Harvard University Outreach 2004
Sandi Haracz Gil
OBJECTIVE
• This project will allow you the opportunity
to research an important current,
biologically social topic and make some
judgments
• You can then go into further depth into the
topic of immunity
TO BEGIN YOUR PROJECT GO TO:
WWW.BIOEDONLINE.ORG
”
SCROLL DOWN” PRESENTATIONS” TO
PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES,
“Bioterrorism”WITH VIDEO AND AUDIOOBSERVE THIS BRIEF PROGRAM
Going around the room make one statement about an
observation you made while viewing this video-How
did it affect you?
For our study we will compare bacteria with viruses in several ways
to allow us to understand how terror microbes could enter our body.
Let us look at the names of some of the different kinds of diseases
that are caused by viruses as opposed to bacteria
The following is a list of some of the diseases or conditions in plants, animals and humans caused by
bacteria or viruses. (The diseases in italics will be used in these lessons to follow.)
Viral
Viruses:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Bacteria:
Croup
Encephalitis
chicken pox
small pox
Rabies
Mumps
Distemper
Mononucleosis
ebola hemorrhagic fever
Polio
Influenza
yellow fever
AIDS
german measles
hepatitis B
hepatitis C
anthrax
botulism
cholera
lyme disease
meningitis
salmonellosis
tuberculosis
thyhoid fever
Strep throat
Staphlococcus infection
Let’s Look at Some Basic Facts
•Viruses and bacteria are two different kinds of germs. Both can invade our bodies and
make us sick. However, bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics, but viral
infections are very hard to treat.
Bacteria
living cells can make their own food and multiply
separate and different from human cells
easy to develop a drug that kills only bacteria (antibiotic)
Virus
not a cell
need to invade a living cell to multiply
lives inside human cells -parasitic
hard to make a drug that kills viruses and not human cells
Let’s get a closer look at bacteria
with this activity
Bacterial cell model
• Create a three dimensional
model of a bacterium cell
and identify the function
of the parts by
demonstrating how the
cell part works-some parts
will be more difficult than
others but do the best job
you can(relate this model
to the anthrax bacteriumuse other resources as
needed)
Or, you may just draw the cell
and identify the function of the
parts
Bacterial cell
• Draw out the parts of a
bacterial cell and next to
each part label the
function.
Viruses are very small and noncellular -Note their parts
• Cold virus
• Make a threedimensional model of
this virus
• Again, relate the parts
of the virus to its
function
• Or, you may draw a
virus, labeling the
parts and giving the
functions of the parts
Now, we are going to go into a more detailed study of the anthrax
disease which is carried by a bacterium. For this activity you will
read an article and answer some questions. This will be followed
by a more detailed, animated study of anthrax.
Using the Website:
NewScientist.com/hottopics/bioterrorism
Find the topic about Anthrax
(An anthrax epidemic has been a concern of health
officials in the U.S. as a form of bioterror)
Read the article. Questions to follow on worksheet.
Immunity and Bioterrorism Worksheet
(Anthrax article)
Section_____
Name_________________Date______
___
Questions:
1. What is anthrax? How does the microbe get into the body?
2. What are the dangers of this organism to people?
3. How can the United States guard against this microbe?
Anthrax animation: http://www.biochem3d.com/Anthrax.htm While viewing this animation click on the diagrams to hear an
Audio presentation. You should be able to answer these two
questions:
1. What are three ways that the bacterium, Bacillus anthraci, may
enter the human body?
2. How does the body’s immune system respond to this microbe?
Virus animation:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/aids/immune.html
Download”The Virus Game”
You will take the role of a macrophage and try to digest the
Virus. Once you have won the game you will be given an
explanation of how the immune system works to combat a
Virus. Could you give an oral narrative of this explanation?
Challenge: Read the article
Superflu being brewed in the
lab(web: Bioedonline.org)
• 1. Why do scientist
want to create a
devastating virus in
the lab?
• 2. What are the
dangers of this
approach?
• 3. What do you think
we should do about
this problem?
• 4. How has this
powerpoint study of
bacteria and viruses
enabled you to better
understand the dangers
of bioterrorism?
Going further
• Use the article Blood and
Body Defenses and select
one pathway.
• Explain that one pathway
used by your immune
system to destroy a
microbe such as the flu
virus or anthrax bacterium
Website:science.nhmccd.edu/
biol/ap2n.htm is a good
reference
Additional bacterial worksheet
Website:web.ukonline.co.uk/webwise/spinneret/microbes/bacter.htm