1. MICROBES THE MIGHTY MICROBES: BACTERIA, VIRUSES, PROTOZOANS, AND FUNGI

2. CELLS 101 • BASIC UNIT OF LIFE • COMPLETE SET OF GENES • DNA • INSTRUCTIONS • ABILITY TO REPRODUCE ITSELF • CELL DIVISION • REPLICATE DNA • ABILITY TO METABOLIZE • ENERGY • MATTER

3. CELLS 101 continued • GENERAL TYPES OF CELLS • PROKARYOTIC CELLS • SMALL, SIMPLE • NO MEMBRANE-BOUND NUCLEUS • NO MEMBRANE-BOUND ORGANELLES • “BACTERIA” • EUKARYOTIC CELLS • LARGER, MORE COMPLEX • MEMBRANE-BOUND NUCLEUS PRESENT • MEMBRANE-BOUND ORGANELLES PRESENT • “PLANT” CELLS / “ANIMAL” CELLS

4. CELLS 101 continued • COMMON CELL STRUCTURES • CELL MEMBRANE • CYTOPLASM • DNA • RIBOSOMES • CELL WALL

5. WHO ARE THE MICROBES? • CHARACTERISTICS • MICROSCOPIC • SINGLE-CELLED (MULTI-CELLED) • IDENTITY • BACTERIA • VIRUSES ??? • PROTOZOANS • FUNGI (SOME)

6. HOW BIG ARE THE MICROBES? • VIRUS (HIV) 0.1 micrometer • BACTERIUM (E. coli) 1 micrometer • PROTOZOAN (Paramecium) 100 micrometers • FUNGUS (yeast) 4 micrometers HIV = pea E.Coli = marble YEAST = golf ball PROTOZOAN = basketball

7. HOW ARE THE MICROBES STUDIED? • MICROSCOPES • LIGHT MICROSCOPES (1000X) • ELECTRON MICROSCOPES (1,000,000X) • CULTURING • GROWTH/ NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS • BIOCHEMICAL TESTS • SUBSTANCES MADE/USED • GENES/GENE PRODUCTS

8. WHY ARE THE MICROBES IMPORTANT? • MEMBERS OF THEIR NATURAL ECOSYSTEM • INTERACTIONS WITH EACH OTHER • INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER SPECIES • INTERACTIONS WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENT • POSITIVE IMPACTS • NEGATIVE IMPACTS • HUMAN RELEVANCE

9. BACTERIA I • SINGLE-CELLED • REPRODUCE BY BINARY FISSION; RAPID GROWERS • CELL FEATURES (PROKARYOTIC) • SMALL • SIMPLE • NO NUCLEUS/ NO ORGANELLES • CELL WALL

10. BACTERIA II • IMPACT/IMPORTANCE • POSITIVE IMPACT • DECOMPOSITION • NUTRIENT RECYCLING • POLLUTION CLEAN-UP (BIOREMEDIATION) • HUMAN INTESTINAL FLORA • NEGATIVE IMPACT • FOOD SPOILAGE • DISEASE-CAUSING AGENTS (PATHOGENS) • PLANTS (CROPS) • ANIMALS (HUMANS TOO!)

11. BACTERIA III • EXAMPLES • E. coli (Escherichia coli) • HUMAN INTESTINAL FLORA • CAN CAUSE DISEASE • Yersiniapestis • BLACK PLAGUE • FLEAS / RATS • Streptococcus species • STREP THROAT • PNEUMONIA

12. VIRUSES I • NON-CELLULAR (“PARTICLES”) • NON-LIVING • NON-CELLULAR • NO METABOLISM • DO NOT RESPOND • DO NOT REPRODUCE ON THEIR OWN • FEATURES • SIZE • STRUCTURE • PROTEIN COAT • DNA OR RNA

13. VIRUSES II • IMPACT/IMPORTANCE • POSITIVE IMPACT • GENETIC ENGINEERING • STUDY ORGANISM • TOOL FOR MOVING GENES • NEGATIVE IMPACT • DISEASE • PLANTS (CROPS) • ANIMALS (HUMANS TOO!)

14. VIRUSES III • EXAMPLES • HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) • BACTERIOPHAGE • RHINOVIRUS

15. PROTOZOANS I • SINGLE-CELLED • MOTILE • CILIA • FLAGELLA • PSEUDOPODIA • REPRODUCE BY CELL DIVISION • FOUND IN WET ENVIRONMENTS • CELL FEATURES (EUKARYOTIC) • LARGER (COMPARED TO BACTERIA) • MORE COMPLEX (COMPARED TO BACTERIA) • NUCLEI • ORGANELLES

16. PROTOZOANS II • IMPACT/IMPORTANCE • POSITIVE IMPACT • LINK IN FOOD CHAIN • SYMBIOTIC PARTNERS IN THE STOMACHS OF COWS OR THE GUTS OF TERMITES • NEGATIVE IMPACT • DISEASE • ANIMALS • ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS • PARALYTIC SHELLFISH POISONING • RED TIDES, FISHKILLS

17. PROTOZOANS III • EXAMPLES • PARAMECIUM • AMEBA • GIARDIA • TRYPANOSOMA • MALARIA

18. FUNGI I • SINGLE-CELLED / MULTICELLED (FILAMENTOUS) • REPRODUCE • BY SPORES • CELL FEATURES (EUKARYOTIC) • LARGER • MORE COMPLEX • NUCLEI • ORGANELLES

19. FUNGI II • IMPACT/IMPORTANCE • POSITIVE IMPACT • DECOMPOSITION & NUTRIENT RECYCLING • FOOD INDUSTRY • SOURCE OF ANTIBIOTICS • MYCORRHIZAE (ASSOCIATION WITH PLANT ROOTS) • NEGATIVE IMPACT • DISEASE • PLANTS (CROPS) • ANIMALS (HUMANS TOO!)

20. FUNGI III • EXAMPLES • MOLDS/MILDEWS • YEASTS • ATHLETE’S FOOT • MYCORRHIZAE

21. CONTACT INFORMATION MARK KNAUSS Georgia Highlands College 706-368-7535 mknauss@highlands.edu ANDREW DAWSON Georgia Highlands College 706-368-7796 adawson@highlands.edu