SUBJECTS: Health and Physical Education, Science
YEARS: 7–8
Discover that all life is divided into two cell types.
Learn about the difference between simpler prokaryotes, such as bacteria, and more complex eukaryotes, the group to which humans and multicellular organisms belong.
See the amazing microscopic world teeming within a drop of pond water.
Things to think about
- 1.All living things are made of cells. What do you think might be the difference between a single-celled bacterium and one of a whale shark's cells?
- 2.Look at the huge variety of microscopic creatures moving about in a drop of sea water. Can you see how tiny the bacteria are compared with the larvae of fish and crustaceans? All life is divided into two types of cells: prokaryotes and eukaryotes. What is the main difference between them? Which group do bacteria belong to?
- 3.Is a protist a prokaryote or eukaryote? Eukaryotes are described as cells within cells. How do you think they might have evolved from single-celled bacteria?
- 4.If you have a microscope at home or school, collect water from a pond, place a drop on a microscope slide and place a cover slip on top. The field of view is what you can see looking through the eyepiece of a microscope. Draw and label what you see. Can you identify tiny dots of bacteria?
Date of broadcast: 13 Aug 2002
Copyright
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