LIVING THINGS MICRO-ORGANISMS

Micro-organisms (microscopic organisms or microbes) are tiny living things. They are so small, you need a microscope to see them. Normally, they share the same features as other living things: They need food. They grow. They reproduce. People are interested in microbes because they can cause disease in humans, animals and plants. They can also make food and drink spoil (go bad). To stop the negative effects of microbes, people use chemicals to kill them. These chemicals include disinfectants, antiseptics and bleach. People are also interested in microbes because they can be useful (positive use). Some can be used to make food, some can be eaten as food, and some can even make medicines to help cure disease. The are four classes of micro-organism: VIRUSES BACTERIA

PROTOCTISTA

FUNGI

ACTIVITIES Read the text and answer the following questions using complete sentences: 1. Do you think an elephant is a micro-organism? Why?

2. Do you think an atom is a micro-organism? Why?

3. Look for two synonyms of microscopic in the text.

4. What are two negative effects of microbes?

5. What do we use to kill micro-organism?

6. What are some positive uses of micro-organism?

7. Are there micro-organisms in the Plant kingdom?

8. In which kingdoms can we find micro-organism?

LIVING THINGS INFECTIOUS DISEASES There are lots of different diseases that make people ill. Some of them, such as cancer or heart attacks, are not passed on from one person to another. Other diseases are infectious. You can catch them from someone else. Infectious diseases are caused when microbes (micro-organisms) get into your body and attack it. Not all microbes cause disease. Those that can cause diseases are called pathogens. They can be transmitted from one person to another in different ways: 1. By touch. Chicken pox (virus), meningitis (bacteria) and athletes foot (fungus) are spread by touch. 2. Eating or drinking. If you eat food or drink a drink that contains harmful microorganisms, you can get ill. Salmonella is a disease that is spread by eating food contaminated with this bacterium. Typhoid and cholera can spread very quickly by drinking water contaminated with these bacteria. 3. By animals. Rats, mice, cockroaches and flies can contaminate food with micro-organisms. Mosquitoes spread the diseases malaria (caused by a protozoan called Plasmodium) and yellow fever (caused by a virus). 4. Through the air. When you sneeze, thousand of tiny droplets fly out your mouth and nose. If you have a cold, these droplets contain cold viruses that other people can breathe in. Flu (virus) and Legionnaires disease (bacteria) are transmitted like this. 5. By blood. Hepatitis and AIDS are serious diseases caused by viruses. These micro-organisms are spread through infected blood. There are different ways to prevent infectious diseases: a. Cook food thoroughly. Cooking food kills microbes. b. Wash your hands after going to the toilet. c. Avoid drinking or bathing in infected water. d. Avoid sharing drinks with other people. e. Wash cuts thoroughly and cover them with Band-Aids. f. Having protected sex by using a condom.