Viruses and
Monerans
Teacher’s Guide
Grades 5-9
Editors:
Brian A. Jerome, Ph.D.
Stephanie Zak Jerome
Assistant Editors:
Heidi Berry
Stephanie Rogers
Anneliese Brown
Visual Learning Company
Brandon, Vermont
1-800-453-8481
www.visuallearningco.com
Viruses and Monerans
Reviewers:
Mary Cahill
Potomac Middle School
McLean, Virginia
Wasim Chowdhury, Ph.D.
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland
Susan Hurstecalderone
Our Lady of Lourdes
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Use and Copyright:
The purchase of this video program entitles the user the right to reproduce or
duplicate, in whole or in part, this teacher’s guide and the blackline master
handouts for the purpose of teaching in conjunction with this video, Viruses and
Monerans. The right is restricted only for use with this video program. Any
reproduction or duplication, in whole or in part, of this guide and student
masters for any purpose other than for use with this video program is
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The video and this teacher’s guide are the exclusive property of
the copyright holder. Copying, transmitting or reproducing in
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from the copyright holder is prohibited (Title 17, U.S. Code
Sections 501 and 506).
112400
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Viruses and Monerans
Table of Contents
Page
A Message From Our Company
5
National Standards Correlations
6
Student Learning Objectives
7
Assessment
8
Introducing the Video
9
Video Viewing Suggestions
9
Video Script
11
Answers to Student Assessment and
Activity Masters
16
Assessment and Student Activities Masters
18
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Viruses and Monerans
Viewing
Clearances
The video and accompanying teacher’s guide is for
instructional use only. In showing these programs, no
admission charges are to be incurred. The programs are to be
utilized in face-to-face classroom instructional settings,
library settings, or similar instructional settings.
Duplication rights are available, but must be negotiated with
the Visual Learning Company.
Television, cable or satellite rights are also available, but
must be negotiated with the Visual Learning Company.
Closed circuit rights are available, and are defined as the use
of the program beyond a single classroom but within a single
campus. Institutions wishing to utilize the program in
multiple campuses must purchase the multiple campus version
of the program, available at a slightly higher fee.
Discounts may be granted to institutions interested in
purchasing programs in large quantities. These discounts may
be negotiated with the Visual Learning Company.
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Viruses and Monerans
A Message from
our Company ...
Dear Educator:
Thank you for your interest in the educational videos produced by
the Visual Learning Company. We are a Vermont-based, family owned
and operated business specializing in the production of quality
educational science videos and materials.
We have a long family tradition of education. Our grandmothers
graduated from normal school in the 1920’s to become teachers.
Brian’s mother was an elementary teacher and guidance counselor,
and his father was a high school teacher and superintendent. This
family tradition inspired Brian to become a science teacher, and to
earn a Ph.D. in education, and lead Stephanie to work on science
educational programs at NASA.
In developing this video, accompanying teacher’s guide and student
activities, our goal is to provide educators with the highest quality
materials, thus enabling students to be successful. In this era of more
demanding standards and assessment requirements, supplementary
materials need to be curricular and standards based - this is what we
do!
Our videos and accompanying materials focus on the key concepts
and vocabulary required by national and state standards and goals.
It is our mission to help students meet these goals and standards,
while experiencing the joy and thrill of science.
Sincerely,
Brian and Stephanie Jerome
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Viruses and Monerans
Standards Correlations
National Science Education Standards
(Content Standards: 5-8, National Academy of Sciences, c. 1996)
Science as Inquiry - Content Standard A:
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should
develop:
• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understandings about scientific inquiry
Life Science - Content Standard C:
As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should
understand that:
• All organisms are composed of cells-the fundamental unit of
life. Most organisms are single cells; other organisms,
including humans, are multicellular.
• Cells carry on the many functions needed to sustain life.
They grow and divide, thereby producing more cells. This
requires that they take in nutrients, which they use to
provide energy for the work that cells do and to make the
materials that a cell or an organism needs.
Benchmarks for Science Literacy
(Project 2061 - AAAS, c. 1993)
The Living Environment - Cells (5c)
By the end of the 8th grade, students should know that:
• All living things are composed of cells, from just one to many
millions, whose details usually are visible only through a
microscope.
• Cells continually divide to make more cells for growth and
repair.
