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IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL!

THE GOOD Although most people associate bacteria with bad things such as rotten smells, illness and disease, most bacteria are not harmful. In fact, bacteria are an important part of the cycle of life. As you learned on the last page YOU'RE SURROUNDED, bacteria are decomposers. They break down organic material and return the nutrients to the soil. Without bacteria, life as we know it would not be possible on Earth.

Bacteria are used to make yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut and even vinegar. Some bacteria attach to the roots of certain plants and change nitrogen from the atmosphere into usable forms for plants. Bacteria is used in making medicine, household cleaners and other products. One of the latest uses for bacteria is to clean up oil spills in our oceans.

 

GO THERE! Use the Internet to find out more how bacteria is used in food production. You can do that by clicking the Chocolate bar to the right. (Yes, even chocolate is made using micro organisms.)
	DO IT! Find out more information about at least one of the foods that you read about at the site above. Prepare a detailed "flow chart" similar to the one on the left about the production of that food.

THE BAD Meet "bad boy" bacteria. These are also called pathogens. Pathogens produce disease. You have probably heard of such illnesses as Tetanus, whooping cough and strep throat. These are all caused by "bad" bacteria. Fortunately, scientists have worked very diligently to find effective treatments for bacterial diseases. They have produced medicines called antibiotics (like penicillin) that destroy the bacteria that makes you sick. Scientists have also produced vaccines from dead or damaged bacteria to keep you from getting sick in the first place.

POTENT POISONS Some pathogens actually produce poisons or "toxins" which can make you sick. Botulism is a type of food poisoning that is caused from the toxins of pathogens. Of course experimenting with "bad" bacteria is obviously not a very "good" idea. So use the Internet or other resources to find out more about bacteria that are harmful to people or other living things. Write "technical" summary of your findings.

MAKE IT, EAT IT! Obtain a "Yogurt Starter Kit". These can be found at various grocery and variety stores. Use the starter kit to make your own yummy yogurt. This activity will take several days. When you have completed the activity, write a summary of what you did and how bacteria helped to make your yogurt.
	DO IT! Use the spreadsheet on your computer to report on ten different types of pathogens. Include the following information on your chart. Name of organism Type of organism Method of transmission Symptoms of disease Effective antibiotics or vaccines

 

THE DEADLY It started out with a cough which turned into bronchitis. The patient, an 86 year old man was treated with antibiotics and sent home. Two days later he was admitted to the hospital. The antibiotics were not working. The patient had been infected with a strain of Streptococcus pneumonia bacteria that was resistant to the medicine that would normally destroy it. The patient lapsed into a coma for four days and then passed away.
	Unfortunately, the above story is true. Antibiotics that once destroyed certain bacteria are becoming ineffective. Some antibiotics have been prescribed inappropriately. Other times, patients do not take their medicine as prescribed. These situations have led to some strains of bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics. Muppet creator Jim Henson died from one of these drug resistant bacteria. Scientists are working very diligently to find new medicines to destroy these "super bugs".
Some researchers claim that antibiotic soap might also lead to new "resistant" strains of bacteria. What do you think? Design an experiment to test your hypothesis. Your teacher may be able to provide you with the equipment needed to culture (grow) bacteria. Some of the materials you may need are: Sterile petrii dishes with nutrient agar Cotton swabs Various brands of soap Water A warm place for incubation Remember, some bacteria has the potential of making you sick. Be sure you follow all of your teachers directions very carefully. Never open cultured petrii dishes unless given permission, and remember to wash you hands.

WRITE IT! Perform an Internet search to find out more about disease resistant bacteria. Write a research paper on your investigation.

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 All rights reserved except those which may be granted under Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. This document may be freely distributed in its entirety for nonprofit purposes provided that the copyright notice is not removed. If you have questions concerning proper use of this material, or if you are interested in obtaining permission, contact the Curriculum Section Reception Desk at 801-538-7698. This document was submitted for posting to the Internet by the State Science Specialist. Any questions concerning content should be directed to that individual.

Created July 1, 1999 by Kathleen Ochsenbein