Bacteria

 Unicellular microorganisms
 Does not have a nuclear membrane

Size Respiration
0.2 m to 10m (1 m = 0.001 mm) Aerobic and anaerobic
Shape Modes of nutrition
Autotropic:
Some bacteria have chlorophyll and are able to
make their own food by photosynthesis. Some
bactrial synthesise food through chemosynthesis
using chemical energy from oxidising chemicals
such as nitrite.

Saprophytic:
Feed on dead and decaying organisms.

Parasitic:
Obtain food from living organisms.
Habitat
 Air
 Water
 Soil
 Food
 Bodies of other organisms
Reproduction
Asexual
 Binary fission
 Spore formation

Sexual
 Conjugation
Fungi
 Do not have chlorophyll
 Some fungi are unicellular microorganisms such as yeast
 Some fungi are multicellular microorganisms such as mucor

Size Habitat
10 m to 100 m Dark and damp places
Shape Modes of nutrition
 Spherical Saprophytic:
 Network of filaments Secrete enzymes to break down dead and decaying
organic matter before absorbing the nutrients.

Parasitic:
Obtain nutrients from living organisms.
Reproduction
Asexual
 Budding
 Spore formation

Sexual
 Conjugation
Protozoa
 Unicellular animals

Size Habitat
5 m to 250 m  Aquatic habitats
 Damp places
 Bodies of living organisms
Shape Modes of nutrition
 Spherical Saprophytic:
 Spindle-shaped Feed on dead and decaying matter.
 Irregular-shaped
Parasitic:
Feed on living organisms.
Reproduction
Asexual
 Binary fission

Sexual
 Conjugation
Viruses
 Smallest microorganisms
 Do not have cellular organisation
 Donot show characteristic of living cells
 Do not have cytoplasm, plasma membrane or nuclues
 Can be crystallised
 Do not feed, respire, excrete or grow
 Reproduce inside a living cell
 Made up of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) enclosed by protein coat

Size Reproduction
0.02 m to 0.4 m Reproduce only in lving cells by making use of
Shape cellular components of lving cells to make copies of
 Spherical itself.
 Rod-shaped
 Cubic
 Spiral
 Tadpole-shaped
Nutrition
 Viruses do not feed
Habitat
 Live in lving host cells
 Form crystals outside a lving cell
Algae
 Unicellular
 Multicellular
 Have chloroplast, nucleus, cytoplasm, cellulose cell wall

Size Nutrition
1 m ro 100 m Autotropic
Most algae have chlorophyll to carry out
photosynthesis
Shape Reproduction
 Spherical Asexual
 Oval-shaped  Binary fission
 Filamenlous  Fragmentation
Habitat  Spore formation
 Ponds, drains, rivers, seas
 Damp places Sexual
 Conjugation

Factors Affecting the Growth of Microorganisms

pH of the surroundings
 Most microorganisms grow rapidly in a neutral medium, of pH 7
 Most bacteria prefer slightly alkaline condition, pH 7.4
 Most protozoa and fungi grow well in slightly acidic condition, pH 6.5
 Most microorganisms are destroyed by extreme acidic or alkaline conditions

Temperature
 Optimum temperature for growth of most microorganisms are 30 C to 45 C
 Microorganisms are inactive at low temperatures (<5 C)
 Microorganisms are destroyed at high tem paratures (>60 C)
 Spores of microorganisms can survive at temperatures of as high as 120 C

Humidity
 Microorganisms need water for biochemical reactions and to grow
 Most suitable condltion is a relative humidity of 25% to 40%.
 Most microorganisms die in dry condition. Some may form spores.

Light
 Microorganisms which have chlorophyll such as algae grow well in the presence of light.
 Other microorganisms prefer dark conditions.

