1. Viruses are not considered living organisms because they cannot reproduce or carry out metabolic processes without a host cell.
2. Bacteria can be beneficial (e.g., gut flora, decomposition) or harmful (pathogens causing disease).
3. Protists include diverse eukaryotic organisms such as algae and protozoa; some are autotrophic, others heterotrophic.
4. Fungi are decomposers that absorb nutrients from organic matter; many form symbiotic relationships with plants.
5. Viruses replicate by hijacking host cell machinery to produce new viral particles.
6. Bacterial cells are prokaryotic, lacking a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.
7. Protists may be unicellular or multicellular, with varied modes of nutrition and reproduction.
8. Fungi have chitin in their cell walls and reproduce via spores.
9. Viral infections can be prevented by vaccines and controlled by antiviral medications.
10. Bacteria reproduce asexually through binary fission, often rapidly under favorable conditions.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of protist worksheet.