• Within cells, many of the basic functions of organisms-such
as extracting energy from food and getting rid of waste-are
carried out.
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Viruses and Monerans
Student Learning
Objectives
Upon viewing the video and completing the enclosed student
activities, students should be able to do the following:
•
Understand how viruses survive and reproduce by invading
living host cells.
•
Identify the major parts of a virus and describe their functions.
•
Define a vaccine as weakened or dead viruses that are injected
into the human body, stimulating the immune system to produce
antibodies.
•
Understand that the effects of viruses can vary from very mild
to deadly diseases.
•
Describe the general structure of monerans.
•
Identify the following bacterial structures: capsule, cell wall,
cell membrane, and cytoplasm.
•
Identify the three bacterial shapes as spirilla, cocci, and bacilli.
•
Provide examples of ways bacteria can be harmful and
examples of ways they can be helpful.
•
List and describe examples of viruses that affect the human
body.
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Viruses and Monerans
Assessment
Preliminary Test:
The Preliminary Test, provided in the Student Masters section, is an
assessment tool designed to gain an understanding of student preexisting
knowledge. It can also be used as a benchmark upon which to assess
student progress based on the objectives stated on the previous pages.
Video Review:
The Video Review, provided in the Student Masters section, can be used as
an assessment tool or as a student activity. There are two main parts. The
first part contains questions titled “You Decide” that can be answered during
the video. The second series of ten questions consists of a video quiz to be
answered at the conclusion of the video.
Post-Test:
The Post-Test, provided in the Student Masters section, can be utilized as an
assessment tool following student completion of the video and student
activities. The results of the Post-Test can be compared against the results of
the Preliminary Test to assess student progress.
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Viruses and Monerans
Introducing the
Video
Before starting the video ask students if they have ever seen a virus or
bacteria. Most will answer that they have not. Next, ask them if they have
ever had a cold, the chicken pox, or the flu. Most will say they have had at
least one of these ailments. Explain that these illnesses are caused by viruses
and monerans. Ask students if they have ever eaten yogurt or cheese.
Explain to them that bacteria are needed to make these foods and that this is
just one of the ways in which bacteria can be helpful. Tell students to pay
close attention to the video for examples of how viruses and monerans affect
our lives.
Video Viewing
Suggestions
The Student Master “Video Review” is provided for distribution to students.
You may choose to have your students complete this Master while viewing
the program or wait until its conclusion.
The program is approximately 20-minutes in length and includes a tenquestion video quiz. Answers are not provided to the Video Quiz on the
video, but are included in this Teacher’s Guide. You may choose to either
grade student quizzes as an assessment tool or to review the answers in
class.
The video is content-rich with numerous vocabulary words. For this reason,
you may want to periodically stop the video to review and discuss new
terminology and concepts.
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Viruses and Monerans
Student Assessments
and Activities
Assessment Masters:
•
Preliminary Test
•
Video Review
•
Post-Test
Student Activity Masters:
•
Food Preservation
•
Your Immunization Record
•
Living Yogurt
•
New Life in the Deep Sea
•
Vocabulary of Viruses and Monerans
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Viruses and Monerans
Video Script:
Viruses and Monerans
1. For thousands of years, deadly killers have been capable of wiping out large numbers of
people,...
2. ...plants,...
3. ...and animals.
4. These killers, invisible to the naked eye, have long been a mystery.
5. What are these deadly creatures?
6. They are tiny things called viruses and living organisms called monerans.
7. Not until recently in human history have these killers begun to be understood.
8. As dangerous as they may be, though, these things have the potential to be very useful and
important on earth.
9. In fact, life as we know it would not exist without them.
10. During the next few minutes we are going to explore some of the characteristics of both
viruses and monerans...
11. ...while also taking a look at how they affect our lives.
12. Graphic Transition – Viruses
13. At some point in your life you have probably had a cold or the flu,...
14. ...complete with headache, sore throat, sneezing and body aches. Hopefully you made an
appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible!
15. Upon going to a doctor, he tells you that you probably have a virus,...
16. ...and there is not much to do about it except rest and drink lots of fluids.
17. He tells you that medicines probably will not have much effect on the virus, but to come back
if you do not feel better after awhile.
