the air,
water and on skin. Sometimes viruses will attack and kill bacteria.
Viruses can be dangerous. Some examples of dangerous viruses include
chicken pox, measles and influenza.
Algae
Algae are simple plant-like organisms. Most have one cell but some can
have more than one cell. Algae that have more than one cell tend to be larger.
Algae are similar to plants in that they make their own food through
photosynthesis. They are not considered plants because they do not have
specialized parts that plants have.
Algae is usually organized into groups by their color; red, green, brown
brown. Examples of algae include the green in a swimming pool,
and golden-brown.
sea weed at the beach, or scum in ponds and lakes.
While algae can be a nuisance at times, it is also helpful. Most of the
oxygen we breathe is produced by algae that floats to the surface
Near the surface of the water.
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Fungi
Fungi are similar to plants but like algae, they lack certain items to be
considered a plant. While they do grow in the soil, like plants, and have a cell
wall, there are many differences.
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Some ways fungi are different from plants are
They grow well in dark, moist places.
They have large cells with many nuclei.
Their cell walls are made with chitin, not cellulose like plants.
They cannot make their own food because they do not have chloroplasts
or chlorophyll. Instead they need to feast on other dead organisms.
The size can range from a microorganism, such as yeast, to ones that
have many cells such as mushrooms.
There are different kinds of fungi; yeasts, molds and mushrooms.
Yeasts are single-celled, colorless fungi. They grow where sugar is
present because they use sugar for food. Yeast is used to help bread rise.
Molds are a common type of fungi that grow on fruit and bread. Mold
often looks like little green threads. Their roots called rhizoids are what
holds the mold to the bread. These roots then soak in the nutrients to feed
the mold.
Mushrooms are similar to molds as they have many threads. The threads
on a mushroom are packed tightly together.. The rhizoids are at the bottom
of the mushroom. They are connected to the stalk. Above the stalk is the
cap. The cap also houses the gills. The gills produce spores.
Yeast
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Protozoa
Protozoa are single-celled organisms that cause malaria and sleeping
sickness. Like other microorganisms, they can also be useful. Protozoa can
also be used to eat bacteria in sewage treatment plants. By adding
protozoa, it helps to make it safe for disposal.
Protozoa are heterotrophs. They cannot make its own food but they can
move around to find food. They do not have a cell wall.
They can be found in ponds, rivers, the ocean and soil.
Protozoa are very different. Scientists have further classified them into
four groups; amoebas, ciliates, flagellates, and sporozoans.
Amoebas: Amoebas produce extensions called pseudopods, from their
bodies that surround food that they digest through special enzymes that then
break down the food so that it can be used as energy to move around.
Ciliates: This group of protozoa are called ciliates because they are lined
with tiny hairs called cilia. These hairs are used for movement. The hairs are
also used in feeding. They carry the food to the mouth region. Enzymes then
help break down the food. Ciliates can also be helpful to us. They are used in
sewage treatment plants to break down the bacteria in human waste. If it
wasn’t treated, we could become very sick. An example is the paramecium.
Flagellates: Protozoa that have more than one flagella are called
flagellates. The flagella is used for movement. It is similar to a tail and
moves in a whip-like motion. Flagellates are the cause of sleeping sickness,
a deadly disease in East Africa that is carried by the Tsetse Fly. If it is not
treated in the early stages, it can lead to death.
Sporozoans: Sporozoans cannot move around at all. They only survive
inside another living organism, or host. They are not beneficial in any way to
the host. An example is a mosquito that carries malaria. The sporozoan
then travels to the liver and red blood cells and infects them.
The person gets sick, suffers from a high fever and severe
headaches.
Amoeba
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Activities: Answer the following based on the reading.
Bacteria:
Complete the chart by identifying how bacteria is helpful and
harmful for each.
Example
Helpful
Harmful
Humans
Plants
Food
2. What are some characteristics of bacteria?
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____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
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3. What does bacteria need to survive?
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4. Identify two examples of bacteria.
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
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Viruses:
1. Identify two examples of a virus.
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
2. What are some characteristics of a virus?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
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3. How does a virus attack?
___________________________________________________
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Algae:
1. How does algae differ from a plant?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
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2. How is algae organized?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
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Fungi:
1. How are fungi different from plants?
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
4. ______________________________________
2. Identify three different types of fungi.
a. _____________________
b. ___________________
c. _____________________
Protozoa:
1. What are the four types of protozoa?
a. __________________
b. _________________
c. __________________
d. _________________
2. What are characteristics of protozoa?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. How are protozoa helpful?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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Activities: Answer the following based on the reading.
Bacteria:
Complete the chart by identifying how bacteria is helpful and
harmful for each.
Example
Humans
Plants
Food
Helpful
Help digest food
Harmful
Causes sickness and
disease such as food
poisoning or tetanus.
Helps turn nitrogen into Causes disease and
a form that plants can
crop damage
use
Helps to make certain
foods like yogurt
Causes food to spoil
2. What are some characteristics of bacteria?
one-celled spherical organism
cannot move on their own
does not have a definite nucleus
made up of cytoplasm, cell membrane and cell wall
3. What does bacteria need to survive?
water, right temperature, some need oxygen
4. Identify two examples of bacteria.
Salmonella enteritidis, Streptococcus
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Viruses:
1. Identify two examples of a virus.
1. influenza
2. Chicken pox
2. What are some characteristics of a virus?
smallest of the microorganisms – can only be seen with a
powerful microscope, a parasite, doesn’t have a nucleus, floats
through the air and water
3. How does a virus attack? The virus invades a cell by injecting its
genetic material into it. It then uses this cell to take over additional
cells.
Algae:
1. How does algae differ from a plant? They don’t have the
specialized parts that plants have
2. How is algae organized? They are organized based upon
their color.
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Fungi:
1. How are fungi different from plants?
1. Grow in dark, moist places
2. Large cell walls and many nuclei
3. Cell walls are made of chitlin
4. Cannot make their own food
2. Identify three different types of fungi.
a. yeast
b. mold
c. mushrooms
Protozoa:
1. What are the four types of protozoa?
a. amoebas
b. ciliates
c. flagellates
d. sporozoans
2. What are characteristics of protozoa? Single-celled heterotrophs,
no cell wall,
3. How are protozoa helpful? They eat bacteria so they are used in
sewage treatment plants to help eat the bacteria off of human
waste.
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