Nutrients
 Microorganisms except viruses need nutrients.
 Autotrophs synthesise their own food.
 Parasites obtain nutrients from their host cells.
 Saprophytes obtain nutrients from dead and decaying organisms.
Uses of Microorganisms
 Digestion of food
 Decomposition Process and recycling of materials
 Medicine
 Agriculture
 Industries
 Food industry
 Rope, strings and cloth industry
 Mining industry

Harmful Effects of Microorganisms

 Pathogens
a) Bacteria and protozoa which destroy host cells through the toxins produced.
b) Fungi which produce enzymes to destroy host cells.
c) Viruses which invade and kill host cells.

Diseases spread
 Air
 When a patient coughs, sneezes or talks, pathogens are spread through droplets of water in the
air.
 When a patient spits, pathogens and their spores are spread through air when the sputum dries up

 Water
 Contaminated water contains pathogens from sewage or faeces from an infected person.
 A healthy person is infected if he/she drinks contaminated water.

 Food
 Food can be contaminated if not properly cooked, handled by dirty hands, prepared with
contaminated water or when settled on by houseflies and cockroaches.

 Contact
 Diseases spread through direct contact with infected person such as sexual activities, blood
transfusion, sharing of needles and from pregnant mother to unborn baby. Examples ofdiseases
are AIDS and hepatitis B.
 Diseases spread through indirect contact such as sharing combs, towels and clothings. Examples
of diseases are ringworm and tinea.

 Vectors
 A vector is an organism which carries pathogens to other organisms.
 Examples of vectors are houseflies, rats, cockroaches and mosquitoes.
 Dengue fever is spread by Aedes mosquitoes.
 Malaria is spread by Anopheles mosquitoes.
 Japanese encephalitis (JE) is spread by culex mosquitoes.
 Cholera is spread by houseflies.
 Rats cause typhoid fever.
Way to Prevent Infections caused by Microorganisms
Vector control
1. Vector control is used to prevent the vectors from breeding or to reduce the population of vectors by
killing them.
2. Houseflies and mosquitoes are two main vectors which carry pathogens to infect humans.
3. Knowledge of their habits and life cycles is important in order to eliminate the vectors.

Control of mosquitoes

Life cycle of a mosquito

Stage of
Description Methods of control
life cycle
Egg Often found on surface of stagnant Destroy breeding grounds by cleaning drains,
water in ponds, drains, puddles and throwing away empty containers
empty containers
Larva  Emerges from egg aft6. 1 to 2 days  Spray oil on water surface to prevent larva
 Feeds on algae and small from breathing Rear fishes such as guppies to
organisms Rises to the watsr feed on larvae
surtrace to broathe through  Using abate to kill larva
breathing tube
Pupa  Changes from larva after a few days  Spray oil on water surface to prevent pupa
 Breathe using breathing tube from breathing
through the water surface  Rear fish to feed on pupa
Adult  Emerges from pupal case and flies  Getting rid of hiding places of mosquitoes such
mosquito away as cutting down bushes and grass
 Found in dark places  Spraying insecticides to kill mosquitoes
 Using mosquito nets to ksep mosquitoes away
 Applying mosquito repellant on our skin
 Using mosquito coils or vapour mats
Control of houseflies

Life cycle of a housefly

Stage of
Description Methods of control
life cycle
Egg  Laid by lemale housefly in decaying  Destroy breeding grounds by keeping
organic matter, food and faeces surroundings clear, put garbage in a plastic bag
 About 1 mm long and put in a garbage bin with a lid, keep food
covered and proper sewage treatment system.
Larva  White in colour  Destroy breeding grounds to kill larvae
 Feeds on organic matter
 Grows to 1 cm long
Pupa  Brown pupal case  Destroy breeding grounds to kill pupae
 Metamorphosis takes Place
Adult  10 - 14 days to be sexually mature  Destroy breeding grounds by keeping
mosquito  Female lays eggs environment clean
 Use sticky flypaper and fly traps to kill
houseflies
 Spray insecticides to kill houseflies
Immunity

Comparing and contrasting various types of immunity

Ways to prevent infection

Treating Disease Caused by Microorganisms

Traditional medical treatments

Modern medical treatments