Viruses, Bacteria, Protists, and Fungi

Termites get almost all their energy from eating wood and dead plants. Although termites rely on wood for food, they cannot digest it. Instead, termites rely on protists called Trichonymphs. These organisms live in their intestines and convert wood particles into food. Even though termites are animals and Trichonymphs are protists, what do both organisms have in common?

• Both are eukaryotic.

• Both have cells with cell walls.

• Both are autotrophs.

• Both have a parasitic lifestyle.

Answer explanation

Both Trichonymphs (protists) and termites (animals) have eukaryotic cells with a nucleus because they are in domain Eukarya. Eukarya includes animals, plants, and protists. Animal cells and some protists are not autotrophs and do not have cell walls. Trichonymphs are not harmful to their termite hosts, so these protists are not parasites.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists have a bad reputation. People focus on the diseases they cause, the food they rot, and the bad odors they create, even though most types cause no harm to living things. One type is an exception. It is non-living and can only reproduce by hurting its host. Which of these groups is a non-living agent of disease?

• bacteria

• viruses

• fungi

• protists

Answer explanation

Viruses are non-living. They can only reproduce by entering a cell and forcing it to make many new copies of the virus. The virus is a string of genetic material with a protein coat. It cannot perform most functions of life. Bacteria, fungi, and protists are living organisms that can reproduce independent of a host.

Many species of mushroom look similar. One way to identify mushrooms is by their spore print. Mushroom hunters set the cap from a mature mushroom on a piece of paper or aluminum foil. Over the next few hours, spores fall out of the mushroom, making a spore print like the ones pictured. Both the color and the pattern of the spore print help to identify the species of mushroom.

Mushrooms are (a)   that use spores for reproduction.

Answer explanation

Mushrooms are fungi that use spores for reproduction. Spores are microscopic particles released from the cap of a mushroom. Wind or water carry the spores to a new location where each spore has the potential to grow into a new fungal colony. Only fungi reproduce using spores, and spores have no other function.

Bacteria in the Shigella genus cause the disease shigellosis. The symptoms of shigellosis include diarrhea, fever, and intestinal cramping. The disease is unpleasant, but most people recover within a week. Shigellosis is transmitted from one person to another through bodily wastes. You can catch shigellosis from a baby when changing its diaper. People also catch the disease by drinking contaminated water. The best way to avoid shigellosis is through frequent hand-washing with soap.

Shigella bacteria can survive on a fly’s body for up to 24 days. Suppose that a fly lands on waste from an infected person. That fly could then spread bacteria on everything it lands on for almost a month!

How do bacteria survive for so long during harsh conditions until finding a host?

• They store up fat and hibernate until conditions improve.

• They feed each other so that every bacterium has a little food.

• They have ribosomes where food is made.

• They form an endospore with thick walls and await better conditions.

Answer explanation

Some bacteria can form an endospore to survive difficult conditions. The endospore has a thick wall and contains genetic material and cytoplasm. When conditions improve, the endospore can grow back into a full cell. Bacteria, like all living things, need food to survive. They are unicellular organisms that do not contain fat or feed each other. Ribosomes are where proteins are made in bacteria cells.

Bacteria in the Shigella genus cause the disease shigellosis. The symptoms of shigellosis include diarrhea, fever, and intestinal cramping. The disease is unpleasant, but most people recover within a week. Shigellosis is transmitted from one person to another through bodily wastes. You can catch shigellosis from a baby when changing its diaper. People also catch the disease by drinking contaminated water. The best way to avoid shigellosis is through frequent hand-washing with soap.

People with severe shigellosis take antibiotics to kill the Shigella bacteria. Unfortunately, Shigella bacteria are becoming resistant to many common antibiotics. Even if you take these antibiotics, Shigella can continue to reproduce in your body and make you sick.

Bacteria pass the genetic information for antibiotic resistance to other cells during conjugation. Rearrange the steps to show how antibiotic resistance can spread through a bacteria population. What is the first step in the process?

• One Shigella cell’s genetic material shifts, causing the cell to change shape. The cell is now resistant to the antibiotic amoxicillin.

• The antibiotic-resistant Shigella connects to a second Shigella cell.

• The antibiotic-resistant Shigella passes a chunk of genetic material to the second Shigella cell.

• The second Shigella cell changes shape, making it resistant to amoxicillin.

• The second Shigella cell reproduces asexually. Both daughter bacteria are resistant to amoxicillin.

Answer explanation

A single antibiotic-resistant bacterium can pass its resistance on to other cells through conjugation. During conjugation, two cells connect and one can pass genetic material to the other cell. Now, both cells are resistant to the antibiotic. Both cells will pass the antibiotic resistance trait to their daughter cells when they divide.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

Bacteria in the Shigella genus cause the disease shigellosis. The symptoms of shigellosis include diarrhea, fever, and intestinal cramping. The disease is unpleasant, but most people recover within a week. Shigellosis is transmitted from one person to another through bodily wastes. You can catch shigellosis from a baby when changing its diaper. People also catch the disease by drinking contaminated water. The best way to avoid shigellosis is through frequent hand-washing with soap.

People with severe shigellosis take antibiotics to kill the Shigella bacteria. Unfortunately, Shigella bacteria are becoming resistant to many common antibiotics. Even if you take these antibiotics, Shigella can continue to reproduce in your body and make you sick.

Bacteria pass the genetic information for antibiotic resistance to other cells during conjugation. Rearrange the steps to show how antibiotic resistance can spread through a bacteria population. What is the second step in the process?

• One Shigella cell’s genetic material shifts, causing the cell to change shape. The cell is now resistant to the antibiotic amoxicillin.

• The antibiotic-resistant Shigella connects to a second Shigella cell.

