Biology I

Bacteria Project
For this project, you are to choose a disease, research it, create a Powerpoint that you and your
partner must present to the class.
Species

Benefit or Disease

Lactobacillus acidophilus

Cheese and yogurt product, intestinal bacteria

Lactococcus lactis

Cheese and buttermilk production

Cyanobacteria

Photosynthetic

Rhizobia

Convert nitrogen gas into usable nitrogen for plants

Bifidobacterium

Normal intestinal bacteria

Clostridium difficile

Gastrointestinal disease

Bacillus anthracis

Anthrax

Streptococcus pneumoniae

Pneumonia

Staphylococcus aureus

Skin infections, acne, pink eye.

Campylobacter jejuni

Food poisoning

Salmonella typhimurium

Food poisoning

Escherichia coli O157:H7

Food poisoning

Group A Streptococcus

Strep throat

Staphylococcus epidermidis

Body odor

Streptococcus mutans

Cavities

Clostridium tetani

Tetanus (lockjaw)

Streptococcus pyrogenes

Necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease)

Bacterial Research Grading Rubric

You will be graded on the following:

Points
Possible

1. Cover Page / Slide

- Your Name
- The disease youre presenting
- The name of this class and period
2. Know Your Bacteria
- What is the scientific name of the bacteria? Make sure the scientific name is in
the proper format ( i.e. Homo sapiens )
- What shape is the bacteria? (show a picture)
- Does the bacteria live in clusters (staph), long chains (strep) or neither?
- Is the bacteria an obligate aerobe, facultative anaerobe, or obligate
-

20

anaerobe? Explain what this means.

Describe the anatomy of the bacteria. Does it have any specialized
structures such as a capsule, flagella or pili? If so, explain the purpose of
the structure.

3. Disease (Complete this section if you have a pathogenic bacterium)

- Describe how the disease spreads (contact, airborne, etc)
- How could someone protect themselves from this disease? Are there any
effective methods of prevention?
The Attack
- List all of the major symptoms associated with the disease. Include pictures
when appropriate.
- For each symptom, explain how exactly the bacteria causes that symptom.
- Example: If your bacteria causes diarrhea, explain why. What exactly happens
in the small intestine to cause this effect?
Example 2: If the bacteria causes a fever, explain why the body increases its
temperature in this way.
- Does the bacteria produce a toxin or waste product that causes or intensifies some
of the symptoms?
Recovery
- If someone were to get the disease, how would they be treated?
- Have the bacteria that cause this disease developed any kind of antibiotic
resistance? Which antibiotics are they resistant to?
4. Benefits
- Explain the specific beneficial effects this bacteria has on humans or other
organisms.
- How exactly does this beneficial process work?
Example: If the bacteria is able to ferment milk into cheese or yogurt, explain
how this happens. What does the bacteria do exactly, and how does it affect the
milk?
- If there are different forms of the product (different types of cheese for example),
explain how these varieties are made.
5. Bibliography
List all sources of your information at the end. Must be properly formatted! Use
www.easybib.com if you dont know how to format.
6. Speaking / Formatting
Present to the class, speak clearly and make sure everyone is able to complete
the worksheet.
Total Points Possible

30

25

10
10
100