Vocabulary
Microscopic
too small to be seen with the naked eye
Which of the following are harmful bacteria?
a. C. diff
b. C. jejuni
c. bacilli
d. E. coli
e. salmonella
How do antibiotics impact the gut microbiome?
They kill both harmful and helpful bacteria
Which is true?
A water molecule is bigger than a skin cell
A water molecule is smaller than a skin cell
A water molecule is smaller than a skin cell
Fecal Transplant
A medical treatment where gut bacteria from a healthy donor are introduced into a patient’s gut to restore a diverse, healthy microbiome.
Approximately how many microorganisms are there in the human gut microbiome?
a. thousands
b. trillions
c. billions
d. bajillions
What are some impacts that taking antibiotics can have on recipients?
They can cure them of bacterial infections
They can leave the patient vulnerable to harmful bacteria and have diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal pain
Which is true:
E. coli is bigger than a human skin cell
E. coli is smaller than a human skin cell
E. coli is smaller than a human skin cell
Scale
The relative size of things
Which type of gut microbiome is healthiest?
a. high diversity, low quantity
b. low diversity, high quantity
c. low diversity, low quantity
d. high diversity, high quantity
True or false: antibiotics cause more harm that good in human
False! The invention of antibiotics has saved millions of lives around the world.
Place the following objects in order from smallest to largest:
E. coli bacteria, human body, water molecule, human liver cell
water molecule, e. coli, human liver cell, human body
Antibiotics
Medicine designed to kill bacteria (both good and bad)
What are 2 ways that helpful bacteria helps maintain a healthy gut microbiome?
Possible answers:
-creates immune cells
-creates mucus to line the gut against harmful bacteria
-digests foods that humans cannot
-take up space and food from harmful bacteria
Will everyone that takes antibiotics get sick from it or need a fecal transpant?
No, usually helpful bacteria grows back in time and the gut microbiome can replenish on its own.
Organelle
The parts inside of a cell that make it function
How does a fecal transplant help cure patients with an unhealthy gut microbiome?
A fecal transplant from a healthy donor introduces a diverse population of helpful bacteria into the patient's gut. These helpful bacteria quickly occupy open space and consume available food, outcompeting C. difficile and restoring ecosystem balance.
What is one illness that antibiotics can be used to treat?
strep throat
ear infections
sinus infections