Helpful and Harmful Bacteria Graphic Organizer
Helpful Bacteria
• Saprophytes: break down dead organisms
• Nitrogen-fixing bacteria help plants get the nitrogen they
need to grow
• Foods contain bacteria like yogurt, pickles, cheese, and
sauerkraut
• Bacteria in our stomachs help to break down foods
• Some medicines are made from bacteria
• Bacteria are used in tanning leather for belts, shoes, wallets,
etc.
• Oil-eating bacteria help clean up oil spills
Harmful Bacteria
• Some bacteria cause foods to go bad and become unsafe to
eat
• Bacteria cause foods like milk to sour
• Vegetables get soft and spoil because of bacteria
• Pathogens: bacteria that produce diseases
• Lyme Disease, strep throat, pneumonia, anthrax, tetanus, and
whooping cough are caused by bacteria