Microbiome
You just ate holiday cookies, pizza, and hot cocoa. What is the microbiome, and where is it living in your body right now?
The microbiome is all the microorganisms (mostly bacteria) living in and on your body, especially in your digestive system (gut)
What does cooperation mean in biology? (Hint: teamwork makes the dream work.)
Cooperation in biology means organisms working together to increase survival
What is an antibiotic supposed to do?
Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria or stop them from growing.
What is homeostasis? (Think: body balance, not holiday chaos.)
Homeostasis is the process of maintaining a stable internal environment in the body.
What are your teachers full names?
Ms. Gandarillas
Mrs. Levine
Your microbiome is like a group chat in your gut. Name ONE job these bacteria do to help you survive.
The microbiome helps digest food, make vitamins, protect against harmful bacteria, and support the immune system.
Bacteria don’t have group chats, so how do they still work together?
Bacteria communicate using chemical signals and work together by sharing resources or forming biofilms.
Some bacteria are basically saying “Not today.” What does it mean if bacteria are antibiotic resistant?
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are bacteria that are no longer affected by antibiotics.
Your body temperature stays about the same even when it’s freezing outside. That’s an example of what?
Maintaining body temperature is an example of homeostasis.
Where did your teachers go to college?
g- University of Maryland
L- University of Ghana and PACE
If your microbiome were a holiday party, why is it better to have lots of different guests instead of everyone being the same?
A diverse microbiome is better because different bacteria have different jobs, which makes the system more stable and healthier.
Biofilms are like bacteria building a cozy winter cabin together. Why is this helpful for survival?
Biofilms protect bacteria from antibiotics, dehydration, and the immune system, making survival more likely.
You stop taking antibiotics early because you “feel fine.” Why is this a bad idea?
Stopping antibiotics early allows resistant bacteria to survive and reproduce, increasing resistance.
You run up the stairs late to class and start breathing faster. How is this homeostasis?
Breathing faster increases oxygen intake and removes carbon dioxide to keep the body balanced.
What's your teacher's singers?
G- Justin timberlake
L- Romain Virgo
How could eating only junk food for winter break affect your microbiome?
Eating mostly junk food can reduce diversity, feed harmful bacteria, and make the microbiome less balanced.
Why does bacterial cooperation make infections harder to get rid of?
Cooperation allows bacteria to share resistance and hide in biofilms, making infections harder to treat.
Explain how antibiotic resistance is an example of natural selection.
Bacteria with resistance survive antibiotics, reproduce, and pass on the trait, which is natural selection.
Explain how bacteria in your body can actually help maintain homeostasis.
Helpful bacteria help digest food and support the immune system, which helps maintain balance.
How many kids do your teachers have?
L- 3 Kids
Explain how killing too many “good bacteria” could actually make you sicker, not healthier.
Killing good bacteria (like with antibiotics) can allow harmful bacteria to grow, leading to infections such as stomach issues or C. diff.
Compare bacterial cooperation to students working on a group project. How does working together help both survive (or pass 😅)?
Working together allows both bacteria and humans to complete tasks more efficiently, survive challenges, and be more successful.
Why are antibiotic-resistant bacteria scarier than your finals schedule? (Use science, not feelings.)
Antibiotic resistance makes infections harder to treat, causes illnesses to last longer, and can lead to more deaths.
Why would losing homeostasis be a big problem for your body? Give one real example.
Without homeostasis, cells cannot function properly, leading to illness or death (e.g., extreme body temperature).
When are your teacher's birthdays?
G- August 5th
L- April 13