Introduction to

Microbiology
 Microbiology

• Study of microscopic (living ) things

• E.g.
viruses, bacteria, algae, protists, fungi
History of Microbiology

• 1590 – First compound light microscope

Zacharias Janssen
 History
• 1676 –first observation of bacteria
“animalcules”
Anton Von Leeuwenhoek
 History
• 1796 – First vaccine (smallpox)
Edward Jenner
 History
• 1857 – Germ Theory of Disease
Louis Pasteur
 History
• 1867 Antiseptic Surgery
Joseph Lister
 History
• 1884 Koch’s Postulates of
Disease Transmission
Robert Koch
History

• 1885 - Vaccine against

Rabies
Louis Pasteur
 History

• 1929 Discovery of Penicillin

(first antibiotic)
Alexander Fleming
 History
• 1938 – First Electron
Microscope

• The electron microscope is capable of

magnifying biological specimens up
to one million times. These computer
enhanced images of 1. smallpox, 2.
herpes simplex, and 3. mumps are
magnified, respectively, 150,000,
150,000 and 90,000 times.
 History

1953 Structure of DNA Revealed

Watson & Crick
 History

1954 Polio Vaccine

Jonas Salk
 Recent History
• Genetic engineering
• Cloning
• Human Genome Project
• Biotechnology
• Who knows what is next?
Sizes of Microbes

• Virus - 10 →1000 nanometers *

• Bacteria - 0.1 → 5 micrometers **
(Human eye ) can see .1 mm (1 x 10 -3 m)

* One billionth or 1 x 10 -9 m
** One millionth or 1 x 10 -6 m
 Tools of Microbiology
• Compound light Microscope
- live specimens
- 1,000 mag. or less
• Electron Microscope
- non-living specimens
- > 1,000 X mag.
• Incubator – keep microbes warm for
growth
 Techniques of
Microbiology
• Staining – to better see structures
• Microbial Culture - growing the wee
beasties
• Container for microbe culture
- usually Petri dish
• Culture media
- Food for the microbes
- E.g. Agar – (from red algae)
- Others such as nutrient broths
 Pure Culture Techniques

1. Inoculation
2. Isolation
3. Identification