PROKARYOTES, EUKARYOTES AND VIRUSES ACTIVITY
Part I. What do you already know about viruses? Write down any words that come to mind:
Part II. Please circle the correct answer:
1. Which contains at least one cell?
A. Viruses B. Prokaryotes
C. Eukaryotes
D. Both Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes
2. Do viruses have cells?
A. Yes B. No
3. Which one of these contains a nucleus?
A. Virus
B. Prokaryote
C. Eukaryote
4. What is another name for a prokaryote?
A. Virus
B. Bacterium
C. Fungus
D. All of these
D. Nuclei
5. Label the following in order of size from 1-3: 1=Biggest and 3=Smallest
Prokaryote___ Eukaryote___ Virus ___
6. Which type of eukaryotic cell contains a cell wall, big vacuole and chloroplast structure for
making its own food?
A. Fungus cell
B. Protist cell
C. Plant cell
D. Animal cell
7. How do you kill viruses?
A. Antibiotics
B. Immune system only
8. How do you kill bacteria?
A. Antibiotics only
C. Immune system only
Part III. Please label the
diagram to the right:
Word Choices:
Cell membrane
Nucleus
Membrane-bound
organelles
Eukaryote
Virus
Bacteria
C. Medicine
D. Viruses can’t be killed
B. Antibiotics and immune system
D. Bacteria can’t be killed
STATION 1: Prokaryotes
Read the station card and answer the following
questions:
Draw a bacterium:
1. What are bacteria?
2. What’s another name for bacteria?
3. Do bacteria contain a nucleus? ______
4. What illnesses can they cause?
5. Are all bacteria bad? What do bacteria do in
your intestines? What do decomposers do?
STATION 2: Eukaryotes
Read the station card and answer the following
questions:
1. What does eukaryote stand for?
Draw a plant cell:
2. What are some characteristics of eukaryotic
cells?
3. Eukaryotes have a nucleus but what does a
nucleus do?
Draw an animal cell:
4. What are the 5 kingdoms of life?





5. Which kingdoms consist of cells that are
eukaryotic?
6. Which kingdom has prokaryotic cells?
STATION 3: VIRUSES
Use the iPad to find the answers to these questions:
1.
What are viruses?
2.
What are some examples of illnesses that viruses cause?
3.
How do viruses attack and kill cells?
4.
How can vaccines help fight viruses?
Use the iPad to learn about the lytic cycle of viruses (Suggestion: Use HowStuffWorks “How
Viruses Work”).
5.
Number these pictures in order of how they attack:
____
6.
____
____
____
____
Number these steps in order from 1-6 (1=first step, 6=last step)
___ The host cell lyses (bursts open!) and releases 100-200 new virus particles
___ Virus injects DNA into host cell
___ Virus attaches to the host cell
___The newly released viruses can continue the cycle of infecting new cells
___The viral DNA takes over the cell’s machinery and directs the production of viral parts
___The viral components (or pieces) are assembled into new virus particles
STATION 4: Prokaryotes, Eukaryotes, and
Viruses Activity
Place pictures into 3 categories (prokaryote,
eukaryote and viruses).
1. Which is/are plant cell(s)?
Draw a virus:
2. What two organelles or structures does it
have that only plant cells have?
3. What if I’m sick? How do I kill bacteria or
viruses?
STATION 5: Create a Model
Create a model of a Eukaryotic Cell (Plant or Animal) with organelles, a Prokaryotic Cell, and a
virus. Use your book or pictures provided as a guide.
Try to make it to scale.
Eukaryotic = biggest
Prokaryotic = 10x smaller than Eukaryotic
Virus is about 20x smaller than a Prokaryotic cell
______ Teacher Approval
Station 1
PROKARYOTES (BACTERIA)
INFORMATION CARD
"Karyo" means “nucleus” of a cell. "Pro" means "before," So "Prokaryotic" means "before a
nucleus.
SO PROKARYOTES DO NOT HAVE A NUCLEUS!
 Bacteria (say: back-teer-ee-uh) also known as prokaryotes are tiny, onecell creatures that do not have a nucleus and get nutrients from their
environments in order to live. In some cases that environment is a
human body.
 Bacteria are very simple and not too organized! The DNA is not well
protected and is unorganized and all over the cell (see pictures)
 Bacteria can reproduce outside of the body or within the body as they
cause infections.
 Some infections bacteria cause include sore throats (tonsillitis or strep
throat), food poisoning, ear infections, cavities, and pneumonia (say:
new-mo-nyuh).
 But not all bacteria are bad. Some bacteria are good for our bodies —
they help keep things in balance. Good bacteria live in our intestines and
help us use the nutrients in the food we eat and make waste from what's
left over. We couldn't make the most of a healthy meal without these
important helper germs! Some bacteria are also used by scientists in
labs to produce medicines and vaccines (say: vak-seens). Bacteria are
also known as decomposers which breakdown the bodies of dead
organisms into useful nutrients which can be reused by plants and other
organisms.
