Objective
Observe and summarize information about microorganisms.
 Research and report on a microorganism’s requirements (i.e., food, water, air, waste
disposal, temperature of environment, reproduction).
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!
Put away your running shoes and starting blocks. We’re not having a
track meet; we’re going to study microorganisms. Are you ready? Do you
have any idea what you will be learning? It’s always nice to have some idea
where you are headed before you start out on an adventure, so let’s see if we
can get some kind of an idea. To do that, we will look carefully at the word
microorganism
Do you know what micro means? Have you ever used a microscope in
your science class or at home? Why did you use one? What kinds of things
did you look at through the microscope? Were they big or tiny? Did the
microscope make them seem larger or smaller? As you might have figured
out, micro means small. That helps us some because now we know we will
be learning about something small.
The other part of our word is organism. According to the dictionary,
an organism is any form of life; any living thing. That helps us even more.
Now we know we will be learning about small, living things.
Wait a minute; we have to be sure we understand exactly what we
mean when we say we will learn about small living things. How small is
small? Now we all know that an elephant is pretty big! Does that mean that
a mouse is small? Many bugs are even smaller than mice! Are there other
living things that are even smaller than bugs?
Let’s change our definition of micro just a bit. Let’s say that micro
means too small for the human eye to see. That gives us a better idea of the
size of the living things we will be studying.
Now, let’s be sure we really understand what we mean by living things.
Scientists have studied many living things. They have found that all living
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Objective
Observe and summarize information about microorganisms.
 Research and report on a microorganism’s requirements (i.e., food, water, air, waste
disposal, temperature of environment, reproduction).
things are the same in some ways. They all have some of the same
characteristics. Let’s look at six characteristics of all living things.
1. Living things are made of cells.
A cell is the basic unit of all living things. A cell is organized to help
keep an organism alive. A cell is responsible for reproduction, for growth
and development, and for responding to the environment. Some scientists
say cells are like chemical factories. They are always busy making
something to keep their organisms alive and well. Some organisms have
only one cell. Other organisms have many cells that work together. All
organisms are made of cells.
2. Living things use energy.
Organisms get the energy they need from the environment. Energy is
needed for life processes. Organisms use energy to reproduce. They use
energy when they grow and develop. They also use energy when they
respond to their environments. Organisms must have a balance between the
energy they get from the environment and the energy they use for life
processes. All organisms use energy.
3. Living things grow and develop.
Think about a tiny tadpole. The tadpole will get bigger,
grow legs, lose its tail, and become a frog or toad.
The tadpole will grow and develop to become an adult
amphibian. Now think about a tiny acorn. The acorn will fall to
the ground, germinate, and form roots, a stem, and leaves. The
tiny acorn will grow and develop to become a mighty oak tree. All
organisms grow and develop.
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Objective
Observe and summarize information about microorganisms.
 Research and report on a microorganism’s requirements (i.e., food, water, air, waste
disposal, temperature of environment, reproduction).
4. Living things respond to the environment.
What happens if you touch a hot burner on the stove in your kitchen?
You pull your finger away very quickly! You respond to the environment.
When you touch the hot burner, you have a stimulus. A stimulus is a change
in the environment. When you pull your finger away very quickly, you have
a response. A response is the reaction to the change in the environment. All
organisms respond to the environment.
5. Living things reproduce.
When organisms reproduce, they make more organisms that look like
themselves. If your dog has puppies, the puppies look like the parent dogs.
If a dandelion goes to seed in your yard, you will have more dandelions that
look just like the first one! All organisms reproduce.
6. Living things are adapted to their environments.
Think about a Downy Woodpecker. It has four toes on
each foot. Two of the toes are facing forward, and two of them
are facing backward. The woodpecker’s toes help it hold onto
the bark of a tree. It also has a stiff tail. This tail helps the
woodpecker balance against the trunk of a tree as it drills a hole in the bark.
A Downy Woodpecker also has a thick, pointed bill. The bill allows the
woodpecker to make holes in the hard wood of a tree to find insects. Finally,
it has a long tongue. The woodpecker can put its tongue into the tree to find
insects. There is a tiny barb on the end of the tongue that can hook the
insects and carry them back in to the woodpecker’s mouth for a tasty lunch
or dinner. An organism must be adapted to the environment to be able to
survive. All organisms have adaptations that allow them to live in their
environments.
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Objective
Observe and summarize information about microorganisms.
 Research and report on a microorganism’s requirements (i.e., food, water, air, waste
disposal, temperature of environment, reproduction).
All living things have all six characteristics. Some kinds of matter may
have one or two characteristics, but not all six. If it does not have all six
characteristics, it is not an organism. Every organism must have all six
characteristics.
