Vocabulary
This word describes something that is too small to be seen with just your eyes.
Microscopic
I am the smallest item in this group: atoms, organs, tissues, and cells. What am I?
Atoms
True or false: Every microorganism is harmful to humans.
False. Many microorganisms are not harmful, and some can be helpful.
Look at patient 23's pie chart from week 1. It has one section that takes up almost half of the circle. What does that tell you about that group of bacteria?
It makes up a large portion of the microbiome.
You can't see the microorganisms living on your skin, but they can still be there. What vocabulary word describes their size?
Microscopic
You see mold growing on bread. Does that mean the mold suddenly appeared the moment you first saw it?
No. It was likely growing before it became large enough to see.
A scientist looks at something under a microscope and discovers it is a living thing too small to see without magnification. What would the scientist call it?
A microorganism
Several atoms can join together to make one of these.
Molecules
What one-celled organism have we been studying this unit?
Bacteria
In a microbiome graph, one bacterial group changes from a small slice to a larger slice. What happened to that population?
It increased.
Two people can have different types or amounts of bacteria living in their digestive systems. What does this tell us about microbiomes?
Microbiomes can differ from one person to another.
When we looked at the petri dishes of the hand swabs, there was nothing the first day but at day 5 there was something growing. Why could we see the stuff after 5 days but couldn't see it day 1?
Their amount increased. They were already there; there were eventually enough to see.
A group of the same kind of organism living in the same area is called this.
A population
Muscle tissue, nerve tissue, and epithelial tissue are examples of this level of organization.
Tissues
You cannot see most bacteria on your desk without using a microscope. Which vocabulary word explains why?
It is microscopic
On the pie chart on your desk, the other group has a smaller slice in Week 3 than in Week 1. What happened to its population?
It decreased.
A person has bacteria living in their gut that help make up their microbiome. Are those bacteria necessarily bad?
No. Bacteria can be part of a normal microbiome without causing an infection.
A student says, "If food looks safe, it must be safe to eat." Why isn't this always true?
Harmful microorganisms can be present even when they cannot be seen.
The collection of microorganisms living in a particular environment, such as your gut, is called this.
A microbiome
The heart is made of tissues working together to perform a specific job. What level of organization is the heart?
Organ
A student says, "If I can't see bacteria, they aren't really there." What is wrong with this statement?
Something can be microscopic and still be present even though we cannot see it with our eyes
Patient 23's pie graph of week 3 shows that one type of bacteria makes up almost 50% of his gut microbiome. Does that mean he has only one type of bacteria? Explain.
No. It means that type makes up about half of the bacteria shown. Other types are still present.
A scientist notices that a person's gut contains many different populations of bacteria. What does this tell the scientist about the person's microbiome?
That the person probably has a healthy guy microbiome.
Why might antibiotics help someone with a bacterial infection?
Antibiotics are medicines that kill microorganisms, especially bacteria, so they can help eliminate harmful bacteria causing an infection.
Your body contains bacteria, but your body itself is also a living thing. The word used for living things such as plants, animals, and bacteria is this.
The digestive system contains multiple organs that work together. What level of organization is a digestive system?
System
Your body can contain many different types of bacteria at the same time. A group of bacteria of the same type living in one area is called what?
A population
Scientists compare two pie charts: one showing a human gut microbiome and one showing a mouse gut microbiome. What can scientists learn from making this comparison?
They can identify similarities and differences in the types and amounts of bacteria in the two microbiomes.
A patient has harmful bacteria growing in the gut. Scientists introduce healthy microorganisms from another person's gut. Why might this help?
The introduced microorganisms can change the patient's microbiome and help restore a healthier balance of microorganisms.
A student takes antibiotics when they have a sickness that is not caused by bacteria. Would antibiotics necessarily solve the problem? Why?
No. Antibiotics are designed to kill microorganisms, especially bacteria, so they would not necessarily treat an illness caused by something else.
A person becomes sick because harmful microorganisms enter or grow in the body. This condition is called a(n) _____.
An infection
Put these three in order from smallest to largest: molecule, organ, cell.
Molecule -> Cell -> Organ
Why is it more accurate to talk about someone's gut microbiome rather than just saying they have "gut bacteria"?
A microbiome includes all of the microorganisms living in that environment, not just one type of bacteria.
Look at the graph on your desk. It shows six different types of bacteria in Week 1 and seven types in Week 3. What can you conclude?
There is a new type of bacteria present.
Why might scientists study the microbiome of a healthy person?
To learn which microorganisms are normally present and how different microorganisms may interact in a healthy body.
Scientists notice that a patient's symptoms improve after the types of bacteria in the patient's gut change. Does this prove that the bacteria caused the improvement? Why or why not?
No. The evidence shows a relationship, but scientists would need more evidence to determine whether the bacterial changes caused the improvement.
A doctor gives a patient medicine designed to kill harmful bacteria. What type of medicine is being used?
An antibiotic
A student says, "A tissue is smaller than a cell because tissue sounds like something tiny." Is the student correct? Explain.
No. A tissue is made of cells working together, so it is larger than an individual cell.
A student says, "The biggest slice on a microbiome graph represents the biggest bacteria." Why is this incorrect?
The size of the slice represents the amount or proportion of that type of bacteria, not the physical size of the bacteria.
A scientist observes that the types of bacteria in someone's gut changed after an illness. What could the scientist do to investigate whether the illness is related to the microbiome?
Compare the person's microbiome before and after the illness or compare it with microbiomes from healthy people.
A scientist wants to know whether two environments have similar microbiomes. What kind of evidence would be most useful?
Data showing the types and amounts/proportions of microorganisms in both environments.