MicroPara

• Definition of Terms:

  • Bacteriology: study of disease-causing bacteria
  • Virology: study of infectious viruses
  • Mycology: study of disease-causing fungi
  • Parasitology: study of parasites
  • Protozoology: study of disease-causing protozoans
• Pathogens are microbes that cause diseases
• Nonpathogens are microbes that do not cause disease
• Indigenous microbiota are microbes that live on and in the human body
• Importance of Microbiology:

  • 10 times as many microbes live in the human body
  • Microbes are essential for life
  • Involved in decomposition of dead organisms and waste products of living organisms
  • Some microbes decompose industrial wastes
  • Many microbes are involved in elemental cycles
  • Some aid in digestion of food in animal intestinal tracts
  • Essential in various food and beverage industries
  • Some bacteria and fungi produce antibiotics
• History of Microbiology:

  • Human pathogens observed in mummies and early human fossils 4,000 years ago
  • Bacterial diseases like tuberculosis, leprosy, syphilis, malaria, hepatitis, and parasitic worm infections have been around for a long time
  • First recorded epidemic in Egypt about 3180 BC
  • First microbes observed were bacteria and protozoa
  • Connection between microbes and infectious diseases established after 200 years
• Pioneers in the Science of Microbiology:

  • Robert Hooke: discovered cells, marking the beginning of the cell theory
  • Anton Van Leeuwenhoek: first to see live bacteria and protozoa, "Father of Microbiology"
  • Louis Pasteur: made numerous contributions to microbiology, discovered alcoholic fermentation and Pasteurization
• 2 Categories of Microbes:

  • Acellular microbes (infectious particles)
  • Cellular microbes (microorganisms)
• Types of Microorganisms (Major Groups):

  • Relatively simple, single-celled organisms
  • Bacterial cells are called "prokaryotes"
  • Enclosed in cell walls largely composed of peptidoglycan
  • Bacteria use organic chemicals for nutrition
• Cell Structure:

  • Fundamental unit of any living organism
  • Exhibits characteristics of life
  • Obtains food from the environment for energy production
  • Metabolism allows a cell to grow and reproduce
  • Prokaryotic cells are less complex, including bacteria, archaea, and cyanobacteria
  • Eukaryotic cells are more complex, containing a true nucleus and many membranes, including algae, protozoa, and fungi
• Essentials of Metabolism:

  • Metabolism refers to all chemical reactions within a living organism
  • Catabolism breaks down complex organic molecules into simpler substances
  • Anabolism combines simpler substances to form complex molecules
  • Enzymes catalyze chemical reactions by lowering activation energy
• Factors Influencing Enzyme Activity:

  • Temperature affects enzyme activity
  • pH influences enzymatic activity
  • Substance concentration affects enzyme activity
  • Inhibitors can compete with normal substrate for the enzyme's active site
• Host Pathogen Reaction:

  • Pathology is the scientific study of disease
  • Infection is the invasion and growth of pathogens in the body
  • Host is an organism that shelters and supports the growth of pathogens
  • Disease is an abnormal state where the body is not properly adjusted or incapable of performing normal functions
• How the Reaction Occurs:

  • Disease-causing microorganisms are called pathogens
  • Pathogenic microorganisms have special properties that allow them to invade the human body or produce toxins
  • Microorganisms begin colonization in and on the body soon after birth
  • Normal microbiota and the host exist in symbiosis, with three types: commensalism, mutualism, and parasitism
• Microbiology is the study of living things too small to be seen without magnification
• Microorganisms, commonly called "germs, viruses, agents," can be classified into six categories: Fungi, Protozoa, Algae, Bacteria, Archaea, and small animals
• Fungi are eukaryotic, obtain food from other organisms, possess cell walls, and are composed of molds and yeasts
• Protozoa are single-celled eukaryotes, similar to animals in nutrient needs and cellular structure, and are capable of locomotion by pseudopodia, cilia, and flagella
• Algae can be unicellular or multicellular, photosynthetic, and categorized based on pigmentation, storage products, and composition of cell wall
• Bacteria and Archaea are unicellular, lack nuclei, reproduce asexually, and can be found everywhere there is sufficient moisture, with some thriving in extreme environments
• The Golden Age of Microbiology included Redi's and Pasteur's experiments, Pasteur's germ theory of disease, and Robert Koch's studies on causative agents of disease
• Preventing infection and disease involves practices like handwashing, antiseptic techniques, infection control, vaccination, and chemotherapy
• Microbial genetics, molecular biology, recombinant DNA technology, and gene therapy are essential in understanding how genes work
• Microorganisms play crucial roles in the environment through bioremediation, recycling of chemicals, and other processes
• Defending against disease involves serology, immunology, and chemotherapy, with discoveries like penicillin and sulfa drugs contributing to treatment
• The future of microbiology involves continuous questioning and discovery, with challenges like drug-resistant strains and emerging diseases affecting global health
• Cellular organization includes prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, with life defined by metabolism, reproduction, and acquiring nutrition
• Viruses are not independently living cellular organisms but depend on infected cells to multiply and disperse
• Microbial nomenclature, taxonomy, and identification are crucial in naming and classifying microorganisms based on traditional and modern classification systems
• The origin and evolution of microorganisms involve phylogeny, evolution, and the understanding that all new species originate from preexisting ones