M1 Microbiology: The Science

• Biology is the study of living organisms
• Microbiology

  It is an advanced biology course. It is the study of microbes, which are extremely small (microscopic) living organisms and certain nonliving entities
• Cellular microbes or microorganisms

  Living microbes, examples are bacteria, archaea, some algae, protozoa and some fungi.
• Acellular microbes or microorganisms

  Nonliving microbes, examples are viroids, prions and viruses.
• Pathogens

  Scientific term for disease-causing microbes.
• Nonpathogens

  Microbes that do not cause disease. It is the vast majority of microbes.
• Indigenous Microbiota

  Microbes that live on and in our bodies are referred as
• Opportunistic pathogens

  Are microbes that can cause disease, but usually do not; they can be thought of as microbes that are awaiting the opportunity to cause disease.
• Two categories of disease:

  Infectious disease, microbial intoxications
• Photosynthetic algae and bacteria

  Produce much of oxygen in our atmosphere
• Saprophytes

  Organisms that live on dead an/or decaying organic matter
• Bioremediation

  The use of microbes to clean up toxic wastes and other industrial waste products
• Algae and bacteria

  Serve as food for tiny animals. Important links in food chains.
• Genetic engineering

  A gene from one microorganism is inserted into a bacterial or yeast cell; the cell that received the new gene(s) is then capable of producing the gene product(s) coded for by the new gene(s)
• Biotechnology

  Use of living organisms or their derivatives to make or modify useful products
• about 3.5 billion years

  Fossils of primitive microorganisms date back
• Archaea and Cyanobacteria

  Candidates for the first microorganisms on Earth
• 3180 BC

  Earliest known account of pestilence occured in Egypt
• Anton van Leeuwenhoek

  “Father of Microbiology”
• (1632-1723)

  Antoine van Leeuwenhoek
• Antoine van Leeuwenhoek

  He observed “animalcules” (bacteria and protozoa)
• Antoine van Leeuwenhoek

  Made many simple single-lens microscope
• Rabies and anthrax vaccines

  Vaccines developed by Louis Pasteur
• Louis Pasteur

  French chemist — made numerous contributions to microbiology such as:

  • Investigated different fermentation products

  • Developed the pasteurization process

  • Discovered anaerobes

  • Developed several vaccines
• Anaerobes

  Life forms that could exist without oxygen
• (1822-1895)

  Louis Pasteur
• Robert Koch

  German physician who made contributions to microbiology

  • Contributions to germ theory of disease

  • Discovered that Bacillus anthracis produced spores

  • Developed methods of fixing and staining bacteria

  • Developed methods to cultivate bacteria
• It was discovered by Robert Koch that this produced spores

  Bacillus anthracis
• Koch’s postulate

  It helped prove the germ theory of disease
• Microbiologist

  A scientist who studies microbes
• Medical microbiology

  Involves the study of pathogens, the disease they cause and the body’s defenses against disease