BY MRS. LEONE

Comparing Microbes

Timed slideshow (28 min) – Press F5 to play. W to pause/resume

Observe & Analyze the Work

How many microbes will we compare?

Why are some of the answers provided?

How are the microbes organized?

Complete Your Microbes Matrix

Fill in as many blanks in each row as you can.

The Six Kingdoms: Select one for each microbe.

Archaea, Bacteria, Protista, Plantae, Animalia, FungiTypical size:

1000 nm (nanometer) / μm (micron)1000 μm / mm (millimeter)

Structure & shape:How many cells are there?

What do they look like?

Complete Your Microbes Matrix

Keep going!

External environment:Most microbes are found in an aquatic

environment.

Internal environment:What does everything in the cell float in?

Complete Your Microbes Matrix

You’re doing great!Energy source:

Which trophic system does the microbe use?

Preferred food: Bigger microbes eat smaller microbes.

Digestion:How does food get into the cell?Let me give you some choices…

Complete Your Microbes Matrix

Digestion Methods:Photosynthesis –

Food is made right inside the cell in chloroplasts!Phagocytosis – fay-djoh-sy-TOE-sis

The cell membrane grabs the food particle and pulls it inside the cytoplasm to be dissolved

Hyphae – HIGH-fayThese tentacles stick into living tissue to suck out

food.Oral groove & mouth pore –

This is an actual opening in the membrane for eating.

Complete Your Microbes Matrix

We’ll go over each microbe in a few minutes.

Inspiration:Gases diffuse in & out across the cell membrane.

Replication:How does the microbe reproduce?

mitosis, binary fission = copy DNA and dividemeiosis = partial DNA from two parentsbudding = mini versions grow directly on critterspores = an inactive cell goes to find a new

home

Complete Your Microbes Matrix

Do the best you can.Excretion:

How do the cells get rid of waste materials?Excretion Methods:

exocytosis = moving the particle in a vacuole toward the cell membrane and out

contractile vacuole = pumping water out by squeezing a vacuole

anal pore = an actual opening in the cell membrane for getting stuff out of the cell

lysosome = the recycling & removal organelle

Complete Your Microbes Matrix

You are intelligent.Energy storage:

Where do the cells keep the energy until needed?Circulation:

How does stuff get moved around the cell?cytoplasm = it just floats around in the internal

environmenthyphae = sucking tubulesendoplasmic reticuli= hallways leading from the

nucleus to the Golgi and on into the cytoplasmradiating canals = a simple kind of ER

Complete Your Microbes Matrix

You are doing your best.Cell protection:

How is the cell protected?Most cell walls are made of cellulose, but fungi’s

are made of chitin, the same stuff found in a beetle’s shell!

Genetic material:What kind of genetic material does the microbe

have?Genetic protection:

What protects the genetic material?

Complete Your Microbes Matrix

Keep on trucking!Locomotion:

How does the critter move?Speed:

The average human can walk 264 feet in a minute.

The average microbe? Waaaay less…Sensory:

What can the critter detect?What special organelles help with this function?

Okay. Now let’s check each microbe.

Ready?

Virus

Kingdom – noneTypical size – 20-400 nmStructure & shape – parasitic particle, many shapesExternal environment – water or landInternal environment – cytoplasm Energy source – none Preferred food – none Digestion – none Inspiration – none Replication – hijacks host cell

Virus

Excretion – none Energy storage – none Circulation – none Cell protection – envelope (on some)Genetic material – DNA or RNAGenetic protection – capsid Locomotion – none Speed – none Sensory – can sense host

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Bacterium

Kingdom – Bacteria Typical size – 200 nm – 2 μm Structure & shape – unicellular; sphere, spiral or rod External environment – water (but gliders need a solid

surface to glide on) Internal environment – cytoplasm Energy source – some are autotrophs, some are

heterotrophs Preferred food – heterotrophic ones often prefer decaying

matter Digestion – phagocytosis Inspiration – diffusion Replication – binary fission

Bacterium

Excretion – exocytosisEnergy storage – none Circulation – cytoplasmCell protection – cell wall (cellulose), cell membraneGenetic material – DNA and RNAGenetic protection – none (prokaryote)Locomotion – flagellum or surfactantsSpeed – rod w/flagella = 200 µm/s

spiral = 50 µm/s (7 in/h)gliding = 2 µm/s (¼ in/h)sphere = doesn't move

Sensory – can sense prey or light

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Fungus cell

Kingdom – FungiTypical size – 3-10 µm wide and 50 µm longStructure & shape – cellular component, threadlikeExternal environment – water or land fungusInternal environment – cytoplasm Energy source – heterotrophPreferred food – decaying matter or living tissueDigestion – phagocytosis, hyphaeInspiration – diffusionReplication – spores (most common), meiosis,

budding

Fungus cell

Excretion – vacuolesEnergy storage – mitochondriaCirculation – hyphaeCell protection – cell wall (chitin), cell

membraneGenetic material – DNA and RNAGenetic protection – nucleus (eukaryote)Locomotion – none (grows toward food!)Speed – none Sensory – can sense food

