Subject
Grade
Concept/Content
the relationship of micro-organisms with living things:
- basic functions of the immune system
- vaccination and antibiotics
- impacts of epidemics and pandemics on human populations
Elaboration
- micro-organisms are key to nutrient recycling in ecosystems as they act as decomposers
- viruses and bacteria can cause disease and can also be used in industry (e.g., production of cheese and salami) and agriculture (e.g., production of striped tulips)
- the immune system provides a barrier to infections and a number of non-specific and specific responses to fight infection (e.g., fever, antibodies, phagocytes, inflammation)
- different populations have greater immunity to certain infections than other populations (e.g., impact of smallpox epidemic on First Peoples)
vaccination can prevent the spread of infectious disease
antibiotics are effective only against living organisms, such as bacteria, and not against viruses; overuse of antibiotics can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria (“superbugs”)
regional outbreaks (e.g., smallpox, measles)
global outbreaks (e.g., Spanish flu, SARS)
keywords
micro-organisms
immune system
vaccination
antibiotics
epidemics
pandemics