Week 1 intro

• Branches of Microbiology

  The two main branches of microbiology are Pure Microbiology and Applied Microbiology.
• Sub-classes of pure microbiology are based on the types of microorganisms being studied and their function
• Sub-classes of applied microbiology are based on the interactions and applications of various microorganisms
• Bacteriology - focuses on the study of bacteria, including their structure, function, biochemistry, classification, genetics, and interactions with other organisms.
• Virology - involves the study of viruses, including their structure, replication mechanisms, and their impact on host organisms and diseases.
• Mycology - Is the study of fungi, including yeasts, molds, and mushrooms. Mycologists study the biochemical properties, genetics, toxicity, ecology, and medical relevance of fungi
• Parasitology - It deals with the study of parasites, which are organisms that live in or on a host organism and often cause diseases.
• Phycology - (algology) revolves around the scientific study of algae.
• Immunology - It focuses on the immune system in all organisms. Immunologists play a key role in preventing and managing a wide range of disorders such as hypersensitivities, immune deficiency, and autoimmune disease
• Protozoology - study of protozoa or single-celled protists that feed by heterotrophy and are not animals, plants, or fungi
• Nematology - Itis the study of nematodes or roundworms such as hookworms, ascarids, pinworks, and filarias, which are found as parasites in humans
• Environmental Microbiology - studies the interactions between microbes and their environment, including their roles in nutrient cycling and ecosystem processes
• Medical Microbiology - It is a large and diverse branch of microbiology that’s concerned with the study of microorganisms that cause human diseases.
• Industrial Microbiology -This branch explores the ways that microorganisms can be used in various industrial processes, such as the drug production, industrial fermentation, food preservation, biopolymers, and wastewater treatment
• Pharmaceutical Microbiology - It focuses on the safety and quality control of healthcare and pharmaceutical products, ensuring they are free from harmful microorganisms. It also explores the use of microbes
• Food & Dairy Microbiology - It focuses on microorganisms in food, with special attention to food safety, preservation, fermentation, and spoilage. Some food microbiologists specialize in the study of microbes that contaminate foods and cause food spoilage
• Agricultural Microbiology - This branch explores the role of microorganisms in agriculture, including soil nutrients, soil fertility, plant-microbe interactions, and microbial degradation of soil
• Aquatic Microbiology - Aquatic microbiology studies microorganisms in aquatic environments, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and other water bodies, and their impact on aquatic ecosystem
• Aeromicrobiology - Aeromicrobiology involves the study of airborne microbes and how they affect other organisms.
• Microbial Genetics - Microbial genetics investigates the genetic makeup of microorganisms, their gene expression, mutations, and how genes are transferred among microbe
• Acute phase - Early stage of a disease preceding the adaptive phase of the immune response
• Anaerobe - Organism that does not require oxygen for life and reproduction
• Antibody - Protein or immunoglobulin molecule characterized by specific amino acid sequence produced by the host as a result of a specific antigenic stimulation
• Antigen - Substance that produces sensitivity and initiates an immune response
• Antisepsis - Destruction of microorganisms to prevent infection
• Bacteremia - Presence of viable bacteria in the blood, as evidenced by their recovery in blood cultures
• Bactericidal - Antimicrobial that kills a microorganism
• Bacteriocin - Proteins produced by some bacteria that inhibit the growth of other strains of the same organ ism or related species
• Capnophile - Microorganism that grows best in the presence of carbon dioxide
• Disinfection - Removal of microbes that may cause disease from an environment
• Disinfectant - Substance designed to be used on inanimate objects to kill or destroy disease-producing microorganisms
• Etiologic agent - Microorganism causing a disease
• Fastidious - Hard to grow; requires additional growth factors
• Genotype - Genetic makeup of an organism
• Gram-positive bacteria - Bacteria that retain the crystal violet–iodine complex and appear blue-black on Gram-stained smear
• Gram-negative bacteria - Bacteria that do not retain the crystal violet complex; stained red by the safranin counterstain.
• Halophilic - “Salt-loving”; an organism that grows best in media with an increased concentration of NaCl
• Immunocompetent - ability of an immune system to mobilize and deploy its antibodies and other responses to stimulation by an antigen.
• Immunocompromised - describe an individual with deficient function of the immune system
• Latent phase - permits the infection to evolve without any obvious external symptoms.