SUBJECT: SCIENCE

FORM: 5

TOPIC: MICROORGANISMS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON LIVING THINGS

CLASSIFICATIONS OF MICROORGANISMS

o Type of microorganisms
-

Definition:
Tiny living things that cannot be seen by naked eyes, but can be seen by electron
microscopes. They are also known as microbes.
Some of microbes are harmful, but some of them are useful too

Classification:
There are 5 main groups for microbes:
a) Bacteria

Beruk

b) Protozoa

Pergi

c) Fungi

Filipina

d) Algae

Angkat

e) Viruses

Van

o Characteristics of various type of microorganisms

1. Bacteria
Definition:
2nd smallest living things can be seen by electron microscope, have the simplest
structure, and have the largest number among the five groups of microbes.
Size:
Consists only one cell (about 0.5 to 10 micrometer)

Shape:
There are four general shapes:
a) Cocci

Cium

b) Bacili

Baboon

c) Spirilia

Sampai

d) Vibrio

Vietnam

Structure:

Nutrition:
Some bacteria have chlorophyll, so they can make their own food by
photosynthesis process. Some of bacteria dont have chlorophyll, so they have to be:
a) Saprophytes - get food from decaying matters
b) Parasites

- get food from other living organisms

Respiration:
Some of bacteria carry out aerobic respiration, and some of them carry out
anaerobic respiration.
Reproduction:
a) By binary fission

b) By spores

Habitat:
Bacteria live in any damp places.
2. Protozoa
Definition:
Animals which are made up of only one cell. They are unicellular. Example:
amoeba, paramecium and etc.
Size:
Consists only one cell (about 5 to 250 micrometer)
Shape:
Have various shapes, but mostly they have irregular shape (no fixed shape)
Structure:

Nutrition:
Some of protozoa live as parasites. E.g: plasmodium. Some of them obtain food
from their surroundings. E.g: amoeba and paramecium. Some of protozoa make
their own food.
Respiration:

All of protozoa carry out aerobic respiration

Reproduction:
a) By binary fission

b) By asexual reproduction (spore formation)

c) By sexual reproduction (conjugation)

Habitat:
Protozoa live independently in any ponds, river, damp soils or in other organisms,
and they lives in colonies
Exercise:
1. Name the five main groups of microorganisms
2. Bacteria can live in unfavorable conditions. Under such conditions, they.
3. Label the part of bacteria below

4. Size of protozoa is about

5. What is the shape of paramecium? ............................

3. Fungi
Definition:
Plants which do not have chlorophyll. They include mushrooms, moulds and yeast.
They do not have root, stems or leaves
Size:
Some of them are large (i.e mushroom), and some of them are tiny (i.e moulds and
yeast)
Shape:
Have various shapes: i- round ball
ii- long filaments
iii- oval-shaped
Structure:

Nutrition:
Most of fungi live as parasites (i.e moulds) or saprophytes (i.e mucor) .
Respiration:
Most of fungi carry out aerobic respiration
Reproduction:
a) By spores
Fungi such a mushrooms form spores within their caps. Mucor form sporangium
(containing spores). When it ripe, it bursts open and disperses the spore.
b) By budding

Habitat:
Fungi live in damp dark habitats.
Example: Mucor grows on damp stale bread placed in the dark
4. Algae
Definition:
Very simple plants which have chlorophyll. Algae do not have root, stems or leaves
Size:
Some of them are large (i.e seaweed), and some of them are tiny (i.e diatoms, euglena
and etc)
Shape:
Have various shapes: i- round ball
ii- long filaments
iii- oval-shaped
iv- network-like structure
Structure:

Nutrition:
Algae possess chlorophyll, so that they can make their own food by photosynthesis.
Respiration:
Most of fungi carry out aerobic respiration
Reproduction:
a) By asexual reproduction (binary fission)

b) By asexual reproduction (fragmentation)

Algae reproduced by breaking a long filament into two.
c) By sexual reproduction (conjugation)

