Microbiology

• Microbiology


  The study of microorganisms
• Microorganism


  Microbe is an organism that is microscopic
• Types of microorganisms


  • Bacteria
  • Fungi
  • Archaea
  • Protists
  • Viruses
• Microbes make up almost 60% of the earth's living matter
• Microbes can be useful as well as harmful
• Microorganisms usually require a microscope to see
• Ways microbes are important in human culture and health

  • Serving to ferment foods
  • Treat sewage and to produce fuel, enzymes, and other bioactive compounds
  • Used as model organisms in biology
  • Used in biological warfare and bioterrorism
  • Vital component of fertile soil
  • Make up the human microbiota, including the essential gut flora
  • Pathogens responsible for many infectious diseases
• Bacteria


  • Belong to the kingdom of Monera
  • Unicellular and prokaryotic
  • Can survive in temperatures from over 100 degrees Celsius to less than 0 degrees Celsius
  • Some act as pathogens, others are beneficial
• Protista


  • Unicellular and eukaryotic
  • Some are autotrophic and do photosynthesis
  • Some are pathogens that cause serious illness
• Algae


  • Autotrophic organisms
  • Both multicellular and unicellular
  • Eukaryotic
  • Primitive types of plants with unorganized body structure
  • Exist as single cells or in colonies
  • Beneficial for humans as they do photosynthesis and can be eaten
• Viruses


  • Link between living and non-living things
  • Acellular, without cellular organization
  • Made up of protein and nucleic acid
  • Can infect host cells but cannot live independently
  • Cause diseases like the common flu, AIDS, and chickenpox
• Bacteria are tiny, single-celled living organisms, with millions of different types
• Bacteria make up your microbiome, which keeps your body healthy
• Most types of bacteria aren't harmful, some are even good for you
• Gut bacteria keep you healthy by absorbing nutrients, breaking down food and preventing the growth of harmful bacteria
• Certain types of bacteria can make you sick and are called pathogens
• Pathogens can reproduce quickly in your body and give off poisons (toxins) that can cause infection
• Most bacteria reproduce through binary fission
• Harmful bacteria


  • Streptococcus (causes strep throat)
  • Staphylococcus (causes staph infections)
  • Escherichia coli (causes E. coli infections)
  • Bordetella pertussis (causes whooping cough)
• Sepsis is a systemic overreaction to widespread infection in your body
• Scientific name of bacteria


  Includes their genus and species
• Basic bacterial shapes


  • Spheres or ball-shaped (cocci bacteria)
  • Rod-shaped (bacilli)
  • Spirals or helixes (spirochetes)
• Bacterial classification by oxygen needs


  • Aerobes (need oxygen)
  • Anaerobes (can't live/grow with oxygen)
  • Facultative (can live with or without oxygen)
• Bacteria are classified by their genetic makeup (genotype)
• Gram staining


  Classifies bacteria as gram-positive or gram-negative based on the color they turn after applying special chemicals
• Gram-positive bacteria


  • Corynebacterium
  • Clostridium
  • Listeria
• Gram-negative bacteria


  • Pseudomonas
  • Proteus
  • Klebsiella
• Overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria like MRSA
• Peptidoglycan consists of alternating sugars (N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylluramic acid) crosslinked by short polypeptide chains.
• The cell wall is composed of peptidoglycan, which provides structural support to the bacterial cell.
• Bacterial cells can have flagella, which are used for movement and can vary in number and arrangement.
• Animalia: Multicellular eukaryotes with specialized tissues and organs
• Some bacteria possess pili, which are hair-like structures that help in adherence to surfaces or other cells.
• Fungi: Eukaryotic microbes that include yeasts, molds, mushrooms, and smuts
• The cell wall of bacteria is primarily composed of peptidoglycan, a unique molecule not found in other organisms.
• Protists: Eukaryotes with diverse characteristics such as being single-celled or multicellular, having flagella or cilia, and producing their own food or obtaining it from other sources
• The cell wall is composed of peptidoglycan, which provides structural support and protection against osmotic lysis.
• Cell walls also contain teichoic acids that anchor proteins involved in adhesion and virulence factors.
• Cell walls also contain teichoic acids that anchor proteins involved in adhesion and virulence factors.