MICROPARA

• Microbiology is the study of microbes. It includes the study of certain nonliving entities as well as certain living organisms. Collectively, these nonliving entities and living organisms are called microbes.
• Microbes


  Anything so small that it must be viewed with a microscope
• Categories of microbes


  • Viruses
  • Bacteria
  • Archaea
  • Protozoa
  • Certain types of algae
  • Fungi

  
• Pathogens


  Disease causing microorganisms, also referred as infectious agents

  
• Nonpathogens


  Microbes that do not cause disease
• Indigenous microbiota (human microbiome or human bioneme)

  • Microbes living on and in our bodies, most are of benefit to us
• Opportunistic pathogens


  Microbes that usually do not cause us any problems, but have the potential to cause infections if they gain access to a part of our anatomy where they do not belong

  
• Roles of microbes


  • Contribute to photosynthesis
  • Decompose dead microorganisms
  • Decompose industrial wastes or bioremediation
  • Essential in various food and beverage industries
  • Produce antibiotics
  • Essential in the field of genetic engineering
  • Cause infectious disease and microbial intoxications
• Bacteria


  • Single-cell and unicellular organisms, prokaryotic
• Archaea


  • Prokaryotic cells, cell walls lack peptidoglycan, not known to cause disease in humans
• Fungi


  • Eukaryotes, unicellular and multicellular, chitin cell wall, can reproduce sexually or asexually
• Types of fungi


  • Molds
  • Yeast
• Protozoa


  • Unicellular, eukaryotic microbes, absorb or ingest organic chemicals, can reproduce sexually or asexually, free living
• Algae


  • Photosynthetic eukaryotes, unicellular or multicellular, have sexual and asexual reproductive forms
• Viruses


  • Possess either DNA or RNA, unable to replicate on their own, do not divide, lack genes and enzymes for energy production, depend on host cell for replication
• Types of viruses


  • Bacteriophages
  • Viroids
  • Prions
• Viruses are replicated only when they are living in host, they are not considered to be living because outside of living hosts they are inert
• Multicellular animal parasites are not strictly microorganisms, but are of medical importance. The two major groups are flatworms and roundworms, collectively called helminths.

  
• Cell theory


  All living things are composed of cells and come from preexisting cells
• Robert Hooke reported that life's smallest structural units were "little boxes" or "cells"
• Anton van Leeuwenhoek is referred as the Father of Microbiology, he was probably the first to actually observe live microorganism through magnifying lenses
• Francisco Redi opposed Spontaneous Generation (or abiogenesis where life could rise from non-life or pre-existing cells)
• John Needham strengthened theory of Spontaneous Generation
• Lazzaro Spallanzani also opposed Spontaneous Generation
• Rudolf Virchow challenged Spontaneous Generation and introduced Theory of Biogenesis: "Life could only arise from pre-existing living cells"
• Louis Pasteur disproved Spontaneous Generation, discovered fermentation, connection between microorganisms and food spoilage, discovered Pasteurization, and discovered vaccines for anthrax and rabies
• Germ Theory of Disease


  The theory that certain diseases are caused by the invasion of the body by microorganisms, organisms too small to be seen except through a microscope
• Ignaz Semmelweis introduced the importance of handwashing and the use of chlorinated lime
• Joseph Lister introduced the concepts of aseptic techniques and the utilization of carbolic acid (phenol) as a wound disinfectant
• Robert Koch developed pure culture technique, discovered the causative agents of anthrax, tuberculosis, and cholera, and established Koch's Postulate
• Koch's Postulate


  • A particular microbe must be found in all cases of the disease and must not be present in healthy animals or humans
  • The microbe must be isolated from the diseased animal or human and grown in pure culture in the laboratory
  • The same disease must be produced when microbes from the pure culture are inoculated into healthy susceptible laboratory animals
  • The same microbe must be recovered from the experimentally infected animals and grown again in pure culture
• Edward Jenner discovered the first vaccine, the vaccine for smallpox, and the technique of vaccination
• Paul Ehrlich discovered the first chemotherapeutic agent against syphilis and introduced the term "Magic Bullet"
• Alexander Fleming discovered the first antibiotic Penicillin from Penicillium notatum
• Selman Waksman discovered Streptomycin from Streptomyces
• Emil von Behring developed the diphtheria antitoxin
• Tally infected animals and grown again in pure culture


  Procedure for identifying pathogens
• Edward Jenner


  • Discovered the first vaccine, the vaccine for smallpox
  • Discovered the technique of vaccination
• Paul Ehrlich


  • Known as Father of Chemotherapy
  • Discovered the first chemotherapeutic agent against syphilis and referred as Salvarsan / Arsphenamine / Compound 606
  • Introduced the term Magic Bullet as an agent that killed pathogen but did not cause harm to the host
• Alexander Flemming


  • Discovered the first antibiotic Penicillin from Penicillium notatum a mold