Grade 8 Microbes & the Immune System worksheet
from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
How to explain it
- All living things grow, use energy, reproduce and respond. Viruses can only reproduce inside a living cell.
- Some microbes help us (making yogurt, breaking down waste); others cause disease.
- The immune system makes antibodies. Vaccines train it ahead of time; antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses.
Example: Will an antibiotic cure a cold caused by a virus? Antibiotics work on bacteria. A virus is not a bacterium. Answer: no
Question 1
Living or non-living? Sort each item.
Sort into: 🌱 Living · 🪨 Non-living
- 🌲a cedar tree
- 🥛bacteria in yogurt
- ☁️a cloud
- ⭐a sea star
- 🔥a flame
- 🍞bread mould
- 🪨a rock
- 🌊a river
🌱 Living: a cedar tree, bacteria in yogurt, a sea star, bread mould · 🪨 Non-living: a cloud, a flame, a rock, a river
Hint: Living things are made of cells, use energy, grow, reproduce and respond to their environment. Non-living things don't do these on their own, even if they move or change.
Question 2
Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by…
- allergies
- viruses
- bacteria
- dust
bacteria
Hint: Antibiotics do not work on viruses such as those that cause colds and flu.
Question 3
How does a vaccine help protect you?
- It replaces your white blood cells.
- It removes the need for hand washing.
- It trains the immune system to recognize a germ before you are exposed to the real thing.
- It kills all germs in the body immediately.
It trains the immune system to recognize a germ before you are exposed to the real thing.
Hint: A vaccine uses a safe piece or weakened form of a germ so the body can make memory cells.
Question 4
Which is true about bacteria?
- They can never be killed.
- They have no cell parts.
- They are always viruses.
- They are single-celled living organisms that can reproduce on their own.
They are single-celled living organisms that can reproduce on their own.
Hint: Bacteria are cells, and antibiotics can treat many bacterial infections.
Question 5
Which of these is a characteristic of all living things?
- They are always green.
- They never change.
- They grow and respond to their environment.
- They live in water.
They grow and respond to their environment.
Hint: Living things are made of cells, use energy, grow, reproduce, respond to stimuli and get rid of wastes.
Question 6
Why is it important to finish a prescribed course of antibiotics?
- Stopping early can leave the toughest bacteria alive, which can lead to resistance.
- They work only when taken for a day.
- They are vaccines.
- Antibiotics are tasty.
Stopping early can leave the toughest bacteria alive, which can lead to resistance.
Hint: Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria survive treatment and multiply.
Question 7
What do white blood cells do?
- Carry oxygen
- Break food apart
- Make sugar
- Find and destroy germs
Find and destroy germs
Hint: White blood cells are part of the immune system.
Question 8
What is herd immunity?
- When animals get sick
- When a vaccine is stored
- When only one person is immune
- When enough people in a community are immune that diseases spread poorly
When enough people in a community are immune that diseases spread poorly
Hint: It helps protect people who can't be vaccinated, such as newborns.
Question 9
What are micro-organisms?
- Dust
- Parts of a cell
- Living things too small to see without a microscope
- Tiny rocks
Living things too small to see without a microscope
Hint: Bacteria, many fungi and protists are micro-organisms.
Question 10
Which is true about viruses?
- They make their own food.
- They are made of many cells.
- They can be treated with antibiotics.
- They need to infect a living cell to reproduce.
They need to infect a living cell to reproduce.
Hint: Viruses are not made of cells and can only copy themselves inside a host cell.
Answer key
- 1. 🌱 Living: a cedar tree, bacteria in yogurt, a sea star, bread mould · 🪨 Non-living: a cloud, a flame, a rock, a river
- 2. bacteria
- 3. It trains the immune system to recognize a germ before you are exposed to the real thing.
- 4. They are single-celled living organisms that can reproduce on their own.
- 5. They grow and respond to their environment.
- 6. Stopping early can leave the toughest bacteria alive, which can lead to resistance.
- 7. Find and destroy germs
- 8. When enough people in a community are immune that diseases spread poorly
- 9. Living things too small to see without a microscope
- 10. They need to infect a living cell to reproduce.
Want more than 10 questions?
In Gradelings the questions change every time and adjust to your child, with hints and kind feedback.