ScienceFreePrintable

Cells and Helpful Bacteria

A free science worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.

Download now

Name:Date:

Cells and Helpful Bacteria

Read the briefing and use evidence from it to solve the questions. Helpful bacteria are not the same as all bacteria, and bacteria are cells too. Answer in your own words where asked.

Briefing: The Gut Community

Your body is home to many microorganisms, including bacteria. Bacteria are single-celled living things; they do not have a nucleus. A human cell is usually larger and has a nucleus, cytoplasm, and a cell membrane. Some human cells also have specialized structures that help them do particular jobs. Many bacteria live in the intestines. Some help break down parts of food that the body cannot digest alone, and some make substances the body can use. Other bacteria can cause disease. A community of microbes is often healthiest when its members are in balance. Antibiotics can kill bacteria that cause disease, but they may also affect helpful bacteria. Doctors sometimes treat a serious infection caused by a bacterium called C. difficile with a fecal microbiota transplant. This carefully screened medical treatment transfers microbes from a healthy donor to help restore a healthier gut community. It is performed only under medical supervision.

Cell detectives

Use the briefing to investigate what cells and bacteria have in common and how they differ.

1.Which statement best describes bacteria?

They are single-celled living things without a nucleus.
They are human cells that have no cell membrane.
They are tiny organs made from many cells.
They are nonliving particles that always cause disease.

2.Select the three structures named in the briefing that are found in a human cell.

Nucleus
Cytoplasm
Cell membrane
Intestine

3.A student says, “All bacteria are harmful.” Is the statement true or false? Use one detail from the briefing to support your answer.

TrueFalse

4.Complete the idea: Bacteria are -celled, while human cells described in the briefing have a .

5.Match each cell structure to its role or description.

Cell membrane
Cytoplasm
Nucleus

Material inside the cell
Surrounds the cell
Contains genetic material and helps direct cell activities

Restore the balance

A clinic team is explaining how gut microbes and medical treatments relate. Think carefully about cause and effect.

6.After taking antibiotics, a person notices that some helpful gut bacteria may also have been affected. Explain why antibiotics might affect helpful bacteria as well as bacteria causing disease.

7.What is the purpose of a fecal microbiota transplant in the case described in the briefing?

8.Why must this treatment be carefully screened and performed under medical supervision? Give one reasonable explanation.

Explain and model

Use the evidence in the briefing to build a clear scientific explanation.

9.Draw a simple human cell. Label the nucleus, cytoplasm, and cell membrane, then write one job or description for each part.

10.Wyatt says, “Helpful bacteria are useful because they are part of a balanced community, but bacteria are not human cells.” Explain why both parts of her statement fit the briefing.