18. What are these powerful things called viruses?
19. Viruses are considered neither living nor dead. They cannot reproduce on their own, but
need a living thing to help them reproduce.
20. We have only begun to understand these complicated organisms in the past 100 years, but
they have played a very important role for thousands of years.
21. Graphic Transition - Viral Diseases
22. Prior to the arrival of Europeans to North America, the continent was occupied by a great
people...
23. ...known as Native Americans. Over time, Native Americans lost much of their land to
European settlers.
24. While it is commonly thought that the majority of Native Americans died in wars...
25. ...the truth is that most died of exposure to fatal European diseases. Their bodies had no
chance to build resistance, and therefore could not fight the diseases.
26. One of the most damaging diseases was small pox, a virus that attacks the skin, heart, lungs
and liver.
27. In the early 1700s, when the Native American population was approximately 12 million,
Europeans introduced small pox to North America. By the late 1800s, approximately 250,000
Native Americans remained, millions having died as a result of the small pox virus.
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Viruses and Monerans
Script (cont.)
28. Exactly what is a virus? Viruses are tiny particles that have the ability to
invade cells.
29. Unlike cells, they cannot take in food or get rid of wastes.
30. Viruses need the help of living cells, called hosts, to reproduce.
31. Graphic Transition - Viruses and their Structures
32. A virus has two main parts. Inside the virus is a core of hereditary material.
33. This hereditary material is responsible for the production of new viruses.
34. A protein coat protectively surrounds the hereditary material.
35. The protein on the virus’s exterior enables it to attach to and enter the cells that it infects.
36. The body recognizes these proteins as foreign and attacks the viruses by producing substances to fight them. Antibodies are proteins produced by the body in response to harmful
infections.
37. Graphic Transition - Virus Shapes and Classification
38. The protein coat that covers viruses gives them their shape.
39. For example, the AIDS virus has a spherical shape,...
40. ...as does this flu virus,...
41. ...while this tobacco mosaic virus, which attacks tobacco plants, is rod-shaped.
42. Viruses are commonly named for the disease they cause.
43. For example, this rabies virus is named after the rabies disease it causes in animals.
44. And this influenza virus is named after the flu it induces.
45. Graphic Transition - Reproduction of Viruses
46. The process by which viruses reproduce can be explained by looking at a specific type of
virus called a bacteriophage. It only attacks one-celled host microorganisms called bacteria.
47. First, the bacteriophage attaches itself to a cell. Then it injects its hereditary material into the
bacterium.
48. This hereditary material takes control of the cell and creates new viruses.
49. The cell then bursts and hundreds of newly produced viruses go on to infect other cells.
50. This is just one way a virus reproduces. There are many versions of this process...
51. ...but most active viruses follow the same general pattern.
52. Graphic Transition - Human Viruses
53. There are scores of viruses that affect human beings.
54. Some viruses, such as measles, influenza, small pox and AIDS, devastate human
populations.
55. Fortunately, scientists have developed vaccines to help protect us from many of these deadly
diseases.
56. You Decide!
57. What is a vaccine?
58. A vaccine actually consists of weakened or dead viruses that are injected into the human
body. Once there, the vaccine stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies.
59. You have probably received vaccines for diseases like the measles or mumps.
60. These vaccines will hopefully prevent you from contracting these harmful diseases during
your lifetime.
61. Graphic Transition - Monerans
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Viruses and Monerans
Script (cont.)
62. This teaspoon of soil contains over two million microorganisms called
bacteria, the most numerous living things on earth.
63. Bacteria are also referred to as monerans.
64. Bacteria are very powerful organisms. They have the ability to make us sick with diseases
such as strep throat.
65. However, bacteria can also help us by providing us with healthy foods, such as cheese and
yogurt.
66. Despite their numerous and complex functions, bacteria have a very simple cell structure.
67. You Decide! Do bacterial cells have a nucleus?
68. Like most cells, bacteria have cell membranes and cell walls, and they also contain
ribosomes.
69. But bacteria do not contain an organized nucleus. They are considered to be more primitive
in structure and are called prokaryotic cells.
70. Most bacteria do not make their own food and rely instead on other organisms for their
energy.
71. For example, bacteria break down or decompose organisms, such as this dead tree, to get their
food.