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Euglena

Kingdom – ProtistaTypical size – 6-18 μm wide and 50 μm longStructure & shape – unicellularExternal environment – freshwaterInternal environment – cytoplasm Energy source – autotroph by day, and heterotroph

by nightPreferred food – glucose, or smaller microbesDigestion – photosynthesis in light, phagocytosis in

darknessInspiration – diffusionReplication – mitosis

Euglena

Excretion – contractile vacuoleEnergy storage – mitochondriaCirculation – ER, vesiclesCell protection – cell membraneGenetic material – DNA and RNAGenetic protection – nucleus (eukaryote)Locomotion – flagellumSpeed – 3.5 microns/second (about ½

inch/hr)Sensory – eyespot organelle detects light

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Animal cell

Kingdom – AnimaliaTypical size – 10-30 µm wide Structure & shape – cellular componentExternal environment – water or land animalInternal environment – cytoplasm Energy source – heterotrophicPreferred food – glucoseDigestion – phagocytosisInspiration – diffusionReplication – mitosis

Animal cell

Excretion – vacuolesEnergy storage – mitochondriaCirculation – ER, vesiclesCell protection – cell membraneGenetic material – DNA and RNAGenetic protection – nucleus (eukaryote)Locomotion – noneSpeed – none Sensory – specialized cells can sense light,

touch, sound, taste, or smell

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Plant cell

Kingdom – PlantaeTypical size –10-100 µm wide Structure & shape – cellular componentExternal environment – water or land plantInternal environment – cytoplasm Energy source – autotrophicPreferred food – glucoseDigestion – photosynthesisInspiration – diffusionReplication – mitosis

Plant cell

Excretion – vacuolesEnergy storage – mitochondriaCirculation – ER, vesiclesCell protection – cell wall (cellulose), cell

membraneGenetic material – DNA and RNAGenetic protection – nucleus (eukaryote)Locomotion – none (grows toward light!)Speed – none Sensory – specialized cells can sense light

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Paramecium

Kingdom – Protista (protozoan)Typical size – 50-100 µm wide, 150-350 µm longStructure & shape – unicellularExternal environment – freshwaterInternal environment – cytoplasm Energy source – heterotrophPreferred food – bacteria, yeasts, algae (smaller

microbes)Digestion – oral groove, mouth poreInspiration – diffusionReplication – mitosis

Paramecium

Excretion – contractile vacuoleEnergy storage – mitochondriaCirculation – radiating canalsCell protection – pellicle (cell membrane)Genetic material – DNA and RNAGenetic protection – nucleus (eukaryote)Locomotion – cilia (moves in a spiral motion,

head first)Speed – 420 microns/second (about 5 feet/hour)Sensory – can sense light

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Amoeba

Kingdom – Protista (protozoan)Typical size – 220-740 µm Structure & shape – unicellular, no uniform shapeExternal environment – freshwater or soilInternal environment – cytoplasm Energy source –heterotrophPreferred food – plankton, diatoms (smaller

microbes)Digestion – phagocytosisInspiration – diffusionReplication – mitosis

Amoeba

Excretion – contractile vacuoleEnergy storage – mitochondriaCirculation – ER, vesiclesCell protection –cell membraneGenetic material – DNA and RNAGenetic protection – nucleus (eukaryote)Locomotion – pseudopodsSpeed – 3 microns/sec (about 0.43 in/hour)Sensory – can sense prey

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Volvox

Kingdom – Protista (plant-like)Typical size – 350-1000 µm Structure & shape – unicellular, spherical cells form a

hollow, spherical colony held together by mucilage (a sticky gel)

External environment – freshwater that is rich in nitrates (well fertilized)

Internal environment – cytoplasmEnergy source – autotrophPreferred food – glucoseDigestion – photosynthesisInspiration – diffusionReplication – daughter colonies (the darker spots)

Volvox

Excretion – exocytosisEnergy storage – mitochondriaCirculation – ER, vesiclesCell protection –cell membraneGenetic material – DNA and RNAGenetic protection – nucleus (eukaryote)Locomotion – two flagella per cell, the colony

rotatesSpeed – the colony slowly tumblesSensory – eyespot on specialized members can

detect light; colonies can also develop and detect gender!

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Summarize the Information

How do protista compare to modern animals, plants and fungi?

What is the effect of size on speed?

What is the most common way microbes eat?

Which of these microbes is the coolest?

Any questions?