Micro-organisms Ch:13

Micro-organisms

Small living things that cannot be seen by the naked eye

Microbiology

The study of micro-organisms

Pathogens

Disease-causing micro-organisms

Unicellular

An organism made of 1 cell

Basic Bacteria shapes

Round, rod, spiral

Round bacteria infection

Pneumonia

Rod bacteria infection

TB

Spiral bacteria infection

Syphilis

Asexual reproduction

Reproduction involving one parent cell

Factors that affect bacteria growth

Temperature, oxygen concentration, pH, pressure

Mutation

A change in the DNA of a cell

Antibiotics

Medicine that kills bacteria and fungi. No affect on viruses

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Bacteria no longer affected by antibiotics

Beneficial bacteria

Makes insulin, enzymes, amino acids; produces antibiotics

Harmful bacteria

Causes meningitis, TB, strep throat, cholera; can cause food poisoning and can cause milk to go sour

Types of fungi

Parasites or decomposers

Parasites

An organism that lives on another 'host' organism, usually causing harm to the host

Decomposer

An organism that causes dead plants / animals to rot / decay

Organic matter

Material from a once-living organism

Beneficial fungi

Yeast makes alcohol and bread; penicillin is used in the production of antibiotics, some edible mushrooms

Harmful fungi

Causes diseases, e.g. ringworm and athletes foot; causes mouldy food; some poisonous mushrooms

Biotechnology

Using living organisms to produce useful products

Viruses

Tiny parasites that can't live / reproduce without a host

Virus structure

Simply protein and DNA

Virus examples

HIV, Influenza, Covid-19

Viral replication

Injects DNA into a host cell, multiplies inside the cell, bursts the host cell, releasing new viruses

Vaccines

A weakened / dead virus injected into the body in order to trigger the bodies own defences (antibodies)

Beneficial virus

Bacteriophages destroy bacteria entering the body

Harmful virus

Common, Influenza, HIV, Covid