72. Graphic Transition - Bacterial Structure
73. This is a diagram of a bacterium that lives in the soil.
74. The outer covering of the bacteria is called the capsule. It protects the organism.
75. Inside the capsule are the cell wall and the cell membrane.
76. The cell wall provides support, while the cell membrane controls substances entering and
leaving the cell.
77. Inside the bacterium is jelly-like cytoplasm, which fills most of the cell.
78. Floating in the cytoplasm is the hereditary material.
79. The string-like structures on the outside of this bacterium, called flagella, help it move.
80. Graphic Transition - Bacterial Shapes and Activities
81. There are three main shapes of bacteria.
82. You Decide! Describe the three bacterial shapes seen here.
83. Spiral-shaped bacteria are called spirilla,...
84. ...round-shaped bacteria are called cocci,...
85. ...and rod-shaped bacteria are called bacilli.
86. Bacteria are often classified based on their shape.
87. Bacteria probably rely on a wider variety of processes to obtain food and gases than any other
group of living things.
88. For example, some bacteria, such as E. coli, which live in human large intestines, are
parasites that survive off other living things,...
89. ...while a second group of bacteria are decomposers, breaking down dead organisms, such as
this dead tree, to obtain their food.
90. Autotrophs, a third type of bacteria, are so named because they have the ability to create their
own food.
91. Bacteria in these mud flats, for example, can make food by using certain non-living
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Viruses and Monerans
Script (cont.)
substances that contain sulfur and iron.
92. In some cases, bacteria form a relationship with other living things so that
both organisms benefit. This is called mutualism, a type of symbiosis.
93. This occurs in cows. Certain kinds of bacteria live in cow intestines and aid in the digestion
of food.
94. A very important group of bacteria, called nitrogen-fixing bacteria, also form a symbiotic
relationship with plants such as these peas.
95. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria turn nitrogen gas, which plants cannot use, into a nitrogen compound
that plants can use.
96. You Decide!
97. How do bacteria reproduce?
98. Most bacteria reproduce via the process of cell division.
99. In this process, a single bacterial cell divides to make two new cells. This process is also
called fission.
100. Some types of bacteria reproduce extremely quickly, doubling in number every twenty
minutes!
101. Graphic Transition - Bacteria in Our Lives
102. While we usually think of bacteria as causing disease and rot, bacteria can also be extremely
helpful.
103. For example, many foods, including dairy products such as cheese and yogurt, are produced
with the help of bacteria.
104. A specific bacterium helps break down milk to create yogurt.
105. In addition, bacteria played an important role in making the fuels we use today.
106. Millions of years ago, heat and pressure within the Earth transformed the remains of bluegreen algae bacteria into the oil-based mixture...
107. ...we use today as oil and gasoline.
108. Believe it or not, bacteria also live inside our bodies, helping to digest food in our intestines,
and working with our bodies to fight diseases.
109. Chemicals produced by some bacteria have also been used to produce medicines called
antibiotics.
110. Antibiotics are extremely helpful in fighting life-threatening infections and diseases.
111. Bacteria are also extremely important in facilities like this one called a wastewater
treatment plant. You have probably seen one in your community.
112. You might not know that when you flush a toilet, waste is sent in pipes to a place like this.
113. This man-made pool is filled with waste.
114. Many different kinds of bacteria, along with other microorganisms, are hard at work
breaking down the waste so that it is manageable.
115. Before the development of treatment plants, wastes were dumped directly into streams and
lakes, causing severe damage to the environment.
116. Graphic Transition - Summing Up
117. During the past few minutes we have explored many different characteristics of viruses and
monerans.
118. We studied how viruses survive and reproduce by invading living host cells,...
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Viruses and Monerans
Script (cont.)
119. ...and how the body fights viruses by producing natural antibodies.
120. We learned that the effects of viruses can vary...
121. ...and that vaccines can immunize against many harmful viruses.
122. We also explored the different types of monerans, commonly known as bacteria,...
123. ...along with their shapes and structures,...
124. ...and some of the different ways bacteria affect our lives.
125. So the next time you get the flu,...
126. ...eat some yogurt,...
127. ...or walk over a decomposing log,...
128. ...think about the many ways viruses and bacteria affect our lives.
129. You just might look at life a little differently.
Video Quiz
Fill in the correct word when you hear this tone. Good luck, and let’s get started.