Habitat:
Algae live in fresh water, salt water, damp soil or on damp bark of trees.
5. Virus
Definition:
Smallest microorganisms and it do not respire, do not excrete waste products, and
do not possess nucleus, cell membrane and cytoplasm
Size:
About 0.02 0.4 micrometer, and can be seen only by electron microscope
Shape:
Have various shapes, maybe in spherical, rectangular or rod-shaped
Structure:

Nutrition:
Viruses live as parasites in living cell.
Reproduction:

Habitat:
Viruses live only in living cell.
Exercise:
1. How do fungi continue its generation under adverse condition?
2. Why algae look greenish?
3. What a different between algae and tree?
4. Which of microorganisms cannot survive outside living cells?
A. Bacteria
B. Algae

C. Viruses
D. Protozoa

6. State 3 properties of viruses which are not characteristics of living things

FACTOR WHICH AFFECTS TO THE GROWTH OF MICROORGANISM

There are 5 main factors that affect the growth of microorganism:

1. Nutrients
Microorganisms need nutrient to live, and they get it by being:
a) autotrophic
b) saprophytic
c) parasitic
2. Humidity
Microorganisms need living place with high level of humidity. That means, they need
moisture or water to live, and they will die if they do not get water for a period of
time.
However, some bacteria can live in a place without waters presence by forming
spores. For amoeba, they form cyst (spore with outer ring).
3. Light
Most of virus, fungi and protozoa and some of bacteria prefer dim or dark habitat,
while algae and few of bacteria tend to live in bright place since they have
chlorophyll to carry out photosynthesis process.
4. Temperature
Most suitable temperature for the microorganisms growth and live is about 37C
(humans body temperature).
High temperature will kill microorganisms, while low temperature makes them
inactive.

5. pH value
Most of microorganisms prefer to live in neutral medium (pH = 7)
In very acidic (pH = 1 to 3) and very alkaline (pH = 12 to 14) conditions, most of
microorganisms will be killed.

USEFUL MICROORGANISMS

1. In the Digestion of Food

Some bacteria and protozoa help herbivores (e.g: rabbit, goat, cows and etc) and
termites digest their food
They produce an enzyme called cellulose to help herbivores and termites digest
cellulose into glucose
enzyme
cellulose cellulase
glucose
2. In Decay
2.1 Formation of humus
Some of saprophytic bacteria and fungi decompose organic matter into humus
2.2 Production of biogas and fertilizers
Some of saprophytic bacteria decompose organic waste (e.g: waste from oil palm,
paddy and coconut) and turn it into methane gas
2.3 Disposal of oil spills
Some of bacteria break up oil spills and decompose it into less harmful substance.
3. In Medicine
3.1 Antibiotics
There are 2 common antibiotics in world, which are:
a) Penicillin (prepared from penicillium notatum bacteria)
b) Streptomycin (prepared from streptomyces griseus bacteria)
Antibiotics can only kill bacteria
3.2 Vaccines
Vaccines are prepared from dead or very weak bacteria and viruses. It used to
stimulate the body to produce antibodies.
Vaccination refers to an injection containing certain vaccines that can prevent a
person being infected to a certain disease. Example: BCG injection for dry cough
disease.

4. In Agriculture
4.1 Maturing of tobacco leaves
Bacteria used to make tobacco leaves mature, so that they can emit desirable smell
and taste.
4.2 Nitrogen cycle

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Nitrogen gas

Denitrifying
bacteria

Nitrates

Plant and animal proteins

Nitrifying
bacteria
Ammonium compounds

Bacteria of decay

Figure 4.2- A (Simple nitrogen cycle)

4.3 Productions of chemicals from algae
Some algae used to produce beneficial chemicals for human beings. For the example:
a) beta-carotene which has anti cancer properties
b) fatty acids which make cholesterol level in humans blood become low
5. In Industry
5.1 Making breads and cakes
Yeast is used in the making breads and cakes. It is mixed with flour, sugar and water;
and made into dough
Yeast will reacts with sugar to produce alcohol (ethanol), carbon dioxide and
energy. By the way, this process is known as fermentation.
enzyme
yeast + sugar zymase
carbon dioxide + ethanol + energy
Carbon dioxide released makes the dough rise, so that breads and cakes become very
soft.

