Balloon Bugs Make your own balloon bacterium What

Balloon Bugs Make your own balloon bacterium

What are bacteria? • Bacteria are living organisms. • They are so small you need a microscope to see them. • They come in different shapes and sizes. • They can be found everywhere!

How big are bacteria? • Bacteria are tiny! Millions can fit on a single pin head. Images: Genome Research Limited

What shape are bacteria? There are three main shapes of bacteria: Balls (Cocci) Rods (Bacilli) Spirals (Spirochetes) e. g. Staphylococcus sp. e. g. Citrobacter sp. e. g. Campylobacter sp. Images: Sharon Peacock, Oxford University; David Goulding, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; De Wood, Pooley, USDA, ARS, EMU

How do bacteria move? • Some bacteria have special structures that help them move. These are called flagella flagellum Images: David Goulding, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; De Wood, Pooley, USDA, ARS, EMU

Some bacteria can make us feel ill Streptococcus pneumoniae Salmonella Typhimurium Campylobacter jejuni Causes a sore throat and pneumonia Causes food poisoning Images: Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NID; David Goulding, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; De Wood, Pooley, USDA, ARS, EMU

Are there “good” bacteria? • Not all bacteria are harmful. There are some bacteria that are used in producing cheese and yogurt. This is called Lactobacillus. Images: Genome Research Limited

Can you make a balloon bacterium? Choose from the three bacteria below Streptococcus pneumoniae Salmonella Typhimurium Campylobacter jejuni Images: Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NID; David Goulding, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; B Wren, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine