Pathogens

Everyone loves to learn about pathogens – those icky microorganisms that can make us sick and have caused lots of notorious epidemics that both horrify and intrigue us today! Students learn the basics about pathogens and how we have learned to deal with them.

This packet includes 11 engaging, knowledge-building activities for students to learn about…

1. The 5 types of pathogenic organisms – bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists and worms
   
   2. Some diseases caused by each type of pathogen
   
   3. Vectors and hosts
   
   4. Antigens and antibodies – and basic facts about the human immune response to pathogens,
   
   5. Vaccines, and
   
   6. Eight scientists who greatly contributed to our knowledge about pathogens and how to prevent and fight their infections.

STUDENT LINKS

RESEARCH LINKS FOR “THE REAL STORY BEHIND GERM THEORY”

Antony (or spelled Antonie) van Leeuwenhoek

https://explorable.com/discovery-of-bacteria

https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/leeuwenhoek.html

Edward Jenner

https://explorable.com/who-invented-vaccination

https://www.jenner.ac.uk/edward-jenner

Ignaz Semmelweis

https://explorable.com/semmelweis-germ-theory

http://broughttolife.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/people/ignazsemmelweis

Dmitry Ivanovsky

https://upclosed.com/people/dmitri-ivanovsky/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_virology

https://www.immunology.org/tobacco-plant-1935

John Snow

https://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/snow/snowcricketarticle.html

http://broughttolife.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/people/johnsnow

Louis Pasteur

https://explorable.com/discovery-of-pasteurization

https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/louis-pasteur

Joseph Lister

https://www.jenner.ac.uk/edward-jenner

https://www.famousscientists.org/joseph-lister/

Alexander Fleming

https://explorable.com/history-of-antibiotics

The real story behind penicillin