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  • Secondary students learn about bacteria1, how the immune system2 responds to them and the use of honey to kill them in infected wounds. Experiments to explore the properties of different types of honey types can help students to design their own honey wound dressing.

    Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

    Leg wound with honey dressing

    Patient with leg wound being treated with a Mānuka honey dressing.

    Purpose

    To investigate the antibacterial3 activity of different types of honey.

    Keywords

    Microorganisms4, bacteria, wound healing, immune system, wound dressing.

    1. bacteria: (Singular: bacterium) Single-celled microorganisms that have no nucleus.
    2. immune system: The natural defence system found in living things.  In humans, a network of organs, cells and proteins that helps to protect us against anything it recognises as being an ‘invader’ or ‘foreign’, for example, bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, parasites and transplanted organs and tissues. In plants, a network of disease resistance genes enable plants to detect and resist things like fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes and insects.
    3. antibacterial: A substance that can kill or prevent the growth of bacteria.
    4. microorganism: A living organism which is too small to be seen with the naked eye and can only be observed using a microscope. Includes bacteria and most protists.
    Published 1 June 2007, Updated 9 September 2013 Referencing Hub articles
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        bacteria

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      2. (Singular: bacterium) Single-celled microorganisms that have no nucleus.

        microorganism

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      4. A living organism which is too small to be seen with the naked eye and can only be observed using a microscope. Includes bacteria and most protists.

        immune system

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      6. The natural defence system found in living things. 

        In humans, a network of organs, cells and proteins that helps to protect us against anything it recognises as being an ‘invader’ or ‘foreign’, for example, bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, parasites and transplanted organs and tissues.

        In plants, a network of disease resistance genes enable plants to detect and resist things like fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes and insects.

        antibacterial

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      8. A substance that can kill or prevent the growth of bacteria.