Follow this interactive to identify the differences between bacteria and viruses. Look through the lens of a microscope to observe how each functions and impacts humans.

Determine how studying the evolution of the HIV virus led medical experts to give patients a "holiday" from drugs, weakening the mutated, drug-resistent genes. Discover how this backward evolution works.

[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about different types of microbes including: viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.

[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about attempts to create a vaccination for he AIDS virus. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, causes AIDS. AIDS stands for "acquired immune deficiency syndrome." It is a condition that causes death and does not have a...

Explains in detail what the lytic and lysogenic cycles of a virus are and the stages of each cycle. Also presents a table highlighting the differences between them.

Very good, straightforward facts (as we know it from research) about the HIV virus. Clears up common misconceptions. Original resource from 1998 American Association for World Health.

A good site which explains the effect of the outside the body environment on the HIV virus. This addresses the common fear of airborne transmission. Original resource from 1999 U. S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Very good debunking of a variety of misconceptions and myths about the HIV virus. Original resource from 2007 U. S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

This site from The Body provides an article summarizing recent research that traces the origins of the HIV virus possible back to the 1940s in Africa. Original resource from 1998 Times Magazine.

Read this passage and study the graphics to answer the five-question quiz concerning structure, growth, physiology, and genetics of prokaryotes and viruses.

Read this passage and study the graphics to complete a five-question quiz related to the structure, growth, physiology and genetics of prokaryotes and viruses.

An explanation and illustration of papillomas, the scientific term for warts that appear on the hands and feet. If warts appear on the genitals the term is condyloma acuminata. The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is examined including the...

What is HIV? How is it spread? What tests are used to diagnose and monitor HIV? These questions and more are answered in this thorough site.

There are battles that are fought each day on the planet. The invading forces are those of viruses and bacteria. Left alone they would take over and destroy every cell! It is up to some key defense systems to battle and destroy these...

The Ebola disease is a life-threatening illness caused by the Ebola virus. There is currently no vaccine or specific medication for Ebola. Further discussion includes How does the virus replication work?; What are the symptoms of Ebola...

This site by the the Pennsylvania Department of Health offers information on the West Nile Virus and the encephalitis it causes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide a collection of websites dedicated to the West Nile Virus and prevention of mosquito-born infections. Links to lots of different pages where you can learn how to prevent WNV and...

Describes the structure of bacteria, where bacteria can be found, and how they are classified using gram staining. Includes lists of bacteria organized by gram staining response and whether they have a capsule shape. Also includes a list...

In this video segment from The Secret of Life, watch as a virus attacks a cell, and learn how the immune system reacts to this onslaught. Includes background reading material and discussion questions. [1:40]

In this WebQuest, sudents will be working in cooperative learning groups to research bacteria, viruses, and the immune system via the Internet. Students will be taking notes and answering questions to show the teacher for approval....

Very professional, well designed animations about viruses. High quality, but for advanced students.

Very professional, well designed animations about viruses. High quality, but for advanced students.

This exercise is to introduce you to the kinds of cells that make up all living systems, and to contrast cells with viruses. At the end you can test your understanding of these topics by taking a short test.