Bacteria: Science Lesson

Wrap-up

You’ve learned that all living things, from plants to animals to bacteria, are made up of cells. While animal cells and bacterial cells have some characteristics in common, they differ in many ways. Most important, animal and plant cells have organelles that do specific jobs, while bacterial cells are simpler and do not have these organelle structures. You also picked up a few Latin and Greek root words that scientists use to name living things. Be on the lookout for these common roots in your everyday readings.

In this lesson you:

• Explored the main parts of a bacterial cell
• Explored the main parts of an animal cell
• Learned how bacteria work in our environment
• Examined root words in scientific names and decoded their meanings

On your own:

• Bacteria are almost always in the news! Be on the lookout for current articles about them. Scan the newspaper or a current reading for a few of the root words.
• Check the back of a yogurt container to find the scientific names of bacteria. Can you also tell their shapes from their names?
• Practice using new words by substituting words with root words. For example, tell a friend that your dermis itches. Tell a family member that eating too many sweets will give him or her gastro pains. You'll not only spread the fun, you'll spread the knowledge you've learned.