Day 1 What is a Microbe? With the person at your table, take 2 minutes to brainstorm some ideas of What are microbes? . Come up with 1-2 ideas to share with the group including examples of microbes and if they are harmful/helpful. Which one is the Microbe? Elephant: REDUCED 5X Bacteria: MAGNIFIED 10,000X, many bacteria stacked on top of each other Which one is the Microbe? Test tube with bacteria Elephant: REDUCED 5X Bacteria: MAGNIFIED 10,000x Definition A microbe is anything you have to use a microscope to look at. Microscope objectives are used for magnification (10x, 20x, 60x, etc) Examples of Microbes Viruses Norovirus Influenza Examples of Microbes Bacteria MRSA Bifidobacterium Examples of Microbes Archaea-many known as extremophiles Acid mine drainage Yellowstone thermal hot springs- 176° F water temperatures! Examples of Microbes Fungi Mushrooms Candida albicans Examples of Microbes Protists- known as the first eukaryotes! Trypanosoma spp. cause sleeping sickness Plasmodium spp. cause malaria Activity- Good, Bad, and Ugly In your group, choose one of the sections of the circle that you believe represents the percentage of all microbes that are harmful to humans. Present your pie chart to the class and explain why you chose that percentage. Most microbes do not cause us harm and many contribute to basic functions. Protect us from pathogens Contribute to our nutrition Promote immune function Role in development What about the small percentage of harmful microbes? These are known as pathogens Cause infections/disease Treatment: Antibiotics Antibiotic problem resistance is becoming a big Activity- Abundance Using the pie charts and provided sections, decide with your group how much of the day you will encounter or be around a microbe. Microbes in Ecosystems Microbes make up important parts of an ecosystem What is an ecosystem? With a partner, brainstorm and come up with examples of ecosystems Parts of an Ecosystem Biotic and Abiotic factors Biotic- living components such as animals, plants, fungi, bacteria Abiotic- non-living components such as temperature, sunlight, water, nutrients Example: Imagine an oak tree living in the forest. ○ How can it be affected by different biotic and abiotic factors? ○ How does the tree depend on these factors for survival? Symbiosis Nothing lives in isolation Long term interactions between 2 (or more) species Relationships between organisms can be +/+, +/-, +/0 Physical and Chemical Processes Production of light Digesting plant material Making structures (i.e. coral reef) Humans and Microbes Examples Nose Skin Digestive System What These are examples of ecosystems! does this mean for human health? Prebiotics and Probiotics Closing You are a scientist investigating microbial and human interactions. Tomorrow, bring to class one question about microbes, symbiosis, and humans that you want to investigate further. Day 2 Intro to Dr. Rio s Lab Rio lab, March 2012 Research focused on symbiosis Microbe:Microbe & Host:Microbe interactions Use of model systems What drives the evolution of symbiosis (molecular and ecological cues)? What is involved in maintaining the symbiosis over time? How do we encourage good relations between species over bad relations? Leeches in Research • Strict blood feeders • Water-dwelling • Hermaphrodite • Deposit cocoons • One of the best models in Neurobiology • A great model for studying digestive tract ecosystems Use in Medicine Historically Used to balance the body and remove apparent excess blood if a person had a red or swollen area Became used to treat almost every ailment whether they were effective or not Discredited by modern medicine; doctors preferred antibiotics and contemporary techniques. Today FDA approved treatment Especially useful in microsurgery to drain congested blood or for reconstructive surgery to aid in reattachment of body parts.
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