1. Viruses are (small) compared to other microorganisms.
2. Viruses are commonly named after the (diseases) they cause.
3. A (protein) coat surrounds viruses.
4. Viruses can only reproduce (inside) a host cell.
5. A (vaccine) consists of weakened or dead viruses injected into the body.
6. Bacteria are referred to as (monerans).
7. Bacterial cells do not have an organized (nucleus).
8. (Anaerobic) bacteria do not need oxygen to survive.
9. The outer covering of bacteria is called the (capsule).
10. (Fission) is the process of a cell dividing to make two new cells.
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Viruses and Monerans
Answers to
Student Assessments
Preliminary Test
1. living
2. hereditary
3. disease
4. parasite
5. virus
6. nucleus
7. capsule
8. anaerobic
9. autotrophs
10. division
11. T
12. T
13. F
14. T
15. F
16. T
17. F
18. T
19. F
20. T
Video Quiz:
1. small
2. disease
3. protein
4. inside
5. vaccine
6. monerans
7. nucleus
8. anaerobic
9. capsule
10. cell division
Video Review
You Decide:
A. A vaccine consists of weakened or dead
viruses that are injected into humans to produce
antibodies.
B. Bacterial cells do not contain an organized
nucleus.
C. Spiral, round and rod-shaped are the three
shapes of bacteria.
D. Bacteria reproduce by the process of cell
division.
Post Test
1. F
2. T
3. T
4. F
5. F
6. T
7. T
8. F
9. T
10. T
11. virus
12. division
13. anaerobic
14. autotrophs
15. hereditary
16. capsule
17. nucleus
18. disease
19 parasite
20. living
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Viruses and Monerans
Answers to
Student Activities
Food Preservation
Answers will vary. Following are two
examples:
1. milk: pasteurized
2. meat: frozen, cooled
Living Yogurt
Conclusion: Even with the stain, the
microscope must be on high power.
The bacteria would not be easily
identified without the stain. Drawings
will vary. The bacteria in yogurt is very
beneficial to our bodies.
Your Immunization Record
Answers will vary. Possible examples
include:
1.) Symptoms: Tetanus: muscle spasms;
Pertussis: cough and choking; Diptheria:
blocks airway to breathe. Possible side
effects: fever, drowsy, convulsions,
permanent brain damage or coma (rare)
New Life in the Deep Sea
Part I:
1. B
2. D
3. B
4. A
Part II:
1. F
2. T
3. T
4. F
5. T
Part III:
Answers will vary.
2.) Symptoms: Polio: paralysis
Possible side effects: abdominal pain,
anemia, fever
3.) Symptoms: Measles: rash, cough, fever;
Mumps: fever, swollen glands; Rubella:
rash, fever, arthritis. Possible side effects:
seizures, hives, swollen glands, cough,
gastroenteritis
Vocabulary
1. cocci, g
2. vaccine, c
3. capsule, f
4. autotrophs, i
5. anaerobic bacteria, h
6. cell division, a
7. prokaryotic cells, e
8. bacilli, j
9. virus, b
10. bacteria, d
4.) Symptoms: Hepatitis B: affects the
liver, may lead to cirrhosis of the liver.
Possible side effects: fever, malaise,
allergic reactions (rare)
5.) Symptoms: Meningitis: permanent
brain damage, may lead to pneumonia and
other serious illnesses. Possible side
effects: fever, vomiting, diarrhea; the
safest of all vaccines
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Assessment
and Student
Activity
Masters
18
Viruses and Monerans
Name___________________
Preliminary Test
Directions: Fill in the blank with the correct word. A list of possible answers is
provided at the bottom of the page.
1. Viruses need a __________ host in order to reproduce.
2. Located inside the virus is the __________ material.
3. Viruses are commonly named for the __________ they cause.
4. A __________ is an organism that feeds on another living thing.
5. A vaccine consists of a weakened or dead __________ .
6. Bacteria do not contain a __________ .
7. The outer covering of bacteria is called the __________ .
8. __________ bacteria can survive without oxygen.
9. Bacteria referred to as ______________ have the ability to make their own
food.
10. Bacteria reproduce via cell __________.
living
autotrophs
anaerobic
capsule
disease
aerobic
nucleus
division
virus
mitochondria
parasite
hereditary
19

Viruses and Monerans
Name___________________
Preliminary
Test
Directions: Decide whether the answer is True (T) or False (F).