5.2 Making ethanol

Yeast is also used to produce alcohol (ethanol) instead of carbon dioxide.
5.3 Production of vinegar, and yoghurt
Vinegar (ethanoic acid) is prepared by using bacteria to change ethanol into ethanoic
acid.
bacteria

ethanol (alcohol) + oxygen

ethanoic acid (vinegar) + water

Yoghurt (contains lactic acid) is prepared by the action of bacteria on milk. Bacteria
will reacts with lactose in milk and turns it into lactic acid.
lactose

bacteria

lactic acid

5.4 Production of soy sauce

Soy sauce is produced from the fermentation of a mixture containing mould, yeast,
flour and soy beans. Salt is added to make it become salty.
Exercise:
1. List all factors affect to the growth of microorganism
2. Which microorganisms that can live in bright place?
3. Tell the range of air humidity which most of microorganisms are very active.
4. What is true about microorganisms?
A. High temperature will kills microorganisms but low temperature will make them
inactive
B. All microorganism grow faster in dry conditions
C. All microorganism cannot produce their own nutrients
D. All microorganism can be seen under light microscope
5. In which bacteria cultures in petri dishes A, B, C or D is the highest density of the
bacteria colony?
Petri dish
A
B
C
D

pH
3
7
7
10

Light
Bright
Bright
Dark
Dark

Moisture
Moist
Dry
Moist
Dry

HARMFUL EFFECT BY MICROORGANISMS

- Microorganisms which can cause disease called pathogens. They can be either bacteria
or viruses or fungi or protozoa.
- Before that, disease can be defined as any conditions which actively harm the
normal functioning of the body.
1. Diseases Caused by Bacteria
DISEASE

METHOD OF
INFECTION

1.Tuberculosis
(Batuk kering)

1. Through food
2. Through infected
air breathed into the
lung

2. Cholera
(Taun)

1. Through
contaminated water
and food.

3. Gonorrhoea

1. Through sexual
intercourse

4. Syphillis

1. Through sexual
intercourse

5. Tooth decay

1. Through foods
waste on the teeths
surface.

SYMPTOM
1. Patient loss
weight and appetite
for food
2. Patient coughs
often, and in
advanced he coughs
out of blood.
1. Patient has severe
diarrhoea and
vomits
2. Patient feels
giddy and pain in
abdomen
3. His body
becomes
dehydrated.
1. For male, his
testis becomes
inflamed and
enlarged. He feels
pain during
urination.
2. For female, she
has painful vagina
and uterus.
1. Patient has fever
and non-itchy rash
on the body.
2. Patient has sores
on the penis or
vagina
3. Patient has sore
throat and pain in
the bones and joint.
1. Patient feels pain
for infected teeth
since teeths pulp is
badly inflamed

TREATMENT/PREVENTION
1. Can be treated by using antibiotics
(i.e streptomycin and isoniazid)
2. Can be prevented through
immunization by BCG vaccine

1. Patient given saline drip and

antibiotic
2. How to prevent from being infected?
i - Get vaccine
ii - Boil all drinking water
iii - Cover all food
iv - Increase the chlorine content in
water supply
1. Can be treated by using antibiotics
(i.e penicillin)
2. Can be prevented by avoid having
sex with prostitutes.

1. Can be treated by using antibiotics

(i.e penicillin)
2. Can be prevented by avoid having
sex with prostitutes.

1. Can be prevented by:

I - Having a diet low in sugars
ii - Wash your mouth and brush your
teeth after eating.

Table 9.4 A (Diseases Caused by Bacteria)

2. Diseases Caused by Viruses

DISEASE

METHOD OF
INFECTION

1.Common cold
(Selsema)

1. Through
contaminated air
(when people
around sneezes)

2. Dengue fever
(Demam denggi)

1. Through Aedes
mosquito (inject the
virus into patients
blood)

3. AIDS
(Acquired
Immune
Deficiency
Sydrome)

1. Through 3 ways:
i -Sexual
intercourse
ii - Sharing of
syringes during
drug addicts
iii- Infected
pregnant woman to
her baby.

