Bacteria and Viruses

Bacteria
 Bacteria are microscopic,
unicellular (one-celled)
organisms that lack a nuclear
membrane
 Bacteria can live on land, in water, and
in the air
– They also live in and on both living and
dead plants and animals
 Most bacteria are heterotrophs.
– Heterotrophs are organisms that cannot
make their own food
 Shapes of Bacteria

 Coccus - round or sphere shaped

 Bacillus – rod shaped

 Spirillum – spiral shaped

 Structure of Bacteria
A bacterium
is made up
of a thick
cell wall
that encloses
and protects
cellular
material
 Bacterial Nutrition
 Some bacteria live separately and
others remain together to
form colonies
– Colonies are
large groups of
bacteria
 Bacterial Nutrition
 Thereare bacteria that live as
parasites
– A parasite absorbs food materials from
other living organisms called their hosts
 Othersdigest and absorb food
materials from dead organisms
– These bacteria are called saprophytes
 Beneficial Bacteria
 Most bacteria are beneficial (helpful) to
humans
 Bacteria are decomposers that cause
decay
– Decomposers are organisms that break
down dead organisms and return the
nutrients to the soil
 Beneficial Bacteria
 Many bacteria are used
to produce food and
life-saving drugs
– Bacteria are used to
make cheese, pickles,
yogurt, vinegar, and
sauerkraut
 Beneficial Bacteria
 Byusing methods of gene transplanting,
bacteria have been encouraged to
produce substances such as insulin
 Beneficial Bacteria
 The human intestinal
tract contains millions
of bacteria
– Many of these bacteria
help the digestive
process and others
produce vitamins
 Beneficial Bacteria
 Bacteria are also used
in the tanning of
leather, the curing of
tobacco, and the
production of food for
feeding cows
 Harmful Bacteria
 Some bacteria are not
beneficial to man
 Bacteria spoil food by
secreting enzymes into
the food causing it to rot
– Along with enzymes, other
substances produced by
bacteria are released into the food
– Some of these substances are
toxic, making the food poisonous to
humans and other organisms
 Harmful Bacteria
 Bacteria in large
numbers can
pollute (dirty)
lakes, streams,
and drinking water

 During respiration, bacteria reduce

the dissolved oxygen content in
water supplies
 Harmful Bacteria
 Manybacteria are
pathogenic
– A pathogen is an
organism that causes
disease and/or
infection
– Some bacterial
diseases of humans
are tuberculosis,
tetanus, and strep
throat
 Controlling Harmful Bacteria
 Antiseptics, disinfectants, and antibiotics are
used to control pathogenic bacteria
– An antibiotic is a chemical that can stop the
growth of some bacteria
– Bacteria are able to produce types that are
resistant to certain antibiotics
– When this happens,
new antibiotics must
be developed.
 Controlling Harmful Bacteria
 Bacteria can also be killed in foods by
– pasteurization
– canning
– chemical preservatives
– radiation
– steam/pressure
– salt curing
– dehydration (drying)
 Harmful Anaerobic Bacteria
 Some bacteria can live anaerobically and
cause botulism
– A dangerous type of food poisoning, in foods that
have not been properly canned
 Harmful Anaerobic Bacteria
 Two other anaerobic bacteria
can cause venereal diseases
– Gonorrhea (causes sterility)
– Syphilis (can result in death)
 A venereal disease is a
contagious disease that a
person gets through sexual contact
 Both diseases can be treated successfully by
antibiotics if detected early enough
 Viruses
A virus is not a cell
 It is made up of genetic material inside
a protein coat
 Viruses
do not
carry on
most
metabolic
activities
 Viruses
 They can only
reproduce inside
a living cell called
the host cell
 Outside the host
cell, a virus is
“lifeless” and often exists
as a crystal
 A virus has no
means of locomotion
Virus Reproduction
 Negative Virus Influences
 They cause infections in both
plants and animals
 Some viruses cause tumors and warts
 They also destroy cells and are
responsible for human diseases such as
– polio
– measles
– mumps
– influenza
– hepatitis
– colds
– AIDS
Human Papilloma Virus - Warts Influenza Virus - Flu

Rabies Virus Human Immunodeficiency Virus

AIDS
 Positive Virus Influences
 Certain viruses are
used in the control
of insect pests
 Others are used in
genetic research
 Scientists have been
able to use viruses to
biologically control caterpillars
of the European pine sawfly
and the gypsy moth