 Bacteria helps make yogurt and cheese! Bacteria in yogurt helps keep
your intestines healthy!
 Bacteria are cool because they were the first cells on earth, so they have
been around for a long time far before eukaryotes!
 Bacteria reproduce super fast!!!!
e. Coli Bacteria: can give you nasty diarrhea.
One of the most deadliest bacteria.
A crazy man a few years ago after the
September 11th attacks placed anthrax into
envelopes and mailed them. This bacteria
survives in spores (little shell-like
compartments) that looks like dust but when
inhaled and enters your lungs through your
mouth and nose, can kill you within days.
Station 2
EUKARYOTES
INFORMATION CARD
"Karyo" means “nucleus” of a cell. "Eu" means "true," or "good."
SO “EUKARYOTIC" MEANS "HAVING A TRUE NUCLEUS."
 All organisms (living things) on the planet contain cells that are of one of
two possible types, eukaryotic or prokaryotic.
 Eukaryotic cells are the most complex cell type and are highly organized.
 Eukaryotes contain a nucleus, a protective compartment for DNA, the
genetic instructions to build organisms.
 Eukaryotic cells are bigger than prokaryotes and are much newer to the
planet.
 All organisms are organized into the 5 kindgoms of life:
1. Monera which consists of prokaryotes or bacteria
2. Fungi which consist of mushrooms (Multicellular), molds, and yeast
(unicellular)
3. Protists which consists of microscopic unicellular and Multicellular
organisms that are often confused for bacteria
4. Animal which consist of multicellular creatures like vertebrates like
mammals (humans, whales, dolphins) fish, crustaceans, birds,
reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates: worms, jellyfish, insects,
and spiders
5. Plants which are Multicellular autotrophs (organisms that make their
own food through photosynthesis-sunlight)
 What is pretty cool is that 4 of the 5 kingdoms contain eukaryotic cells:
FUNGI, PROTISTS, ANIMAL AND PLANT!
 Therefore, the Monera kingdom which consists of bacteria, contain
simple prokaryotic cells
EUKARYOTIC CELL TYPES
Notice how they all have a nucleus to protect DNA and are highly organized
Can you guess which one is the plant cell?
 Plant cells have the following structures that
animal cells don’t:
o Chloroplasts: food making structures
o Big Vacuole: store extra water and wastes
o Cell wall: Give extra support to plant cell, makes them
rigid, so that they won’t burst with too much water, and so
plants can withstand the forces of gravity as they grow
vertically, and gives plant cells a boxy appearance
Station 4
PROKARYOTES, EUKARYOTES AND VIRUSES
ACTIVITY
Place pictures into 3 categories:
Prokaryote
Eukaryote
Viruses
HINT:
 Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes contain cells (words like cell
wall, cell membrane are hints that it contains a cell).
 Viruses are not cellular so won’t have words like cell wall or
cell membrane, but instead are made of protein mostly.
 Eukaryotes have a nucleus and membrane bound or
enclosed organelle structures.
 Prokaryotes (also called bacteria) are unicellular (have only
one cell, that is it!) and do contain cell walls but do not have
a nucleus (structure that contains DNA) or membrane bound
organelles.
 Eukaryotes are the biggest cell types, Prokaryotes are even
smaller cell types, and viruses (don’t have cells) are much,
much smaller than prokaryotes.
2. Which one is a plant cell?
3. What two organelles or structures does it have that
only plant cells have?
4. What if I’m sick? How do I kill bacteria or viruses?
YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM (White Blood Cells and antibiotics) can kill bacteria and
viruses. But be careful when taking antibiotics, because they are only designed
to kill prokaryotes (bacteria) by destroying their cell walls. So if you have a virus
and take antibiotics, you will do nothing to the virus and your immune system
might get a bit weak. Many parents accidentally kill their children by giving them
antibiotics when their children actually have a virus. So remember, go to your
doctor to find out if you have a viral infection or a bacterial infection. If it’s a
bacterial infection, your immune system will kill it unless the bacteria is really
strong, then your doctor will give you antibiotics. But if it’s a viral infection, your
doctor will give you medicine that will just relieve the symptoms but not kill the
virus. Ultimately, your immune system will wipe out the virus. So drink lots of
liquids!
ANTIBIOTICS (work against bacterial cells)
VIRUS INFORMATION CARD
USE THIS PICTURE TO DRAW A VIRUS: DRAW A VIRUS!
Station 5
PROKARYOTES, EUKARYOTES AND VIRUSES MODELS
Create a model of a prokaryote, eukaryote, and virus
showing various structures. You can use the pictures
provided or the textbook. Make sure everyone
contributes, and try to make it to scale! Eukaryote is
10x larger than a prokaryote and a prokaryote is 20x
bigger than a virus.