SYMPTOM
1. Patient gets
cough, fever,
running nose and
red or watery eyes
2. Patient has a sore
throat
3. Patient becomes
weak
1. Patient has high
fever.
2. Bleeding in nose
and gums
3. Pain in the bones,
joints, muscles and
eyes
4. Blue marks
appear on the body
1. Patient has fever
and diarrhoea, and
coughs very often.
2. Patient has loss
appetite for food
and weight.

TREATMENT/PREVENTION
1. NO PROPER TREATMENT
2. Can be prevented by:
i - having proper diet
ii - have fresh and clean air
iii- keep away from the crowd

1. NO PROPER TREATMENT
2. How to prevent from being infected?
i - Keep our living place clean
ii - Destroy Aedes mosquitos habitat
iii - Fogging

1. NO PROPER TREATMENT
2. Can be prevented by having healthy
clean life.

Table 9.4 B (Diseases Caused by Viruses)

Egg are laid singly in stagnant water

Egg are hatched and becomes larva

Adult mosquito has black

stripes on the abdomen and
legs

Larva grows and becomes pupa

Life Cycle of Aedes Mosquito

3. Diseases Caused by Fungi
DISEASE

METHOD OF
INFECTION

SYMPTOM

TREATMENT/PREVENTION
1. Can be treated by suitable anti-fungal
drugs
2. Can be prevented by:
i - keep the body clean and dry
ii - avoid direct contact with infected
person .
iii - do not share towel or comb
1. Can be treated by suitable anti-fungal
drugs
2. Can be prevented by:
i - keep the body clean and dry
ii - avoid direct contact with infected
person .
iii - do not share towel or comb

1.Tinea
(Panau)

1. Through spore of
the fungus

1. Whitish patches
appears on the
infected skin
(usually face or
back of the body)

2. Ringworm
(Kurap)

1. Through spore of
the fungus

1. A reddish area
appears on the
infected skin
2. Infected skin
becomes itchy

Table 9.4 C (Diseases Caused by Fungi)

4. Diseases Caused by Protozoa
DISEASE
1.Malaria
(Demam kepialu)

METHOD OF
INFECTION
1. Through
Anopheles
mosquito (inject
parasitic protozoon
plasmodium into
blood)

SYMPTOM

TREATMENT/PREVENTION

1. Patient has high

temperature at
intervals
2. After fever,
patient feels very
cold and shivers.
3. Got rapid pulse
rate
4. Got very liitle
urine, which is very
yellow.

1. Can be treated by suitable drugs such

as plasmoquine, quinine, or
chloroquine
2. Can be prevented by:
i - fogging
ii - Keep our living place clean

Table 9.4 D (Diseases Caused by Protozoa)

5. The Transmission of Diseases
- Diseases transmitted from one person to another by FIVE ways:
i-

By Air

It occurs when infected person sneezes, coughs or talks. So, a spray or tiny droplets of
moistures containing pathogens released into air
Diseases transmitted by air: common cold and tuberculosis
ii-

By Water

It occurs when water from ponds, river and sea always contaminated with faeces which
usually contains pathogens. So, these pathogens can spread into water supplies due to
unsanitary conditions / seeped through the soil
Diseases transmitted by water: cholera and hepatitis A
iii-

By Food

It occurs when food contaminated by pathogens due to unhygienic handling or houseflies

presence.
Diseases transmitted by food: cholera, food poisoning and hepatitis A
iv-

By Contacts

It occurs when there has direct contact between infected people to others or wity objects
handled by infected people
Diseases transmitted by contacts: tinea, ringworm, AIDS, gonorrhoea and syphilis
v-

By Vector

Vectors: Animals carry pathogens in their bodies. For example: Aedes mosquito,
houseflies, rats, dogs and etc
Diseases transmitted through their bite into humans blood or carrying pathogen onto the
food.
Diseases transmitted by vectors: dengue fever, malaria and cholera

