Professor Dave Explains
Introduction to Immunology
As we know from our understanding of microbiology, pathogens are everywhere. So why don't we get sick all the time? And what are allergies, why do some people have them and others don't? And what are vaccines, how do those work? All of...
Professor Dave Explains
Legionnaires’ Disease Legionella pneumophila
One day in 1976, there was a terrible outbreak of an unknown disease at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia. What was the pathogen responsible for this so-called Legionnaires' disease? Let's find out!
Professor Dave Explains
Hepatitis A (Hepatovirus A)
Hepatitis is a word that describes an inflammation of the liver. This can happen a few different ways, but it is very commonly due to viruses. Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E all cause liver disease, even though the viruses themselves are...
Professor Dave Explains
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Rickettsia rickettsii
In 1896, a mysterious disease spread through the Snake River Valley of Idaho. Some people called it a spotted fever, and hundreds got sick. As it turns out, this was all the doing of some bacteria, Rickettsia ricketssii. Let's get a...
Professor Dave Explains
Chickenpox and Shingles (Varicella-Zoster Virus)
Lots of kids get the chickenpox. I know I did! I was about four years old. It was awful. But now we can learn all kinds of things about the virus called Varicella-Zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles. What is its structure...
Step Back History
Did Medieval Anglo-Saxons Cure MRSA?
The world is at the verge of a crisis, where the antibiotics we used to treat infections for decades are becoming useless. It takes a historian and a microbiologist to possibly save the day.
Science360
Nanosponge decoy fights superbug infections
Our first instinct with infection in the body is often to find it and get rid of it! But, engineer Liangfang Zhang had another idea. With support from the National Science Foundation, Zhang and his team at UC-San Diego have created a...
Professor Dave Explains
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Staphylococcus aureus is the bacteria responsible for what we commonly refer to as a staph infection. They are extremely common, but they are also developing antibiotic resistance at an alarming rate. Let's take a look at these now.
Professor Dave Explains
Syphilis Treponema pallidum
Syphilis is another infection that is typically caused by sexual contact, thanks to the pathogen Treponema pallidum. What does this bacterium do? How is the infection treated? Let's take a closer look now.
Professor Dave Explains
Lyme Disease Borrelia burgdorferi
Lyme disease. It's that one you get from ticks! So what kind of ticks, and where are they? How does that work exactly, and what are the bacteria that are being transferred when they bite? The bacteria are called Borellia burgdorferi,...
FuseSchool
Bacterial Disease
Did you know that it wasn’t until around 200 years ago that people knew what caused infectious diseases? Before that, they believed that one cause was ‘bad air’, and so they carried around bunches of sweet-smelling flowers to sweeten the...
Ancient Lights Media
How do vaccines work?
Understanding Vaccines - Viruses/Immunity Set - Part 4. This clips examines how vaccines are made and how they are able to produce immunity to infectious diseases.
Cerebellum
The Human Body Major Systems & Organs - The Immune System And Lymphatic System
The human body is a wondrously complex machine made of flesh, bone, muscles, organs, blood vessels and highly specialized systems that function together to sustain life. This fascinating third part of The Human Body series examines the...
FuseSchool
Fungal Diseases
Imagine a world without bananas! It’s a real possibility… a fungal disease is attacking and killing banana trees, and as yet we haven’t found a cure.
FuseSchool
Antibiotics
Antibiotics… one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century. You’ve probably taken them at some point during your life… maybe for a throat or ear infection? About 20 doses of antibiotics are prescribed per 1,000 people every day...
Professor Dave Explains
Ebola Virus (EVD)
We've probably all heard about the Ebola outbreak in Africa around 2014, and know that it's quite a terrifying pathogen. But what does it do exactly? Let's go through the basics!
Professor Dave Explains
Food Poisoning Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli
We've all gotten food poisoning before, and it's terrible. So what causes it? Just a little bit of bacteria called E. coli, that's all. Let's check them out!
Mazz Media
Biological Vectors
REAL WORLD SCIENCE: Biological Vectors and Infectious Diseases Using incredible videography, photos, animation and graphics, this information-packed video introduces students to biological vectors. Viewers will learn that biological...
Professor Dave Explains
Types of Immune Cells Part 1: Immune Cell Function
Ok, we are ready to investigate the immune system! So where do we start? Rather than starting on the big objects, like the organs in the lymphatic system, the best way to dive in is to briefly discuss the different types of cells that...
Next Animation Studio
Deadly brain-eating amoeba infection confirmed in Florida
Health officials in Florida issued a warning after a person was infected by a rare brain-eating amoeba.
FuseSchool
The Immune System
The main role of the immune system is to prevent disease caused by infection. Infections can be caused by a wide variety of pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, parasites (such as malaria) and viruses (such as influenza and the common...
Science360
Tool Transforms Flat Materials Into 3-D Shapes-NSF Science Now 45
In this week’s episode of NSF Science Now, we tested out a computational design tool that transforms flat materials into 3-D shapes, a virtual reality environment that is helping autistic teens learn to drive, a new novel underwater...
Visual Learning Systems
Prokaryotes: Bacteria in Action
Bacteria are the most abundant living things on the planet. In fact there are more bacteria in your mouth than there are vertebrates on the planet. This fascinating series of videos explores the wide-ranging forms and characteristics of...
Science Buddies
Program Your Own COVID-19 Simulator with Scratch
Do you keep hearing phrases like "social distancing" and "flatten the curve" in the news? What do they mean? Why are they important? In this activity, you will use the kid-friendly programming language Scratch to write a simulation that...