Objective

Identify positive and negative effects of microorganisms and how science has developed positive uses for some microorganisms and overcome the negative effects of others.

Foods Made Using Microorganisms

Artificial Sweeteners- Bacteria make some ingredients used in artificial sweeteners.

Butter -A starter containing bacteria gives butter its taste and smell.

Buttermilk -Formed by adding unpasteurized milk containing bacteria to undergo fermentation at room temperature.

Cheese- Different types of bacteria and fungi are added to milk curd and are allowed to ferment and age. The cheeses made have different tastes and hardnesses. Carbon dioxide produce by bacteria is responsible for the holes in Swiss cheese.

Chocolate- Pods containing the cocoa beans in the pulp are collected, broken open, and the beans are removed. The beans are spread on banana leaves or put in sweat boxes where wild yeast ferment them for 2-9 days, producing various flavors.

Corn Syrup– Bacteria and fungi help thicken the corn syrup.

Ketchup- Contains vinegar made by from bacteria.

Marshmallow – Carrageenan (produced by algae) is used to keep the marshmallow thick and hold its shape.

Monosodium Glutamate- The flavor enhancer, MSG, used in Asian cooking is produced by bacteria. A brand example is Accent.

Olives - Bacteria is used to remove sugars from the plants and add flavor and aroma.

Peanuts– Fungi attach to root hairs and change the nitrogen to a form the peanut plant case use.

Pickles– Bacteria is used to remove sugars from the plants and add flavor and aroma.

Pudding – Algae produce carrageenan that is used to thicken the pudding.

Rice- Requires blue green algae to change nitrogen to a form the plant can use.

Salad Dressing - Is made with vinegar which is made from bacteria and thickened with carrageenan.

Sauerkraut – Cabbage is fermented in bacteria to give sauerkraut its flavor.

Soy Sauce – Bacteria and fungi are used when making soy sauce.

Vinegar- A product made by dripping ethanol over wood chips covered with bacteria.

Yogurt– Bacteria change milk products into yogurt.

Disease caused by Microbes

Bacteria / Fungi / Protist
Botulism
Whooping Cough
Cholera
Typhoid
Pneumonia
Bronchitis
Salmonella
E. coli
Strep Throat
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Tuberculosis
Brucellosis
Legionnaire's Disease
Scarlet Fever
Traveler’s Diarrhea
Bubonic Plague
Meningitis
Listeriosis
Shigellosis
Impetigo
Pink Eye
Dental caries (cavities)
Rat-Bite Fever
Rheumatic Fever / Pneumonia
Aspergillosis
Ringworm
Histoplasmosis
Athlete’s Foot
Sporotrichosis / Malaria
Giardiasis
Cryptosporidiosis
Amebiasis
Cyclospora
Toxoplasmosis

Scientists Who Have Helped Us Learn About Microorganisms

Scientist / What He Did
Zacharias Janssen / Invented the microscope.
Anton van Leeuwenhoek / Improved the microscope; discovered bacteria and protozoans.
Edward Jenner / Developed the first vaccine (against smallpox).
IgnazSemmelweis and Oliver Wendell Holmes / Encouraged doctors to wash hands after seeing a patient.
Joseph Lister / Recommended disinfecting operating rooms and instruments between operations.
Louis Pasteur / Helped prove germ theory of disease; developed pasteurization (rapid heating of food until it reaches 160o F for one minute.
Robert Koch / Proved germ theory of disease.
Sir Alexander Fleming / Discovered first antibiotic, penicillin.

Match the food with the microbe that makes it.

_____1. Olives
_____2. Chocolate
_____3. Pickles
_____4. Ketchup
_____5. Buttermilk
_____6. Vinegar
_____7. Marshmallow
_____8. Peanuts
_____9. Soy Sauce
_____10. Cheese
_____11. MSG
_____12. Pudding
_____13. Sauerkraut
_____14. Artificial Sweeteners
_____15. Salad Dressing / A. Bacteria
B. Fungi
C. Algae
D. Bacteria and Fungi

Match the disease with the microbe that causes it.

_____16. Bronchitis
_____17. Giardiasis
_____18. Botulism
_____19. Pneumonia
_____20. Salmonella
_____21. Athlete’s Foot
_____22. Cryptosporidiosis
_____23. Malaria
_____24. Ringworm
_____25.E. coli
_____26. Brucellosis
_____27.Amebiasis
_____28. Traveler’s Diarrhea
_____29. Dental caries
_____30.Histoplasmosis / A. Bacteria
B. Fungi
C. Protist
D. Bacteria and Fungi

Match the scientist with what he accomplished.

_____31. Sir Alexander Fleming
_____32. Zacharias Janssen
_____33. Edward Jenner
_____34. Robert Koch
_____35. Joseph Lister
_____36. Louis Pasteur
_____37.IgnazSemmelweis
_____38. Anton van Leeuwenhoek / A. Invented the microscope.
B. Improved the microscope; discovered bacteria and protozoans.
C. Developed the first vaccine against smallpox.
D. Encouraged doctors to wash hands after seeing a patient.
E. Recommended disinfecting operating rooms and instruments between operations.
F. Helped prove germ theory of disease; developed pasteurization (rapid heating of food until it reaches 160o F for one minute.
G. Proved the germ theory of disease.
H. Discovered first antibiotic, penicillin.

Microbes General Worksheet - Key

A 1. Olives

A 2. Chocolate

A 3. Pickles

A 4. Ketchup

A 5. Buttermilk

A 6. Vinegar

C 7. Marshmallow

B 8. Peanuts

D 9. Soy Sauce

D 10. Cheese

A11. MSG

C 12. Pudding

A 13. Sauerkraut

A 14. Artificial Sweeteners

E 15. Salad Dressing

A 16. Bronchitis

C 17. Giardiasis

A18. Botulism

D 19. Pneumonia

A 20. Salmonella

B 21. Athlete’s Foot

C 22. Cryptosporidiosis

C 23. Malaria

B 24. Ringworm

A 25.E. coli

A 26. Brucellosis

C 27.Amebiasis

A 28. Traveler’s Diarrhea

A 29. Dental caries

B 30.Histoplasmosis

H 31. Sir Alexander Fleming

A 32. Zacharias Janssen

C 33. Edward Jenner

G 34. Robert Koch

E 35. Joseph Lister

F 36. Louis Pasteur

D 37.IgnazSemmelweis

B 38. Anton van Leeuwenhoek

Microbes General Worksheet – Scoring Guide

1. A
2. A
3. A
4. A
5. A
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. D
10. D
11. A
12. C
13. A / 14. A
15. E
16. A
17. C
18. A
19. D
20. A
21. B
22. C
23. C
24. B
25. A
26. A / 27. C
28. A
29. A
30. B
31. H (8 choices)
32. A (8 choices)
33. C (8 choices)
34. G (8 choices)
35. E (8 choices)
36. F (8 choices)
37. D (8 choices)
38. B (8 choices)
Scoring Guide
35-38 – 3
29-34 – 2.5
21-28 – 2 / 15-20 – 1.5
8-14 – 1
1-7 – .5
0 – 0