Microorganisms

Goal: I will discover and describe

different types of microorganisms

Bacteria

• Some of the most

primitive and plentiful

species on the planet

• Some are like plants and

can make their own food

• Others are parasitic

• Different because: No

nucleus, no mitochondria,

no ribosomes

Protists

• Unlike bacteria they

have a nucleus ,

mitochondria ,

ribosomes and

lysosomes

Diatoms

• Found in both fresh

and salt waters

• Contain chlorophyll

• Encased in two shells

joined together

Euglena

• Acts as both a plant

and animal cell

Amoeba

• Bloblike organism

• Have a pseudopod

(false foot) that allows

them to move by

stretching out the

cytoplasm

Paramecium

• Have cilia that move

the paramecium

• Oral groove for

feeding

• Eat bacteria and other

small cells

Fungus

• Yeast is a unicellular

fungus

• They rely on other

organisms for food

1. Why are bacteria more primitive

than other cells?

A:

• They have not changed much

• They are very simple in structure and

function

• They have no nucleus (control center)

• No mitochondria (an adaptation to the

environment)

• No ribosomes (cannot make their own

proteins)

2. Why are diatoms called plantlike

protists?

• They contain chlorophyll

3. Compare: Euglena and a Plant cell

A:

• Plant cells are like animal cells but have a

cell wall and chloroplasts

• Euglena also have chloroplasts

4. Compare the process of feeding

between a paramecium and an

amoeba

A:

• Amoeba – wraps itself

around food and

creates a food

vacuole.

• Paramecium – uses

cilia to draw food into

its oral groove

5. Why do people associate

microorganisms with disease?

A:

6. Why do some micro organisms

need a contractile vacuole? Use

your knowledge of osmosis.

7. Penicillin is an antibiotic that

attacks the cell wall of bacteria.

Could you draw a diagram showing

penicillin killing bacteria?

8. What affect do things like caffeine have

on unicellular organisms?

Use words like osmosis and diffusion in your

answer.

Caffeine molecules