Bacteria Research Assignment

							                                           Biology I
                                        Bacteria Project
For this project, you are to choose a disease, research it, and then either write a 2-3 page paper or a
Powerpoint that you must present to the class. Both are worth the same.



Species                                       Benefit or Disease

Lactobacillus acidophilus                     Cheese and yogurt product, intestinal bacteria

Lactococcus lactis                            Cheese and buttermilk production

Cyanobacteria                                 Photosynthetic

Rhizobia                                      Convert nitrogen gas into usable nitrogen for plants

Bifidobacterium                               Normal intestinal bacteria

Clostridium difficile                         Gastrointestinal disease

Bacillus anthracis                            Anthrax

Streptococcus pneumoniae                      Pneumonia

Staphylococcus aureus                         Skin infections, acne, pink eye.

Campylobacter jejuni                          Food poisoning

Salmonella typhimurium                        Food poisoning

Escherichia coli O157:H7                      Food poisoning

Group A Streptococcus                         Strep throat

Staphylococcus epidermidis                    Body odor

Streptococcus mutans                          Cavities

Clostridium tetani                            Tetanus (lockjaw)

Streptococcus pyrogenes                       Necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease)
                             Bacterial Research Grading Rubric
You will be graded on the following:                                                         Points
                                                                                             Possible
   1. Cover Page / Slide
      - Your Name
                                                                                                  5
      - The disease you’re presenting
      - The name of this class and period
   2. Know Your Bacteria
      - What is the scientific name of the bacteria? Make sure the scientific name is in
         the proper format ( i.e. Homo sapiens )
      - What shape is the bacteria? (show a picture)
      - Does the bacteria live in clusters (staph), long chains (strep) or neither?
      - Is the bacteria an obligate aerobe, facultative anaerobe, or obligate
           anaerobe? Explain what this means.                                                    25
       -   Describe the anatomy of the bacteria. Does it have any specialized
           structures such as a capsule, flagella or pili? If so, explain the purpose of
           the structure.
       -   Does the bacteria have a parasitic, commensalistic, or mutualistic
           relationship with other organisms?
   3. Disease (Complete this section if you have a pathogenic bacterium)
      - Describe how the disease spreads (contact, airborne, etc)
      - How could someone protect themselves from this disease? Are there any
          effective methods of prevention?
      The Attack
      - List all of the major symptoms associated with the disease. Include pictures
          when appropriate.
      - For each symptom, explain how exactly the bacteria causes that symptom.
      - Example: If your bacteria causes diarrhea, explain why. What exactly happens
                                                                                                  50
          in the small intestine to cause this effect?
          Example 2: If the bacteria causes a fever, explain why the body increases its
          temperature in this way.
      - Does the bacteria produce a toxin or waste product that causes or intensifies some
          of the symptoms?
      Recovery
      - If someone were to get the disease, how would they be treated?
      - Have the bacteria that cause this disease developed any kind of antibiotic
          resistance? Which antibiotics are they resistant to?
   4. Benefits
      - Explain the specific beneficial effects this bacteria has on humans or other
          organisms.
      - How exactly does this beneficial process work?
          Example: If the bacteria is able to ferment milk into cheese or yogurt, explain
          how this happens. What does the bacteria do exactly, and how does it affect the
          milk?                                                                                   50
      - If there are different forms of the product (different types of cheese for example),
          explain how these varieties are made.
   5. Bibliography
      -    List all sources of your information at the end. Must be properly formatted! Use       10
          www.easybib.com if you don’t know how to format.
   6. Speaking / Formatting
      -    Present to the class, speak clearly and make sure everyone is able to complete the     10
          worksheet.
                                                                        Total Points Possible 100