11.
Viruses affect most living things.
T
F
12.
Thousands of Native Americans are believed to have
died from the small pox virus.
T
F
13.
Viruses do not need hosts to reproduce.
T
F
14.
AIDS is caused by a virus.
T
F
15.
Vaccines consist of strong, active viruses.
T
F
16.
Bacteria have a relatively simple cell structure.
T
F
17.
Spiral shaped bacteria are called cocci.
T
F
18.
Bacteria are often classified by their shape.
T
F
19.
In bacteria, hereditary material is located in the nucleus.
T
F
20.
Bacteria can live inside our bodies.
T
F
20

Viruses and Monerans
Name___________________
Video Review
Directions: During the course of the program, answer the “You Decide”
questions as they are presented in the video. Answer the Video Quiz questions
at the end of the video.
You Decide:
A. What is a vaccine?
Answer: ________________
B. Do bacterial cells have a nucleus?
Answer: ________________
C. Describe the three bacterial shapes seen
here.
Answer: ________________
D. How do bacteria reproduce?
Answer: ________________
Video Quiz:
1. Viruses are __________ compared to other microorganisms.
2. Viruses are commonly named after the ______________ they cause.
3. A _____________ coat surrounds viruses.
4. Viruses can only reproduce ____________ a host cell.
5. A ____________ consists of weakened or dead viruses injected into the body.
6. Bacteria are referred to as ________________.
7. Bacterial cells do not have an organized ________________.
8. _______________ bacteria do not need oxygen to survive.
9. The outer covering of bacteria is called the _____________.
10. ______________ is the process of a cell dividing to make two new cells.
21

Viruses and Monerans
Name___________________
Post Test
Directions: Decide whether the answer is True (T) or False (F).
1.
Spiral shaped bacteria are called cocci.
T
F
2.
AIDS is caused by a virus.
T
F
3.
Bacteria have a relatively simple cell structure.
T
F
4.
Vaccines consist of strong, active viruses.
T
F
5.
In bacteria, hereditary material is located in the
nucleus.
T
F
6.
Bacteria can live inside our bodies.
T
F
7.
Bacteria are often classified by their shape.
T
F
8.
Viruses do not need hosts to reproduce.
T
F
9.
Viruses affect most living things.
T
F
10.
Thousands of Native Americans are believed to have
died from the small pox virus.
T
F
22

Viruses and Monerans
Name___________________
Post Test
Directions: Fill in the blank with the correct word. Choose from the list of
possible answers at the bottom of the page.
11.
A vaccine consists of a weakened or dead __________ .
12.
Bacteria reproduce via cell __________.
13.
__________ bacteria can survive without oxygen.
14.
Bacteria referred to as _____________ have the ability to make their own
food.
15.
Located inside the virus is the __________ material.
16.
The outer covering of bacteria is called the __________ .
17.
Bacteria do not contain a __________ .
18.
Viruses are commonly named for the __________ they cause.
19.
A __________ is an organism that feeds on another living thing.
20.
Viruses need a __________ host in order to reproduce.
disease
hereditary
capsule
aerobic
autotrophs
living
nucleus
anaerobic
mitochondria
parasite
virus
division
23

Viruses and Monerans
Name___________________
Food Preservation
Objective: In this lab you will learn the different ways to preserve common
foods.
Background: Have you ever eaten food that has been left out for a period of time and
felt ill afterward? If so, it may have been due to bacteria that had been growing on the
food. The nature of bacteria has only begun to be understood within the past 100 years.
Through a better understanding of bacteria, new ways to prevent bacterial growth have
been developed. A revolution in hygiene and sanitation resulted from a new
understanding of bacteria’s role in health and diseases.
Bacteria tend to thrive in certain types of environments, particularly warm, moist areas.
In this type of environment, harmful bacteria can quickly grow on food, possibly leading
to illness. There are a variety of methods of food preservation that can help to prevent
illness caused by bacteria.
Listed in the table below are five methods of food preservation. Read over the table and
follow the directions on the following page.
