2. What is a microorganism? It is a living thing too small to see without a microscope.

3. Let’s look at examples of microorganisms.

4. Bacteria

5. Bacteria are single- celled organisms (made of one cell). They are found everywhere.

6. They come in three shapes.  Round (coccus)  Rod (bacillus)  Spiral (spirillum)

7. Some make their own food. Example – cyanobacteria. (producer – makes own food)

8. Other bacteria are consumers. (Has to find food and eat it.)

9. Beneficial uses of bacteria.  Provides nitrogen for plants.  Fixes the soil (changes the nitrogen to a form the plant can use).  Get minerals from ores.  Used to make plastics and laundry detergents.  Help make antibiotics.

10. Beneficial uses of bacteria (food).  Yogurt  Sauerkraut  Pickles  Olives  Chocolate  Cheese  Soy Sauce

11. Harmful effects of bacteria. Cause Diseases (<1% of bacteria cause diseases) Three ways to get disease. Through air (breathe in). Through touch. Eating contaminated food. Examples of bacterial diseases. Dental caries (cavities). Strep throat. Salmonella. Typhoid fever. Causes disease in farm animals. Causes metal to rust and wear away.

12. How to prevent diseases.  Vaccinations.  Antibiotics.  Wash hands after using bathroom or whenever dirty.  Cook food properly.  Store food properly.  Cover mouth when sneezing, coughing.

13. When you see a pond, you see a lot of life! Photo source: Hobo’s Pond B&B

14. There’s also life you can’t see!

15. It’s too small for you to see. To see it, you will need a microscope.

16. This is the world of the microorganism. Photo source: University of Winnipeg, Dr. Simmons’ protist webpage

17. Let’s examine three different examples of protozoans.

19. The Amoeba

20. The amoeba is among the most primitive of all organisms.

21. The amoeba has an irregular shape. (In other words, its shape always changes.)

22. It moves using a psuedopod (false feet). It’s clear (you can see through it). The amoeba is a consumer.

23. The Amoeba Staples High School, West Port, CT, Mr. Lazaroff’s webpage

24. The Paramecium

25. The paramecium is an oval shaped protozoan. It moves using tiny hair-like appendages called cilia.

26. It is a pale, translucent color. It is a consumer.

27. Biology Teaching & Learning Resources - Biological Drawings: Protista. Paramecium The Paramecium

28. The Euglena

29. The Euglena is an oval-shaped protozoan. It moves using a tail-like structure called a flagellum.

30. The Euglena is green. It is primarily a producer, but can be a consumer.

31. The Euglena

32. Algae

33. Algae can be microscopic to 150 feet long. Source: Scribemedia.orgc

34. Algae are producers. Source: http://bennettkids.homestead.com/mrsbennetthome.html

35. Algae are an important food source for sea life. Source: eFuse.com

36. Algae provide over 50% of the oxygen we breathe.

37. Benefits of Algae  Used in …  livestock feed.  cosmetics.  prescription drug production.  identifying possible environmental problems.

38. Benefits of Algae  Food Production  Sushi.  Ice cream.  Salad dressing.  Syrup. (thickener)

39. Here’s a quick review of what we’ve learned.

40. Fungi

41.  Consumer.  Eat by absorbing food.  Get food from soil, wood, decaying organic (once living) matter, and living plants/other organisms.  Can be from single-celled to largest organism alive.  Can’t move.

42.  Decomposers.  Feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter.  Examples.  Mushrooms.  Truffles.  A mushroom like fungus that grown underground; primarily found in Europe; a highly valued food.  Lichen  Fungus often found as white or yellow patches on old walls, etc.

43. Benefits of Fungi  Used to make chemicals used in manufacturing.  Produce antibiotics (example – penicillin).  Clean the environment.  Food production.  Cheese  Mushrooms  Yeast  Truffles  Soy sauce

44. Harmful Effects of Fungi  Causes 70% of all crop diseases.  Diseases in humans.  Respiratory (lung) diseases (example – pneumonia).  Athlete’s foot.  Ringworm (makes a raised round circle that looks like it was caused by a worm).

45. And this is a quick look at microorganisms.