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Microbes: bacteria, viruses and fungi
Tiny living things that are almost everywhere: bacteria, viruses and fungi, the microbes that make bread rise, the few that make us ill, and how fast bacteria can multiply. Three ages, each with a text, an experiment, a game, a quiz, a printable worksheet and a teacher sheet.
Ages 6–7Tiny living thingsMicrobes are too small to see, but they are almost everywhere. Some help us and some can make us ill. With a yeast balloon experiment.Ages 10–11Bacteria, viruses and fungiHow bacteria, viruses and fungi differ, how small they are, why antibiotics do not work on viruses, and a fair test with yeast.Ages 15–16Microbial growth and fermentationProkaryotes, viruses and fungi compared, binary fission and exponential growth (N = N₀ × 2ⁿ), growth-curve phases and antibiotic resistance. With a yeast fermentation rate investigation.