Method
Food Preserved
Why Effective
Canning
vegetables,
fruits, meats
high temperature kills off
bacteria; packaging in a
sealed container prevents
entrance of new bacteria
Freezing
meats, cookies
vegetables
stops reproduction and
spreading of bacteria
Pasteurization
drinks, dairy
products
kills bacteria with heat,
slows growth of any
remaining bacteria in cooling
process
Refrigeration
meats, eggs,
dairy products
slows reproduction and
spreading of bacteria
meats, grains,
flour, starch
removes moisture needed
for bacteria to grow
Drying
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Viruses and Monerans
Name___________________
Food Preservation (cont.)
Directions: Think about some of the foods you may have eaten during the past few days.
In the table below, write down ten foods that have gone through a preservation process to
keep them fresh. Include the name of the food and the method used to preserve it.
Preservation Method
Food
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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Viruses and Monerans
Name___________________
Your Immunization
Record
Why is it so important to get your immunization vaccines and what exactly is the doctor
injecting into your body? Viruses and bacteria cause many serious illnesses, some being
fatal. Vaccines are made of a dead or weakened form of a virus or bacteria that cause an
illness. A vaccine stimulates the body to produce antibodies, or proteins produced by the
immune system that destroy harmful organisms that cause disease.
Directions: The following chart lists common vaccines that you have probably received.
You will need to research your immunization history to complete this chart. You may
have a form or card that shows a record of the vaccines you have received or you may
need to ask a parent, school nurse, or doctor. You will also need to research different
diseases to determine the symptoms they cause and the possible side effects of receiving
the vaccine.
Immunizations
Have you had this What are the
symptoms of this
vaccine?
illness?
What are possible side
effects of receiving
this vaccine?
DTaP: Diptheria,
Tetanus, Pertussis
Polio
MMR: measles,
mumps, rubella
Hepatitis B
Hib: Haemophilus
Influenzae b, also
known as meningitis
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Viruses and Monerans
Name___________________
Living Yogurt
Objective: In this lab, you will observe living bacteria in yogurt with the help of
a stain called Crystal Violet.
Background: Bacteria are unusual living organisms. While some bacteria are harmful
to humans and can cause serious illness, some are actually helpful. Bacteria are used in
foods that you eat everyday. Bacteria are needed in the production of cheese, yogurt, and
vinegar. The next time you these foods, remember that you are also eating bacteria.
Materials:
Plain yogurt
Water
Petri dish
Crystal violet stain
Toothpick
Eye dropper
Glass slide
Cover slip
Microscope
Procedure:
1. Place a drop of yogurt in the petri dish.
2. Add 5 drops of water to the yogurt.
3. Add one drop of the crystal violet stain (Caution: Be careful with the crystal violet,
it can stain your skin and clothing).
4. Mix for 30 seconds so that the yogurt, stain and water are blended well.
5. Use the toothpick to spread a small portion of the mixture on a slide.
6. Cover the slide with a cover slip.
7. Observe the mixture under a microscope. Use low power first and then switch to high
power.
Conclusions: In addition to the stain, what is necessary for the bacteria to be visible?
Do you think the bacteria could be easily identified without the stain? Draw a picture of
what you see under the microscope. Is the bacteria found in yogurt harmful or beneficial
to your body?
27
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Viruses and Monerans
Name___________________
New Life in the Deep Sea
Directions: Read the following passage about a relatively recent scientific discovery.
Use the information to answer the questions that follow.
Could you survive in an environment that is dark, nearly 360º Celsius, and full of toxic
chemicals? A new life form was recently discovered that survives in such an environment.
Researchers and submarines entered into the abyss and uncovered new life existing in an
ecosystem they named “hydrothermal vents.” It was previously thought that all life, either
directly or indirectly, depended on the process of photosynthesis. Microorganisms called
phytoplankton that live on the ocean’s surface are responsible for 70% of photosynthesis that
occurs on Earth. They depend on light from the sun to survive and are the basis of the food
chain that supports other living organisms. The exciting discovery of new bacteria provides
evidence that not all life depends on the sun. These bacteria exist in total darkness in the
hydrothermal vents, 8,000 feet below the surface of the ocean.
