Bacteria & Viruses

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 Bacteria

 Bacteriology is the study of bacteria

 Bacteria are prokaryotic, unicellular
organisms containing DNA and ribosomes.
 Bacteria have ALL the characteristics of living
things.
 Bacteria have the greatest percentage of the
biomass on Earth!

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 Bacterial Structure
 Basic structure of bacteria:

Cell Cell Ribosome

membrane
Peptidoglycan* wall

Flagellum DNA Pili

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 Bacterial Structure

 Bacteria have three distinct shapes:

spiral
spherical rod-shaped (spirilla)
(cocci) (bacilli)

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 Bacteria
 Bacteria have a variety of important uses:
– Help make interesting food (buttermilk, yogurt, cheese,
sauerkraut, pickles, and olives, etc…)
– Decompose organic matter (recycle nutrients from dead
organisms; break down sewage into simpler compounds)
– Nitrogen fixation (chemically changes nitrogen gas, N2,
into ammonia, NH3, so plants can make amino acids)
– Human health (bacteria on skin help prevent infection &
bacteria in gut helps digest food & make vitamins)
– Biotechnology (used to make antibiotics, insulin, human
growth hormone, vitamins, and other drugs)

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 How Do Pathogenic Bacteria Work?
 Bacteria produce disease in one of two ways:
 Using cells for food: The bacteria break down
healthy cells for food, destroying tissues
 Releasing toxins: The bacteria produce a toxin
(poisonous protein) that is released into the
bloodstream where it can travel throughout the
body, disrupting normal activity and damaging
tissues

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 Bacteria
 A rather vocal minority (less than 1%) of
bacteria cause disease in humans, animals, and
plants.
 Bacteria can cause a variety of diseases:
– Food Poisoning – Scarlet Fever
– Tuberculosis – Whooping Cough
– Cholera – Bacterial Meningitis
– Syphilis – Pneumonia
– Ulcers – Leprosy VIDEO CLIP:
– Strep Throat – Tetanus Understanding
Bacteria

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 Viruses
 Virology is the study of viruses
 Viruses are “biological entities” containing
either DNA or RNA that require another
cell to survive.
 Viruses have some, but not all, of the
characteristics of life.
*So are viruses living or non-living?*
 Viruses seem to exist only to make more
viruses!

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 Viral Structure

 All viruses have the same basic structure:

Nucleic
Capsid acid core
(Protein coat) (DNA or
RNA)

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 How Do Viruses Work?
 In order to replicate and make copies of itself,
viruses need a host cell. Any living cell can
become a host cell (human, animal, plant, and even
bacterial cells!)
 Without a host cell, viruses cannot function (i.e.-
are harmless!)
 Although any cell can theoretically become a host
cell, specific viruses will only infect specific cells
(EX: HIV will only infect human T cells, a part of your
immune system)

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 lysogenic cycle is a viral replication cycle in which
the virus's nucleic acid is integrated into the host
cell's chromosome, a provirus is formed and
replicated each time the host cell reproduces, the
host cell is not killed until the cycle is activated. At
this time the virus remains quiet for a very long
time and it is said to be hidden.

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 lytic cycle is a viral replication
cycle in which a virus takes over a
host cell's genetic material and
uses the host cell's structures and
energy to replicate until the host
cell bursts, killing it. This cycle
kills the host cell almost right
away.

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 Viruses

 Viruses can cause disease in humans, animals, plants,

and even bacteria!
 Viruses can cause a variety of diseases:
– Common cold – Polio
– Hepatitis A, B & C – Influenza
– Herpes – Mumps
– Mononucleosis – Measles
– Warts – Viral Meningitis
– Chickenpox – AIDS VIDEO CLIP:
Viral Disease

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 Protection
 There are a few big ways to protect yourself
against pathogens (disease causing agents)
– Antibiotics (drugs to kill bacteria)
– Antivirals (drugs to treat viruses)
– Vaccination (using your body’s own immune
system to preemptively guard against attack)

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 Antibiotics
 Antibiotics can only be used to treat bacterial
infections!
 Target specific structures on bacteria to kill them.
 First made from a fungus (penicillin), now most
are made artificially.
 Unfortunately, antibiotic resistance (where the
antibiotic doesn’t kill the target bacteria anymore)
is becoming a major problem.

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 Antivirals
 Antivirals can only be used to treat certain viral
infections!
 Does not “kill” or disarm the virus permanently; only
shortens symptoms by 1-2 days.
 Usually only prescribed to patients with life
threatening symptoms or those that have a greater
chance of developing complications (because of their
age or they have a high-risk medical condition).
 Just like antibiotics, there is evidence of antiviral
resistance too!

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
 Vaccination

 Vaccines can only be used to prevent infections

(both viral and bacterial) from leading to disease.
 “Trick” your immune system to make antibodies
that destroy foreign “bodies” or particles (such as
bacteria and viruses). Your body remembers how to
make these antibodies when the real thing invades.
 Made from a weakened virus, inactivated virus, or
by using only part of the virus/bacteria itself.
VIDEO CLIP:
Vaccination

Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School
Biology
Science Department
Deerfield High School