Microbiology

• Microbiology is a broad field that can be categorized into pure science and applied science
• Categories of microbiology include:

  • Type of organisms
  • Type of industry
  • Overlaps with life sciences
• Pure Microbiology includes:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacteriology
  • Mycology
  • Protozoology
  • Phycology
  • Parasitology
  • Immunology
  • Virology
  • Nematology
• Applied Microbiology includes:

  • Medical Microbiology
  • Pharmaceutical Microbiology
  • Food Microbiology
  • Agricultural Microbiology
  • Plant Microbiology and Plant Pathology
  • Soil Microbiology
  • Veterinary Microbiology
  • Environmental Microbiology
• Microbial Ecology includes:

  • Bioremediation
  • Water Microbiology
  • Aeromicrobiology
• Microbiology careers can be laboratory-based or office-based, involving tasks like monitoring, assessments, isolations, developing new technologies, quality control management, consulting, training, and more
• Microbiology is the study of organisms and agents that are too small to be seen with the unaided eye, ranging from 20nm to 5mm
• Major groups of microorganisms include bacteria, protozoa, fungi, algae, and viruses
• Microbes are ubiquitous and have various benefits, such as maintaining the balance of nature, impacting human health, and being used in food and material production
• Normal microbiota are microorganisms living in and on our bodies, some of which are beneficial and help prevent harmful microorganisms from causing illness
• Microorganisms have industrial applications, such as in food production, genetic engineering, and biopesticides
• Examples of industrial use of microorganisms include stone-washed denim using cellulase enzymes and biopesticides in agriculture
• Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs) are new or changing diseases with factors like new evolutionary features, increased human exposure to new infectious agents, and antimicrobial resistance contributing to their spread
• Microbes provide insights into life processes through biotechnology, bioremediation, drug production, and serving as model organisms
• Themes in Microbiology include basic microbiology, disease-related microbiology, environmentally related microbiology, and industrial microbiology
• Reading assignments for microbiology cover topics like the history of microbiology, observing microorganisms under a microscope, and the importance of microorganisms