Vocab
An organism too small to be seen with the naked eye
a microorganism
What are bacteria?
Where do babies get many of their first microbes?
Their mother and environment
True or False: All microbes make people sick
False
A bacterium is microscopic, while a human is visible to the naked eye. What does scale help scientists describe?
the relative size of things
All of the microorganisms living in a particular environment, such as the human body
the microbiome
Name two types of microbes found in or on the human body
bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, viruses, microscopic animals/plants
Why do different parts of the body have different microbial populations?
They have different environments/habits with different conditions
What type of medicine can kill bacteria that cause an infection?
Antibiotics
These medicines are used to kill microorganism, especially bacteria
antibiotics
Sickness caused by harmful microorganisms
an infection
This type of microbe cannot reproduce on its own and must infect a cell
A virus
How can the food a baby eats affect its microbiome?
Different foods help different microbes grow, changing the microbial population
Why can antibiotics sometimes cause diarrhea?
They can kill helpful bacteria along with harmful bacteria, disturbing the microbiome
Unlike bacteria, fungi and protists have this structure inside their cells.
a nucleus
Used to support/refute a claim
evidence
One major difference between bacteria and fungi
Bacteria are single-celled and have no nucleus
Fungi have a nucleus and can be single- or multi-cellular
A baby's skin and mouth have different microbial populations. What is the best explanation?
Skin and mouth are different habitats with different conditions
Dental cavities are partly caused by bacteria. What do these bacteria do with sugar?
They use sugar as food and release acid that damages tooth enamel
Why might 2 people of the same age have different microbiomes?
Explaining how the evidence supports or refutes the claim
reasoning
Why are viruses sometimes considered non-living?
They cannot reproduce on their own and must use a host cell's machinery
A child takes antibiotics and their microbiome changes. What could happen afterward?
Why might scientists want to develop treatments that target only harmful bacteria instead of killing many bacteria?
They could treat harmful microbes while preserving helpful microbes and maintaining a healthier microbiome
These viruses infect bacteria.
bacteriophages