Bacteria & Viruses

DO NOW:

What are the

characteristics of viruses?
Bacteria? What kingdom
do each of these belong?
Are they living? Why or
why not?

What do you already know?

What are the differences between
viruses and bacteria?
Are all bacteria harmful?
When you get a cold, should you
take an antibiotic to help you get
better?
Whats the best and easiest thing
to do to avoid getting sick?

Bacteria
Bacteriology is the study of bacteria
Bacteria are prokaryotic, unicellular
organisms containing DNA and
ribosomes.
Bacteria have ALL the characteristics of
living things.
Bacteria have the greatest percentage of
the biomass on Earth!

Bacterial Structure
Basic structure of bacteria:
Peptidoglyca
n*

Cell
Riboso
Cell
wal membra me
ne
l

Flagellu
m

DNA Pili

Bacterial Structure
Bacteria have three distinct shapes:

spherical
(cocci)

rodshaped
(bacilli)

spiral
(spirilla)

Bacteria
Bacteria have a variety of important uses:
Help make interesting food (buttermilk, yogurt,
cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, and olives, etc)
Decompose organic matter (recycle nutrients from
dead organisms; break down sewage into simpler
compounds)
Nitrogen fixation (chemically changes nitrogen gas, N2,
into ammonia, NH3, so plants can make amino acids)
Human health (bacteria on skin help prevent infection
& bacteria in gut helps digest food & make vitamins)
Biotechnology (used to make antibiotics, insulin,
human growth hormone, vitamins, and other drugs)

How Do Pathogenic Bacteria Work?

Bacteria produce disease in one of two
ways:
Using cells for food: The bacteria break
down healthy cells for food, destroying
tissues
Releasing toxins: The bacteria produce
a toxin (poisonous protein) that is
released into the bloodstream where it
can travel throughout the body,
disrupting normal activity and damaging
tissues

Bacteria
A rather vocal minority (less than 1%) of bacteria cause
disease in humans, animals, and plants.
Bacteria can cause a variety of diseases:
Food Poisoning Scarlet Fever
Tuberculosis
Whooping Cough
Cholera
Bacterial Meningitis
Syphilis
Pneumonia
Ulcers
Leprosy
Strep Throat
Tetanus

Viruses
Virology is the study of viruses
Viruses are biological entities containing
either DNA or RNA that require another
cell to survive.
Viruses have some, but not all, of the
characteristics of life.
*So are viruses living or non-living?*
Viruses seem to exist only to make more
viruses!

Viral Structure
All viruses have the same basic structure:
Capsid
(Protein
coat)

Nucleic
acid
core
(DNA or
RNA)

How Do Viruses Work?

In order to replicate and make copies of itself,
viruses need a host cell. Any living cell can become
a host cell (human, animal, plant, and even bacterial
cells!)
Without a host cell, viruses cannot function (i.e.are harmless!)
Although any cell can theoretically become a host
cell, specific viruses will only infect specific cells
(EX: HIV will only infect human T cells, a part of
your immune system)

How Do Viruses Work?

Attach: The capsid of the virus binds to receptor
proteins on the surface of a host cell, tricking the
host cell into thinking its not a foreign invader.
Inject: The virus then injects its genetic material
(DNA or RNA) into the host cell.
Assemble: The viral genes are expressed, turning
the host cell into a virus-making factory.
Repeat: The host cell eventually bursts, releasing
the hundreds of newly formed viruses to infect
surrounding cells!

cycle in which the virus's nucleic acid is

integrated into the host cell's
chromosome, a provirus is formed and
replicated each time the host cell
reproduces, the host cell is not killed
until the cycle is activated. At this time
the virus remains quiet for a very long
time and it is said to be hidden.
lytic cycle is a viral replication cycle in
which a virus takes over a host cell's
genetic material and uses the host
cell's structures and energy to replicate
until the host cell bursts, killing it. This
cycle kills the host cell almost right

Viruses
Viruses can cause disease in humans, animals, plants,
and even bacteria!
Viruses can cause a variety of diseases:

Common cold
Polio
Hepatitis A, B & C
Influenza
Herpes
Mumps
Mononucleosis
Measles
Warts
Viral Meningitis
Chickenpox
AIDS

Protection
There are a few big ways to protect yourself
against pathogens (disease causing agents)
Antibiotics (drugs to kill bacteria)
Antivirals (drugs to treat viruses)
Vaccination (using your bodys own
immune system to preemptively guard
against attack)

Antibiotics
Antibiotics can only be used to treat
bacterial infections!
Target specific structures on bacteria to
kill them.
First made from a fungus (penicillin),
now most are made artificially.
Unfortunately, antibiotic resistance (where
the antibiotic doesnt kill the target bacteria
anymore) is becoming a major problem.

Antivirals
Antivirals can only be used to treat certain viral
infections!
Does not kill or disarm the virus permanently;
only shortens symptoms by 1-2 days.
Usually only prescribed to patients with life
threatening symptoms or those that have a greater
chance of developing complications (because of
their age or they have a high-risk medical
condition).
Just like antibiotics, there is evidence of antiviral
resistance too!

Vaccination
Vaccines can only be used to prevent infections
(both viral and bacterial) from leading to disease.
Trick your immune system to make antibodies
that destroy foreign bodies or particles (such as
bacteria and viruses). Your body remembers how
to make these antibodies when the real thing
invades.
Made from a weakened virus, inactivated virus,
or by using only part of the virus/bacteria itself.

To Review....
What are the differences between viruses
and bacteria?
Are all bacteria harmful? Explain.
When you get a cold, should you take an
antibiotic to help you get better? Why?
Whats the best and easiest thing to do to
avoid getting sick?