Question

3. a. Your 10 year-old cousin’s friend told your little cousin that they are covered in bacteria, and therefore, your cousin is gross. What would you say to your cousin to convince them that being covered in bacteria is not abnormal or gross? Please explain in 2-3 sentences, and remember that your cousin is in 5th grade. (4 pts)

b. Your cousin then asks if there are bacteria everywhere in/on the body. How would you answer the question in 1 sentence? (3 pts)

c. Your aunt overhears you talking to your cousin and asks where most of the bacteria are in/on the body, and if those bacteria are helpful or harmful. Identify a particular location, and then answer your aunt’s question in 2-3 sentences. (5 pts)

d. Next, your aunt asks if there are ways to change the microbiota. Name at least 2 ways to change the microbiota. (4 pts)

e. Your other cousin, a high school student, chimes in. They heard that bacteria and viruses are basically the same thing from their friend. Identify at least 2 ways that bacteria are different from viruses. (4 pts)

Answer 1

3.

a.

There are bacteria all around us. And the world of bacteria has a lot of diversity with many uncountable number of different species of bacteria. And different kinds of bacteria can survive on different substances. For example, on our skin, the lipids from our sebaceous glands are food for the bacteria. Our gut has a whole microbiome of bacteria that help us in digestion of food. Bacteria are all around us and are not always necessarily harmful. Harmful bacteria are pathogens which can be largely avoided by maintaining hygiene. Hence, being covered by bacteria is not gross.

b. There are bacteria effectively almost everywhere in our body apart from certain vital organs like brain which have special protection

c. There are a lot of bacteria in our GI tract like stomach, intestine, etc. These bacteria are symbionts which help us in breaking down of ingested food and hence are beneficial for us. For example, probiotic bacteria help us in out food digestion.

d.

• The microbiota can be changed by our food habits. Eating a particular type of food promotes the growth/decline of certain particular species of bacteria. Eating probiotics like curd renders Lactobacillus to our gut microbiota.
• Antibiotics taken during diseases to kill pathogenic bacteria can also kill the beneficial bacteria of gut

e.

• Bacteria are unicellular organisms with a well defined cell membrane and cell wall while viruses are just genomic material (DNA/RNA) enclosed in a protein coat.
• Bacteria can live and survive independently while viruses need a host organism to grow and proliferate

____________________________________

[Kindly give a thumbs up]