MICROBIOLOGY and PARASIT  Nitrogen Fixation – is the process by which

nitrogen (N2) in converted into nitrogen

Microbiology compounds useful for other biochem processes
 Biofuel (yeast and bacteria) – can utilize
“The study of very small living organisms” carbs to produce liquid biofuels such as
ethanol and butanol.
 Micros = small  Disease – Identification of new disease and
 Bios = life Treatment, cure, and prevention.
 Logos = science  Food – food preservation, food additivies.
 Biotechnology – Genetically modified
Parasitology organisms, production of pharmaceuticals, and
gene therapy.
“The study of the parasites of man and their medical
consequences.”

 Para = beside
 Sitos = food

Microbiology includes the study of:

 Bacteria, Protozoa, Viruses, fungi, Algae

Microbiology is Interdisciplinary

 Physio, Genetics, Geo, Eng, CompSci, Chem,

Ecology, Biochem, Molec Bio.

Two major areas in the field of microbiology:

 Basic microbiology – where the fundamental

nature and properties of microorganisms are HISTORY
studied.
 Applied Microbiology - where information
leaned from basic microbiology is employed to
control and use microorganisms in beneficial
ways.

Basic Microbiology

1. Morphological Characteristics
2. Physiological Characteristics
3. Biochemical Activities
4. Genetic Characteristics
5. Disease – causing potential
6. Ecological characteristics
7. Classification

Applied Microbiology Two schools of thought on the origin of microorg

1. Medical microbiology 1. Abiogenesis – Life arose from the non-living.

2. Immunology (spontaneous generation)
3. Agricultural, Dairy, Soil, Food Microbiology John Needham in 1745
4. Industrial, Biotechnology, Microbiology 2. Biogenesis – Life arose form living parents
5. Virology Francesco Redi, Lazzaro Spallanzani, Louis
Pasteur, John Tyndall.
Why Study microbiology?
Microbiology
 Environmental, medical, applied – basic sci.
Discovery Era (Spont Gen):
Microbes are Ubiquitous (everywhere) and omnipresent
 Aristotle (394 – 322bc) and others believed
that living organisms developed from non-
living materials
 Indigenous bacteria – Living in our bodies  Antoine Van Leeuwenhoek (1632 – 1723)
 Opportunistic bacteria – infectious pathogen 1st to observe and describe single celled
 Photo synthetic bacteria and Cyanobacteria – organisms, “animalcules”.
producers of oxygen  Robert Hooke (1678)
 Decomposers – Dead or Decaying materials Developed Compound Microscope
1st to coin the term “CELL”

Impact of microorganisms on Humans

Transition Era
  Francesco Redi (1626 – 1697)  Joseph Lister (1827 – 1912)
He showed that maggots would not arise from “Father of antiseptic surgery”
decaying meat, when it is covered. Professor of surgery.
 John Needham (1713 – 1781) Applied Pasteur’s work and introduced
Supporter of Spont Gen. antiseptic techniques in Surgery.
Proposed that tiny organisms arose Use of Carbolic aced in antiseptic surg.
spontaneously on the mutton gravy. Resulted in drop of morbidity and mortality
 Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729 – 1799) due to surgical sepsis.
He demonstrated that air carried germs to the  Edward Jenner (1749 – 1823)
culture medium. First to prevent small pox.
Boiled broth would not give rise to He discovered the technique of vaccination.
microscopic forms of life. (does not agree  Alexander Fleming (1928)
with John N) He discovered the penicillin from
Penicillium notatum that destroy
Golden Era several pathogenic bacteria.
 Paul Ehrlich (1854 – 1915)
 Louis Pasteur “Father of Medical Microbio” “Father of Chemotherapy”
Pointed that no growth took place in swan Applied stains to cells and tissue to study
shaped tubes because dust and germs had been their functions.
trapped on the walls. Reported the acid-fast nature of Tubercle
Pasteur in 1897 suggested that mildly heating bacillus.
at 68.2c for 30 mins rather than boiling was Discovered Salvarsan sometimes called as
enough to destroy undesirable organisms “Magic Bullets”, treatment of syphilis.
(Pasteurization). Gave rise to the branch of medicine (chemo).
Invented the process of pasteurization,
fermentation and the development of effective
vaccines (rabies and anthrax).
Coined the term “microbiology”, aerobic and
anaerobic.
Disproved Spont Gen
Demonstrated that anthrax was caused by
bacteria and produced the vaccine for it.
 John Tyndall (1820 – 1893)
Discovered a highly resistant bacterial
structure called endospore.
Prolonged boiling or intermittent heating was
necessary to kill spores (Tyndallisation)
 Robert Koch (1893 – 1910)
“Father of Bacteriology.”
Demonstrated the role of bacteria in causing
disease.
Perfected the technique of isolating bacteria
in pure colony.
Introduced methods of isolating bacteria in
pure culture.
Staining Techniques
Discovered Anthrax Bacillus (1976) Tubercle
bacillus *1882) and Cholera vibrios (1883).

 Fanne Eilshemius Hesse (1850 – 1934)

Rober Kochs assistant who proposed the use of
agar.
 Richard Petri (1887)
Developed the petri dish (plate).