an organism imitating a harmful organism is called a what
Microorganisms: the good, the bad and the ugly : Some bacteria withstand difficult environmental conditions by creating a thick cellular cover and forming a spore. Some spores can survive in the environment for decades or even centuries. Single-celled microorganisms were the first forms of life to develop on Earth, approximately 3–4 billion years ago. Further evolution was slow, and for about 3 billion years in the Precambrian eon, all organisms were microscopic. So, for most of the history of life on Earth, the only forms of life were microorganisms. The study of microorganisms is called microbiology, a subject that began with the discovery of microorganisms in 1674 by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, using a microscope of his own design. Microorganisms are very diverse and include all the bacteria and archaea and almost all the protozoa. Bacteria left in your mouth by not brushing your teeth properly can cause a tooth infection. Bacteria left in your mouth could also cause an infection in your ear. Mould is a type of microorganism that grows on decaying food. It can make you ill if you eat it. 1  Page: 2  1. 3  2. 4  3. 5  4. The mass of prokaryote microorganisms — which includes bacteria and archaea, but not the nucleated eukaryote microorganisms — may be as much as 0.8 trillion tons of carbon (of the total biosphere mass, estimated at between 1 and 4 trillion tons). A microorganism (from the Greek: μικρός, mikros, small and ὀργανισμός, organismos, organismós) organism is a microscopic living, organism which may be single celled or. multicellular Proteins produced by the body to eliminate foreign substances, such as bacteria, are called antibodies. Some microorganisms like moulds and fungi produce chemicals that can stop the growth of bacteria. They are called antibiotics. Antibiotics are used in modern drugs against different infections. For example, penicillin is a medicine made from moulds and is used to kill many kinds of bacteria. Harmful microorganisms. Microorganisms that cause diseases are often called germs. Some diseases, like chickenpox, are caused by viruses. Diseases caused by viruses usually spread easily from one person to another. Uncooked foods (especially meat) can contain bacteria. Protoctists: malaria, amoebic dysentery. Fungi: athlete's foot, ringworm. These disease-causing organisms are called pathogens and we often refer to them in everyday, non-scientific terms as germs or bugs. Each disease has a specific pathogen, i.e. different diseases are caused by different kinds of germ. Bacteria in medicine. Living things have defence techniques against harmful bacteria. An organism's ability to defend itself from infection is called immunity. Immunity is defined by the immune system of an organism. Substances that cause the immune response are called antigens.
Microorganisms