Introduction to Microbiology

WHAT IS MICROBIOLOGY?

The biology comes from bios referring to living

organisms and logy means the study of, thus
biology is the study of living organisms.

Micro means very small, viewed by microscope

 WHAT IS MICROBIOLOGY?
➢ Microbiology is the study of very small
living organisms which are invisible - that
are too small to be visible with the naked
eye.

➢ This includes bacteria, archaea, viruses,

fungi, prions, protozoa and algae,
collectively known as ‘microorganisms’ or
'microbes'.
➢ Although tiny in size these organisms
form the basis for all life on earth.
➢ Microorganisms and their activities are
vitally important to virtually all processes
on Earth.

➢ Microorganisms matter because they

affect every aspect of our lives – they
are in us, on us and around us.
➢ Microorganisms affect animals, the environment, the food
supply and also the healthcare industry. There are many
different areas of microbiology including environmental,
veterinary, food, pharmaceutical and medical microbiology,
which is the most prominent.
➢ Microorganisms are very important to the environment, human
health and the economy.
These microbes

➢ play key roles in nutrient cycling,

➢ biodegradation/biodeterioration,

➢ produce the soil in which plants grow

➢ the cause and control of disease, and biotechnology.

➢ in many ways: making life-saving drugs,

➢ the manufacture of biofuels,

➢ cleaning up pollution, and

➢ producing/processing food and drink.

➢ fix the atmospheric gases that both plants and animals use.
 History
➢ About 3 billion years ago at the time of the formation of the
earth, microbes were the only lives on earth.
➢ Microorganisms have played a key role in the evolution of the
planet earth.
➢ The spread of certain diseases from one person to another
long ago suggested the existence of invisible, transmissible
agent of infection.
➢ Microscopic organisms (microbes) were not seen, however,
until Antony Van Leeuwenhock (1632-1723) made
microscopes with sufficient magnification, then after, the
science of microbiology began.
➢ Leeuwenhock observed motile organisms taken from a
decayed tooth under the microscope. He observed major
morphological classes of bacteria for example: spheres,
rods, and spirals as well as large microbes for example:
Protozoa, algae and yeast.

➢ In 1767, and after the convention of compound

microscope, Linnaeus distinguished 6 species of
microbes assigned to one class, and 600 types were
figured in 1838.
➢ Until recent centuries it was widely believed that living
organisms can arise spontaneously in decomposing
organic matter.
➢ For visible organisms, this notion was dispelled in the 17th
century. When Redi demonstrated that the appearance of
maggots in decomposing meat depended on the
deposition of eggs by flies.
➢ However, the idea of spontaneous generation persisted for
the new world of microbes.
➢ The answer for spontaneous generation has been shown
by Spallanzani (1729-1799) who introduced the use of
sterile culture media.
➢ Pasteur in 19th century demonstrated that meat infusion
remain clear if it kept far from air-dust and live germs.
➢ Pasteur succeeded because he used sugar and yeast
extract as infusion. Others used hay infusion and they
never reached clear infusion after boiling.
➢ British physicist John Tyndall, brought a bale of hay to his
laboratory and concluded that the hay had contaminated
his laboratory with incredible kind of living organisms.
➢ In the same year, 1877, Ferdinand Cohn demonstrated
that resistant forms as small, refractile endospores as
showed that they where stages in the life cycle of the hay
bacillus (Bacillus Subtilis).
➢ Then after, autoclaving (Sterilization by heat (120oC) &
moisture under pressure) showed to be killing spores.
Bacteria
More than just pathogens - can be
friend or foe.

Viruses
Smallest of all the microbes, but are
they alive?
Protozoa
Microbes with a taste for poo and so
much more.

Fungi
More than just mushrooms.
Algae
Microbial powerhouses essential for life.

Archaea
First found existing on the edge of life.
Prions
Mysterious misfolding proteins.

Microbes and the outdoors

The function of microbes as tiny
chemical processors is to keep the life
cycles of the planet turning.
Microbes and food
Food for thought – bread, chocolate,
yoghurt, blue cheese and tofu are all
made using microbes.

Microbes and climate change

How are microbes contributing to
climate change?
Microbes and the human body
Ever wondered why when we are
surrounded by microbes we are not ill
all the time?
Harmful Microorganisms
Disease and decay are neither inherent properties of organic objects, nor
are caused by physical damage, it is microorganisms that bring about these
changes. We are surrounded by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Many
microorganisms cause diseases in cattle, crops and others are known for
entering human bodies and causing various diseases.
Examples of familiar human diseases are:
Bacteria: pneumonia, bacterial dysentery, diphtheria, bubonic plague,
meningitis, typhoid, cholera, salmonella, meningococcal
Virus: Chickenpox, measles, mumps, German measles, colds, warts, cold
sores, influenza
Protozoa: amoebic dysentery, malaria,
Fungi: ringworm, athlete’s foot
Useful Microorganisms
As decomposers, bacteria and fungi play an important role in an
ecosystem. They break down dead or waste organic matter and
release inorganic molecules. Green plants take these nutrients
which are in turn consumed by animals, and the products of
these plants and animals are again broken down by
decomposers.
Yeast is a single-celled fungus that lives naturally on the surface
of the fruit. It is economically important in bread-making and
brewing beer and also in the making of yoghurt.
Branches of Microbiology

There are various different branches of microbiology and these include the
following:
1. Bacteriology- The study of bacteria
2. Mycology –The study of fungi
3. Phycology- The study of photosynthetic eukaryotes. (Algae- Seaweed)
4. Protozoology – The study of protozoa (Single-celled eukaryotes)
5. Virology- The study of viruses, non-cellular particles which parasitize cells.
6. Parasitology- The study of parasites which include pathogenic protozoa
certain insects and helminth worms.
7. Nematology- The study of nematodes.