Year 11 Human Biology - Microbes



AS 90950 Investigate biological ideas relating to interactions between humans and microorganisms

Over the course of this topic we will investigate the life processes of bacteria, fungi and viruses to understand how we interact with them. For this unit of work we will look at both helpful and harmful microbes, but there will be a focus on pathogens (harmful microbes) for your assessment.
 
From the Achievement standard:

3      Investigate involves using observations or findings to describe how humans use or are affected by micro-organisms.

4      Investigate in depth (merit) involves using findings and biological ideas to explain how or why humans use or are affected by micro-organisms.

5      Investigate comprehensively (excellence) involves using findings and biological ideas to make significant links about the interactions between humans and micro-organisms, including the impacts of this knowledge on human’s personal actions or everyday life.  It may involve explaining, elaborating, applying, justifying, relating, evaluating, comparing and contrasting, and analysing.

6      Micro-organisms will be selected from: bacteria, fungi and viruses.

7       The ways that humans use and are affected by micro-organisms may include: disposal of organic wastes, sewage treatment, composting, food production and preservation, food poisoning, microbial action on everyday materials (helpful and harmful micro-organisms), disease in humans and animals they are in contact with, antibiotics, resistance to antibiotics, and origins and control of pandemics.

8      Biological ideas relating to how humans use and are affected by micro-organisms may include the following:
·      structure and life processes of micro-organisms
·      culturing of micro-organisms
·      factors that affect the life processes of micro-organisms.

Video 1 - Bacteria and Viruses


Watch this video for an introduction to the differences between bacteria and viruses and their life cycles.







Video 2 - The Immune Response



Watch this video to learn more about what happens:



i) when your body first senses an invading pathogen

ii) how T-cells and B-cells respond to infections
iii) how you develop immunity after an infection



Questions:


1) What is the role of macrophages in fighting infections?



2) Why do T-cells make blood vessels 'leaky'?



3) What do B-cells produce?



4) How do antibodies help win the race in fighting an infection?



5) What is the job of T-memory cells and B-memory cells?




Video 3 - Alexander Flemming and the discovery of antibiotics






Questions:



1) What caused some of Alexander Flemming's staphylococcus aureus to die?



2) What did he rename his mould juice?



3) When was his discovery used?



4) What did the mould make that caused the bacteria to die?



5) What is particularly concerning about MRSA?



Video 4 - How Antibiotics Work



Watch this video and take note of the different ways that antibiotics can shut down or weaken bacteria.







Video 5 - Discovery of Antibiotic Resistance





Questions:


1. What two ways do our bodies react when bacteria first enter the body?



2. Why do you think antibiotics were given to chickens and pigs?



3. What is a genetic mutation?



4. How do mutations reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics?



5. Why are resistant bacteria so pathogenic (harmful)?


Video 6 - Causes of antibiotic resistance




Questions:


1. Where do antibiotics naturally come from?



2. What part of the bacterial cell is most often affected by antibiotics?



3. What are two ways that bacteria can pick up resistance genes?



4. Staphylococcus aureus bacteria called MRSA have a superpower. What can they do?



5. What do bacteria such as salmonella do to resist harm from antibiotics?



6. What can E.coli do with antibiotics that enter their cells?




Video 7 - Conjugation 



Conjugation is the process bacteria use to exchange DNA. It can be a form of sexual reproduction because the DNA of the next generation is different to the single parent that divides by binary fission after the exchange.  In this video, it is plasmid DNA that is offered to the green bacteria.  The DNA is transferred through a pilus. 



Watch the video and answer the questions below.




Questions:


1. What happens when the green bacteria receives genes from the blue bacteria's plasmid?



2. Use this information to explain how bacteria can become resistant to different antibiotics.



Video 8 - ANTIMICROBIAL/ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE






Questions:



1) Name 3 of the strains (types) of bacteria that are now resistant to antibiotics



2) What % of the population in america is thought to now have MRSA?



3) What are two actions thought to have contributed to the development of antimicrobial resistance?  



4) What are the 3 ways bacteria can resist antibiotics?



5) What are two ways we can prevent the development of resistant bacteria?



VIDEO 9 - VIRAL INFECTIONS AND VACCINATION



Influenza



Watch this video to learn about the life cycle of viruses, how the immune system fights viruses and how vaccinations help you to become immune to viruses before you are ever infected.








VIDEO 10 - History of Vaccination - the Edward Jenner Story



Before watching:

Vacca is latin for cow. 
Cowpox was an illness similar to chicken pox that affected cows and people.
Small pox was another similar illness, but was often deadly to humans.




Questions:


1) Who was Edward Jenner?



2) What did he observe about milkmaids?



3) Explain the experiment Edward Jenner did with James Phipps.



Video 11 - HPV and Cervical Cancer






HPV in New Zealand

The link below provides heaps of information on the HPV/cevical cancer vaccine in New Zealand. The first video talks about HPV vaccine for boys. The second video is the first of 6 videos going into depth about HPV and the vaccine's effects, effectiveness and risks.



Your assignment:


2 comments:

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