BIO250L Lab 5 Eukaryotic Microbes, Parasitology, & Viruses SPRING 2024

Lab Report Format Expectations Utilize college level grammar and professional formatting when completing this worksheet. Submissions without proper formatting, all required photos or sufficient responses will be rejected. Pre-lab Questions 1. What is a model organism, and why is Saccharomyces cerevisiae so often used as one? A model organism is an organism used for research and analysis. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used because it grows fast, is cheap, and is safe for us to work with. 2. Research and discuss the properties of mold that make them sometimes beneficial to humans, and sometimes potentially harmful. Mold is sometimes beneficial for humans when used in medications like insulin. It is harmful when someone is allergic when you inhale and live with spores it can make you really sick. 1. The lab guide discussed “acellular” organisms. What characteristics classify them as acellular? Would you consider these living organisms? Acellular organisms lack cells and do not have a cell structure or the normal components found in living cells. Viruses and prions are examples of acellular organisms - they are considered non-living because they do not have characteristics of life like growth, metabolism, and reproduce. 2. Do some research and describe an acellular organism other than the two types discussed in the lab materials. The first ever virus discovered was the tobacco mosaic virus which infects tobacco plants. It is acellular so it lacks cells and cannot carry our cellular functions.