Intro to Microbiology

• Pharmaceutical microbiology


  The study of microorganisms relevant to pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences. It's concerned with treating infections and preventing contamination of pharmaceutical products.
• Microorganisms in the Body

  • Humans have a symbiotic relationship with microorganisms on a day to day basis
  • The majority of this relationship is with bacterial species, but we will also host some fungal species as well
• Microorganisms in the gut

  • 500-1000 bacterial species
• The range of microorganisms in the gut differs from person to person, depending on their disease state, ethnicity, the kind of food they eat, where they live etc.
• When you encounter a new microorganism that you've never had before, it creates an imbalance.
• Location of microorganisms in the body

  • Majority in the gut (particularly in the large intestine)
  • A lot also live on the surface of the skin
  • Less in the stomach as it's very acidic and is designed to kill microorganisms
  • More on protected areas like the top of the head
  • None in the eyes
• If microorganisms are found anywhere apart from the gut or skin, that means you have an infection, e.g. tissues, blood, organs, etc.
• Probiotics


  Live cultures of microorganism bacteria that help to maintain good bacterial balance
• Probiotics are found in milky drinks, yoghurts, fermented foods etc.
• Probiotics are useful for people who take long-term antibiotics.
• Hazard Groups of Microorganisms

  • Hazard Group 1: Unlikely to cause human disease
  • Hazard Group 2: Can cause human disease but unlikely to spread in the community, effective prophylaxis/treatment usually available
  • Hazard Group 3: Can cause severe human disease, may spread to the community, effective prophylaxis/treatment usually available
  • Hazard Group 4: Causes severe human disease, likely to spread to the community, no effective prophylaxis/treatment available
• Pathogenic bacteria


  Microorganisms capable of causing disease/infection
• Within the thousands of different bacterial species, there are different strains - one strain could be pathogenic, another could be harmless, another could be beneficial to us.