| The Microcosm
Our world is full of microorganisms, life forms too small to be seen
except with special equipment. These microbes, as they are called, can
cause sickness, disease, and death. Some microbes, however, are beneficial
and even necessary for our survival.
As you explore the world of microbes, you'll learn more about how they
impact our everyday lives.
Places To Go | People To See | Things To Do | WebQuests | Bibliography
Places To Go
Microbe
Zoo
A microbe is any living organism that spends its life at a size too tiny
to be seen with the naked eye. At this site, you'll discover the world
of hidden microbes.
Microbe World
Microbe World is your gateway to the world of microbes. Explore bacteria,
viruses, algae, fungi and other microbes. The site also includes microbial
facts and trivia.
Intimate
Strangers: Unseen Life on Earth
A companion to the PBS series of the same name, this site focuses on the
role microbes play on our planet's ecosystem. The site also includes classroom
activities designed for different K-12 grades that encourage students
to explore the basic requirements for life to exist, describe the role
of microbes in the world, and learn more about health promotion and disease
prevention.
CDC: Center for Disease
Control: Bioterrorism
Visit the Center for Disease Control and learn about
the possible kinds of bio-threats that deal with microbial agents such
as anthrax.
National
Institutes of Health
Visit the National
Institute of Health and find out what you can do to avoid the microorganisms
that cause food-borne diseases such as botulism and salmonella.
People To See
Anton
van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723)
Leeuwenhoek succeeded in making some of the most important discoveries
in the history of biology. It was he who discovered bacteria, free-living
and parasitic microscopic protists, sperm cells, blood cells, microscopic
nematodes and rotifers, and much more. His researches, which were widely
circulated, opened up an entire world of microscopic life to the awareness
of scientists.
Louis
Pasteur
Louis Pasteur's discoveries paved the way for modern medicine. He tackled
the problem of disease and demonstrated that microbes are infectious agents.
Learn more about this scientist at this site.
Sir
Alexander Fleming
Learn about the man who discovered that mold can inhibit the growth of
bacteria. Because it led to the development of penicillin, an enormously
potent infection-fighting agent, this discovery changed the course of
history.
Compost
Microorganisms
Meet the microorganisms in
your compost pile.
E.
Coli
Make
the acquaintance of a big bunch of E. Coli microorganisms.
Things To Do
Nanoworld
Step into the Nanoworld and view all kinds of organisms magnified hundreds
of times. In the Image Gallery, you can see a blood cell or a pig nerve
magnified as much as 4,000 times.
Stalking the Mysterious
Microbe
Join Sam Sleuth as he unravels the mysteries of microbes. Discover what
microbes are, where they live, how we use them, whether they're friends
or foes, and why they're considered an "evolutionary success story."
Murray the Thespian
Microbe
Meet Murray the microbe, a four-inch-tall bacterium who sports Reeboks
and lives in a parallel universe. The Aberdeen-based educational software
company Scotcal presents Murray's bizarre exploits in "Murray's Identity
Crisis," a 31-page illustrated web drama. Along the way you learn
all about bacteria, how they live, what they eat, what they look like
and how they reproduce. A brief index and glossary point you to Murray's
explanations of technical terms.
Scanning Electron
Microscope
Take a unique microscopic look at the barbed mouth parts of a deer tick
or the scruffy hairs atop a mosquito's head photographed at several hundred
times life size. Then try your hand at determining if some microscopic
images are animal, vegetable, or mineral. When you tire of guessing, browse
through the archive for magnificent magnifications of everything from
a spiny-headed worm to scratch-'n-sniff paper.
The
New York Times Questions and Answers about Microscopic Life
Check out this collection of questions about microscopic life compiled
by The New York Times. Topics range from whether germs have germs to gram-negative
bacteria.
The
Microbe World
“Microbes live in
the water you drink, the food you eat, and the air you breathe. Right now,
billions of microbes are swimming in your belly and mouth, and crawling
on your skin! Don't worry, over 95% of microbes are good for you.” Find
out more from this informative website.
Micro-Angela:
Electron Microscope Image Gallery
Explore views of
the microscopic world.
What Doesn’t
Kill Them Makes Them Stronger
Find out why some bacteria are becoming
resistant to antibiotics.
Dennis Kunkel
Microbiology
Get close up and person with fungus and mold.
Mission
Environment: Decomposers
Learn
about the role of decomposer that microorganisms play in food webs and
ecosystems. THEN learn a song about decomposers.
Marly
Cain’s
Microscopy for Kids
Explore these great activities
using microscopes.
Molecular
Expressions
This website claims that it goes
where no microscope has gone before. Click on the Gallery links to see
huge collections of images taken with an optical microscope.
KidsHealth
Find out how E. coli
can make you sick. According to this site, “E.
coli is one common type of bacteria. It is short for the medical term
Escherichia coli which normally lives inside your intestines, where it
helps your body break down and digest the food you eat. Unfortunately,
when the E. coli moves from your intestines, where it's needed, and finds
its way into other parts of your body (where it is not supposed to be),
you can get sick.”
How
Stuff Works
Explore the different
technologies that make microscopes work.
Web
MD Necrotizing Fasciitis (Flesh-Eating Bacteria)
Find out if our fears
about new strains of flesh-eating bacteria are founded.
It’s
a Small World After All
Explore
this student-friendly website that is tied to Utah core standards. Find
out about microbes and bad breath and much much more.
Foodborne
Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook
This website is also called the
Bad Bug Handbook. Explore the different microorganisms that make us sick
from salmonella to shigella to clostridium perfringens.
Microbes
in the News
Read articles about
heroic, ancient, dangerous, and strange microbes.
American
Museum of Natural History: Infection, Detection, Protection
Solve bacterial
mysteries and find out what you can do to prevent microbial invasions.
Mayo
Clinic: Botulism
Find out about the bacteria
called Clostridium botulinum and
how it can cause death within 24 hours if ingested.
WebQuests
Bibliography
- Balkwill, Dr. Fran and Mic Rolph. Cells Are Us. First Avenue Editions,
1994.
- Balkwill, Dr. Fran and Mic Rolph. Cell Wars. First Avenue Editions,
1994.
- Birch, Beverley and Christian Birmingham. Pasteur's Fight Against
Microbes. Barrons Juveniles, 1996.
- Dixon, Bernard. Power Unseen : How Microbes Rule the World. Oxford
University Press, 1996.
- Karlen, Arno. Man and Microbes : Disease and Plagues in History and
Modern Time. Touchstone Books, 1996.
- Krulik, Nancy E. and Bruce Degen. The Magic School Bus in a Pickle
: A Book About Microbes. Scholastic, 1998.
- Postgate, J.R. Microbes and Man. Cambridge University Press, 2000.
- Sankaran, Neeraja. Microbes and People: An A-Z of Microorganisms in
Our Lives. Oryx Press, 2001.
- Silverstein, Alvin and Virginia B. Silverstein. A World in a Drop
of Water : Exploring With a Microscope. Dover, 1998.
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