introduction to clinical microbiology

• What is microbiology?

  A branch of biology studying small organisms
• What does medical microbiology focus on?

  Medically important microorganisms and their role in disease
• What is diagnostic bacteriology?

  Laboratory identification of medically important bacteria
• Why is laboratory identification important in diagnostic bacteriology?

  It aids in diagnosing and managing infectious diseases
• What are microbes described as?

  Ubiquitous, meaning they are everywhere
• What are acellular microbes?

  Microbes without cellular structures
• Give an example of an acellular microbe.

  Viruses
• What defines prokaryotes?

  Unicellular organisms without a true nucleus
• What are the two types of cellular microbes?

  Prokaryotes and eukaryotes
• What are the two major types of diseases?

  Infectious disease and microbial intoxication
• What is a true pathogen?

  An organism causing disease in healthy hosts
• What is pathogenicity?

  The ability of an organism to cause disease
• What does virulence refer to?

  The degree of pathogenicity of a pathogen
• What are virulence factors?

  Features enabling a pathogen to cause disease
• What is an endogenous infection?

  Infection arising from colonizing flora
• What characterizes an acute infection?

  Rapid onset of severe signs and symptoms
• What is a nosocomial infection?

  Infection acquired during hospitalization
• What is a communicable disease?

  An infectious disease spreading from person to person
• What are symptoms in the context of disease?

  Subjective evidence of disease perceived by the patient
• What is normal flora?

  Bacteria that usually do not harm the host
• What does colonization refer to?

  Establishment of microorganisms without tissue penetration
• What did ancient beliefs attribute diseases to?

  Evil spirits and punishment from God
• What was the first recorded epidemic?

  Pestilence in 1900 BC Egypt
• Who is known as the "Father of Microbiology"?

  Anton van Leeuwenhoek
• What did Louis Pasteur disprove?

  Theory of spontaneous generation
• What is pasteurization?

  Heating liquids to kill harmful microbes
• What did Robert Koch discover about B. anthracis?

  It produces spores resistant to heat
• What are Koch's postulates?

  Criteria to establish a causative relationship between microbes and disease
• Who is known as the "Father of Hand Hygiene"?

  1. Ignaz Semmelweis
• What did Joseph Lister introduce?

  Antiseptic techniques in surgery
• What are the contributions of Anton van Leeuwenhoek to microbiology?

  • First to see live bacteria and protozoa
  • Created single-lens microscopes
  • Observed tiny living creatures called "animalcules"
• What are the contributions of Louis Pasteur to microbiology?

  • Demonstrated different microbes produce different fermentation products
  • Disproved spontaneous generation
  • Introduced terms "aerobes" and "anaerobes"
  • Developed pasteurization and vaccines
• What are the contributions of Robert Koch to microbiology?

  • Significant contributions to germ theory
  • Discovered spores of B. anthracis
  • Developed methods for cultivating bacteria
  • Identified pathogens causing tuberculosis and cholera
• What are the contributions of John Tyndall and Ferdinand Cohn to microbiology?

  • Tyndall: Evidence of heat-resistant microbes
  • Cohn: Established the concept of "sterile"
• What are the contributions of Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes and Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis to infection control?

  • Holmes: Observed fewer infections at home births
  • Semmelweis: Linked infections to physician examinations after autopsies
• What are the early beliefs about the causes of infectious diseases?

  • Diseases caused by evil spirits
  • Diseases seen as punishment from God
• What are the types of infections based on the source of the pathogen?

  • Endogenous infection: from colonizing flora
  • Exogenous infection: from external pathogens
• What are the types of infections based on clinical onset?

  • Acute infection: rapid onset, severe symptoms
  • Chronic infection: gradual onset, mild symptoms
• What are the definitions of signs and symptoms in disease?

  • Symptoms: subjective evidence perceived by the patient
  • Signs: observable evidence by a doctor
• What are the definitions of infectious disease and communicable disease?

  • Infectious disease: caused by pathogens invading tissues
  • Communicable disease: spreads from person to person