Viruses, Diseases, & Germs, Oh my!
by Helena Herndon
BACTERIA
- microscopic single-cell organisms (prokaryotes)
- have DNA/RNA
- can reproduce with binary fission
- live in human guts, soil, oceans, etc
- can be helpful or harmful
- causes infections and is treated with antibiotics
Diseases
- affects an organ or bodily system and then spreads throughout the body
- has specific signs or symptoms
- a condition of the body
- can be caused by a virus or bacteria
Viruses
- a microscopic parasite made of Genetic Material (DNA/RNA)
- DO NOT contain a cell
- cannot reproduce, need a host cell
- can only be "cured" by altering DNA or your immune system fighting it off
EXAMPLES
Virus: HIV/AIDS
lowers immunity
Disease: "The Black Plauge"
1300s pandemic which killed 75-200 million people in Europe
Bacteria: E. coli
Causes food poisoning and GI distress
Viruses + Bacteria can cause Disease... So what can I do to not get sick?
- Passed in air, water, food, surfaces, and bodily fluids
- You can be exposed to a viruses, but your immune system can fight it off!
- To keep your immune system healthy: eat healthy, exercise, get lots of sleep
Works Cited
Swanson, D. (n.d.). What's the difference between a bacterial and viral infection?
Retrieved April 03, 2016, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/difference-between-bacterial-and-viral-infection.htm
Vidyasagar, A. (2016, January 05). What Are Viruses? Retrieved April 03, 2016, from
http://www.livescience.com/53272-what-is-a-virus.html
Viruses/Infectious Diseases: What's Really Bugging You? (n.d.). Retrieved April 03, 2016,
from http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/virusesinfectious-diseases-whats-really-bugging-you/
Vidyasagar, A. (2015). What Are Bacteria? Retrieved April 10, 2016, from http://www.livescience.com/51641-bacteria.html