Okay, let’s review our definition. A microorganism is a tiny living
thing that is too small for the human eye to see. It is made of cells, uses
energy, grows, and develops, responds to it environment, reproduces, and is
adapted to survive in its environment.
What Do You Need?
All living things have six characteristics in common. We just learned
what those six characteristics are. They also have basic needs that are the
same. Let’s take a look at what those basic needs are.
Energy
All organisms need energy. The Sun is the main source of energy for
most life on Earth. All living things either use the Sun directly or indirectly.
Producers are organisms that make their own food by using the Sun’s
energy. They use their “homemade” food to provide their energy. Without
direct energy from the Sun, producers would not be able to survive.
Consumers are organisms that eat other organisms. Some consumers
eat plants. Plants are producers. The plants use the Sun’s energy directly,
but consumers still depend on the Sun’s energy in an indirect way. Without
energy from the Sun for the producers, consumers would not have the food
they need for energy.
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Objective
Observe and summarize information about microorganisms.
 Research and report on a microorganism’s requirements (i.e., food, water, air, waste
disposal, temperature of environment, reproduction).
Food
Imagine a day without food. You would feel pretty lousy if you could
not eat anything all day. Your body needs food for proper growth. As we
have already learned, producers are organisms that make their own food.
They absorb nutrients from the environment and use those nutrients to help
keep them alive.
Remember that consumers are organisms that eat other organisms.
There are three basic groups of consumers. Herbivores are consumers that
eat only plants. Carnivores are consumers that eat only animals. Omnivores
are consumers that eat both plants and animals. All consumers get nutrients
from their food sources.
Water
Organisms need water to stay alive. Water is used to dissolve and
transport substances. Nutrients are dissolved and wastes are transported in
an organism’s water supply.
Humans need water more than they need food. You can survive for a
week or more without food; however, you can only survive for a matter of
days without water. More than 70% of the human body is actually water.
Water is needed by almost all of your body systems.
For most organisms, not just any water will do. Most organisms
require fresh water; however, the majority of the Earth’s water is found in the
oceans, which are salt water. Most organisms cannot survive using salty
ocean water. For example, ocean water has more than seven times the
amount of salt that a human body can handle. In order to use ocean water,
the salts must be removed.
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Objective
Observe and summarize information about microorganisms.
 Research and report on a microorganism’s requirements (i.e., food, water, air, waste
disposal, temperature of environment, reproduction).
Name _____________________________________________________________________________
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!
1. What does the word micro mean?
______________________________________________________________
2. Using the meaning of the word micro, develop a definition for each of the
following terms:
a. microclimate – ___________________________________________
b. microfilm – _____________________________________________
c. micrometer – ____________________________________________
d. microsurgery – __________________________________________
3. What does the word organism mean?
______________________________________________________________
4. What are the six characteristics of all living things?
a. _______________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________________
d. _______________________________________________________
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Objective
Observe and summarize information about microorganisms.
 Research and report on a microorganism’s requirements (i.e., food, water, air, waste
disposal, temperature of environment, reproduction).
e. _______________________________________________________
f. _______________________________________________________
5. What is a microorganism?
______________________________________________________________
6. What is a producer?
______________________________________________________________
7. What is a consumer?
______________________________________________________________
8. How is a consumer different from a producer?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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Objective
Observe and summarize information about microorganisms.
 Research and report on a microorganism’s requirements (i.e., food, water, air, waste
disposal, temperature of environment, reproduction).
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!
1. What does the word micro mean?
Micro means small.
2. Using the meaning of the word micro, develop a definition for each of the following
terms:
a. microclimate – Small
b. microfilm – Small
climate
film
c. micrometer – Small
meter
d. microsurgery – Small
surgery
3. What does the word organism mean?
An organism is any form of life; any living thing.
4. What are the six characteristics of all living things?
a. Living
things are made of cells.
b. Living
things use energy.
c.
Living things grow and develop.
d.
Living things respond to the environment.
e.
Living things reproduce.
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Objective
Observe and summarize information about microorganisms.
 Research and report on a microorganism’s requirements (i.e., food, water, air, waste
disposal, temperature of environment, reproduction).
f.
Living things are adapted to their environments.
5. What is a microorganism?
A microorganism is a tiny living thing that is too small for
the human eye to see.
6. What is a producer?
Organisms that make their own food by using the Sun’s
energy.
7. What is a consumer?
Organisms that eat other organisms,
8. How is a consumer different from a producer?
Example – A producer makes its own food; a consumer
must find and “consume” its food.
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