In 1976, a submarine confirmed the existence of hydrothermal vents. Hydrothermal vents
occur at rifts or cracks along the 46,000-mile Mid-Ocean Ridge, the volcanic undersea ridge
where new ocean floor is created. The vents can shoot out extremely hot water at temperatures of up to 360ºC. This hot water is rich in minerals, especially hydrogen sulfide. When
the hydrogen sulfide shoots out of the vents it appears as a big black
smokestack. For this reason, the vents are called “smokers.” A special type of bacteria uses
the hydrogen sulfide found in and around smokers to produce their own food in a process
called chemosynthesis. These bacteria are the food source for an abundant and diverse
community of organisms.
Over 100 previously unknown species have been discovered in and around deep sea vents.
Some scientists compare this rich and diverse ecosystem to that of the rainforest. Some of
these organisms are large, unusual species, such as giant clams, tube worms and ten-inch fish
called eelpouts. Many of the relationships between the organisms and the bacteria are
symbiotic, meaning that both the organism and the bacteria mutually benefit from each other.
For example, giant clams absorb hydrogen sulfide through their feet. Their blood carries the
hydrogen sulfide inside their body where the bacteria use it to produce food. The giant clams
then eat the bacteria for energy. The organisms grow to be very large because the bacteria
they eat live in concentrated and dense populations. The food source is readily available,
enabling the clams to eat large amounts of bacteria in a short time. Tube worms also have a
symbiotic relationship with the bacteria. Tube worms can contain up to 285 billion bacteria
per ounce of living tissue.
When scientists discovered hydrothermal vents, they also discovered a new community of
living things. Rather than depending on photosynthesis, the organisms in this community are
supported by a process called chemosynthesis. With the discovery that life exists in hot
temperatures and complete darkness, new thoughts are developing about the nature of life on
other planets. The discovery of hydrothermal vent organisms has also led scientists to
develop new theories about the origin and development of life on earth.
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Viruses and Monerans
Name___________________
Deep Sea (cont.)
Directions: Part I: Circle the correct multiple choice answer. Part II: Decide
whether the statement is True (T) or False (F).
1. What enables the animals that live in hydrothermal vents to grow to be so large?
A. They live in extremely hot temperatures.
B. They feed on dense populations of bacteria.
C. The feed on other large organisms.
D. They live in an environment rich in minerals.
2. Microorganisms that are responsible for 70% of photosynthesis that occurs on earth
are called:
A. bacteria
C. eelpouts
B. tube worms
D. phytoplankton
3. Because of the diversity and abundance of species, hydrothermal vents have been
compared to:
A. other planets
C. phytoplankton
B. the rainforest
D. volcanic mountain ranges
4. Which characteristics best describe hydrothermal vents?
A. dark, hot, mineral-rich, food for bacteria
B. dark, hot, mineral-deficient, food for phytoplankton
C. dark, cold, mineral-rich, food for bacteria
D. dark, cold, mineral-deficient, food for phytoplankton
Part II:
1. Some of the organisms that live in hydrothermal vents include
eelpouts, large clams and phytoplankton.
2. A symbiotic relationship between organisms means that both
organisms mutually benefit from each other.
3. Hydrothermal vents are rich in minerals.
4. The bacteria that live in hydrothermal vents use photosynthesis
to produce their own food.
5. Hydrothermal vents are also known as “smokers.”
T
F
T
F
T
T
F
F
T
F
Part III:
Considering the environmental conditions of hydrothermal vents, write a short
description about an animal that lives there. Write as if you are the organism. What kind
of animal are you and what do you eat? How do you feel? What do you see around you?
Draw a picture of your surroundings.
29
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Viruses and Monerans
Name___________________
Vocabulary of Viruses
and Monerans
1. ____ occci
a. method by which bacteria reproduce
2. ____ vnaecic
b. tiny particles with the ability to invade
human cells
3. ____ specual
4. ____ httpoasuor
c. dead or weakened viruses or bacteria
injected into the body to develop
antibodies
5. ____ onabarcei aitbraec
6. ____ llec idisvoni
d. organisms that can be both harmful and
beneficial
7. ____ trpyckoiaro lelcs
e. cells that do not contain a nucleus
8. ____ cilbali
f. the outer covering of bacteria which
protects the organism
9. ____ risuv
g. the scientific name for round bacteria
10. ____ cirtbaae
h. bacteria that do not need oxygen to
survive
i. bacteria with the ability to create their
own food
j. rod-shaped bacteria
30
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