PREVENTION OF DISEASES CAUSED BY MICROORGANISMS

1. Prevention through the Control of Vectors

Common vectors, their pathogens and diseases transmitted by them can be shown as
following table:
Vector
Aedes mosquito
Anopheles mosquito
Housefly
Rats

Pathogen
Virus
Protozoa (plasmodium)
Bacteria
Fleas
Table 9.6 A (Vectors and its diseases)

1.1 Control of Houseflies

To control houseflies, we must:
a) keep our surrounding cleans
b) cover our foods
c) throw organic waste into plastic bags and tied it up for disposal
d) spray insecticides to keep away the adult fly away
e) keep manure and compost heaps far away from houses.
1.2 Control of Mosquitoes
To control mosquitoes, we must:
a) drain marshes and unused ponds
b) clean the house from opened empty tins and coconut shells
c) put anti-larva chemicals or into ponds, drains and stagnant water
d) carry out fogging around living places
e) fix wire gauze at doors and windows
f) sleep under a mosquito net
2. Prevention through Sterilization
Definition of Sterilization:
Destruction of pathogens and their spores in a substance or object
Type of sterilization:
a) heat
b) chemicals

Disease
Dengue fever
Malaria
Cholera
Plague

c) radiation
2.1 Sterilization using Heat
a) Boiling
- Boiling a substance or an object in water for 20 minutes will kill all bacteria cells and
many spores.
- Surgical instruments in clinics or hospital are usually sterilized in this way.
b) Autoclave
- An autoclave is a steam sterilizer. The things to be sterilized are kept in closed container
and steam under high pressure and temperature of 120C for 15-20 minutes
- All the bacteria and spores will be destroyed in this way.
c) Dry air oven
- It can be used to sterilize glassware and metal objects.
- The things to be sterilized are kept in dry air oven at 170C for 15-20 minutes
- Effectiveness of sterilization using this way is less compare to using autoclave.
2.2 Sterilization using Chemicals
a) Antiseptics
- It can be used to prevent the growth of some bacteria and destroy some others.
- It usually used for cleaning wounds
- Example: iodine solution, hydrogen peroxide solution and potassium manganate (VII)
solution
b) Disinfectants
- Powerful chemicals to destroy pathogens
- It used for sterilizing instruments, containers, cloths, floors, walls and etc.
- Example: lysol, formaldehyde, phenol and sodium hypochlorite
2.3 Sterilization using Radiation
a) UV light
- Applied to lamp in surgical operating theatre and lab for air sterilizing.
b) Gamma rays
- It used for sterilizing surgical instruments and certain foods

- Foods that have been sterilized in this way can be kept for a long period of time and it is
safe to eat.
3. Prevention through Immunization
Definition of Immunization:
Process of increasing a persons resistance to a particular infection by using antibodies
Definition of Antibodies:
- Chemical substance produced from white blood cells to destroy pathogen or neutralize
the toxins produced by pathogen. Each of antibody acts on a particular pathogen.
Type of immunity:
a) Natural
- Refer to situation when a person recovered from an infection, antibodies produced by
the persons body to fight that infection remains in the persons blood for months or
even for his/her whole life.
- When same infection comes back again, the person has antibody to fight back
b) Artificial
- Refer to a situation when a person given a vaccination, injecting a dead or weak
pathogens into the persons body to stimulate his/her body to produce antibody
- Artificial immunity also can be gained when a person is given an injection contains
antibody.
c) Passive
- Part of artificial immunity
- Can be done by injecting antibody (usually contains antiserum) directly into a persons
body
- Effect of this immunity is fast but temporary.
d) Active
- Can be either natural or artificial immunity
- Can be done by having antibody after recover from infection or vaccination
- Effect of this immunity is slow but permanent.

TREATMENT OF DISEASES CAUSED BY MICROORGANISMS

1. Antibiotics
2. Antiserum
3. Chemotherapy
4. Radiotherapy
5. Surgery