• The antibiotic-resistant Shigella passes a chunk of genetic material to the second Shigella cell.

• The second Shigella cell changes shape, making it resistant to amoxicillin.

• The second Shigella cell reproduces asexually. Both daughter bacteria are resistant to amoxicillin.

Answer explanation

A single antibiotic-resistant bacterium can pass its resistance on to other cells through conjugation. During conjugation, two cells connect and one can pass genetic material to the other cell. Now, both cells are resistant to the antibiotic. Both cells will pass the antibiotic resistance trait to their daughter cells when they divide.

Bacteria in the Shigella genus cause the disease shigellosis. The symptoms of shigellosis include diarrhea, fever, and intestinal cramping. The disease is unpleasant, but most people recover within a week. Shigellosis is transmitted from one person to another through bodily wastes. You can catch shigellosis from a baby when changing its diaper. People also catch the disease by drinking contaminated water. The best way to avoid shigellosis is through frequent hand-washing with soap.

People with severe shigellosis take antibiotics to kill the Shigella bacteria. Unfortunately, Shigella bacteria are becoming resistant to many common antibiotics. Even if you take these antibiotics, Shigella can continue to reproduce in your body and make you sick.

Bacteria pass the genetic information for antibiotic resistance to other cells during conjugation. Rearrange the steps to show how antibiotic resistance can spread through a bacteria population. What is the third step in the process?

• One Shigella cell’s genetic material shifts, causing the cell to change shape. The cell is now resistant to the antibiotic amoxicillin.

• The antibiotic-resistant Shigella connects to a second Shigella cell.

• The antibiotic-resistant Shigella passes a chunk of genetic material to the second Shigella cell.

• The second Shigella cell changes shape, making it resistant to amoxicillin.

• The second Shigella cell reproduces asexually. Both daughter bacteria are resistant to amoxicillin.

Answer explanation

A single antibiotic-resistant bacterium can pass its resistance on to other cells through conjugation. During conjugation, two cells connect and one can pass genetic material to the other cell. Now, both cells are resistant to the antibiotic. Both cells will pass the antibiotic resistance trait to their daughter cells when they divide.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Bacteria in the Shigella genus cause the disease shigellosis. The symptoms of shigellosis include diarrhea, fever, and intestinal cramping. The disease is unpleasant, but most people recover within a week. Shigellosis is transmitted from one person to another through bodily wastes. You can catch shigellosis from a baby when changing its diaper. People also catch the disease by drinking contaminated water. The best way to avoid shigellosis is through frequent hand-washing with soap.

People with severe shigellosis take antibiotics to kill the Shigella bacteria. Unfortunately, Shigella bacteria are becoming resistant to many common antibiotics. Even if you take these antibiotics, Shigella can continue to reproduce in your body and make you sick.

Bacteria pass the genetic information for antibiotic resistance to other cells during conjugation. Rearrange the steps to show how antibiotic resistance can spread through a bacteria population. What is the fourth step in the process?

• One Shigella cell’s genetic material shifts, causing the cell to change shape. The cell is now resistant to the antibiotic amoxicillin.

• The antibiotic-resistant Shigella connects to a second Shigella cell.

• The antibiotic-resistant Shigella passes a chunk of genetic material to the second Shigella cell.

• The second Shigella cell changes shape, making it resistant to amoxicillin.

• The second Shigella cell reproduces asexually. Both daughter bacteria are resistant to amoxicillin.

Answer explanation

A single antibiotic-resistant bacterium can pass its resistance on to other cells through conjugation. During conjugation, two cells connect and one can pass genetic material to the other cell. Now, both cells are resistant to the antibiotic. Both cells will pass the antibiotic resistance trait to their daughter cells when they divide.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Bacteria in the Shigella genus cause the disease shigellosis. The symptoms of shigellosis include diarrhea, fever, and intestinal cramping. The disease is unpleasant, but most people recover within a week. Shigellosis is transmitted from one person to another through bodily wastes. You can catch shigellosis from a baby when changing its diaper. People also catch the disease by drinking contaminated water. The best way to avoid shigellosis is through frequent hand-washing with soap.

People with severe shigellosis take antibiotics to kill the Shigella bacteria. Unfortunately, Shigella bacteria are becoming resistant to many common antibiotics. Even if you take these antibiotics, Shigella can continue to reproduce in your body and make you sick.

Bacteria pass the genetic information for antibiotic resistance to other cells during conjugation. Rearrange the steps to show how antibiotic resistance can spread through a bacteria population. What is the final step in the process?

• One Shigella cell’s genetic material shifts, causing the cell to change shape. The cell is now resistant to the antibiotic amoxicillin.

• The antibiotic-resistant Shigella connects to a second Shigella cell.

• The antibiotic-resistant Shigella passes a chunk of genetic material to the second Shigella cell.

• The second Shigella cell changes shape, making it resistant to amoxicillin.

• The second Shigella cell reproduces asexually. Both daughter bacteria are resistant to amoxicillin.

Answer explanation

A single antibiotic-resistant bacterium can pass its resistance on to other cells through conjugation. During conjugation, two cells connect and one can pass genetic material to the other cell. Now, both cells are resistant to the antibiotic. Both cells will pass the antibiotic resistance trait to their daughter cells when they divide.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Many species of bacteria live in your mouth and throat. These bacteria come from several different groups within domain Bacteria. You can avoid most bacterial infections by washing your hands frequently and not sharing food or eating utensils. Choose the three statements that are true of every kind of bacteria.

• respond to stimuli

• can survive without water

• can reproduce

• can spontaneously generate

• use energy

Answer explanation

Respond to stimuli, reproduce, and use energy are all characteristics of living things and bacteria are living organisms. Some living organisms can survive without water and no living organism can spontaneously generate.