Microbiology

Dr S. Brown
 Microbiology
A Glimpse of History

⚫ Microbiology as a science
was born in 1674 when
Antony van Leeuwenhoek
(1632-1723), a Dutch
drapery merchant peered
at a drop of lake water
through a glass lens he
created.
 Microbiology
A Glimpse of History

⚫ He referred to the
microorganisms as
animalcules, having
roundish or oval shapes

⚫ He also observed that

they were motile
⚫ He was the first person
to see bacteria
 Microbiology
A Glimpse of History

⚫ In 1665 Robert Hooke,

an English microscopist
described the fruiting
structure of molds
 Microbiology
A Glimpse of History

⚫ He was the first person

to describe a
microorganism.
⚫ He published a
description of a
microfungus which he
called a
‘microscopical
mushroom”
Microbiology

⚫ Microorganisms are the foundation of all life

on earth
⚫ It has been said that the 20th century was the
age of physics
⚫ Now we say the 21st century is the age of
biology, biotechnology, with microbiology as
the most important branch
 Microbiology
The Origin of Microorganisms

⚫ Planet Earth is approximately 4.6 billion

years old.

⚫ The first evidence for microbial life can be

found in rocks about 3.86 billion years old.

⚫ In these rocks microbial formations known as

stromatolites are abundant
Microbiology
The Origin of Microorganisms

⚫ Stromatolites are
fossilized microbial
mats consisting of
layers of
filamentous
prokaryotes and
trapped sediment
Microbiology
The Origin of Microorganisms

⚫ By comparing ancient stromatolites with

modern stromatolites,

⚫ it has been concluded that filamentous

phototrophic bacteria,

⚫ perhaps relatives of the green nonsulfur

bacterium Chloroflexus, formed ancient
stromatolites.
Microbiology
The Origin of Microorganisms
Microbiology
The Origin of Microorganisms

⚫ For more information on the origin of

microorganism read Chapter 11 of Brock 11th
edition

Or
Chapter 14, section 14.1-14.4 Brock 12th
edition
Microbiology

⚫ Microorganisms have an enormous impact

on the lives of all living organism
⚫ Microorganisms and other infectious agents
have killed more people than have ever been
killed in war
⚫ However without microorganisms life as we
know it would not exist on earth
Microbiology

⚫ Microorganisms are responsible for

continually recycling the O2 and N2 that living
beings require
⚫ Microbiology encompasses the study of
many diverse organisms
⚫ These include bacteria, viruses, protozoa,
algae, fungi and some multicellular parasites
Microbiology

⚫ There is tremendous biodiversity in the

microbial world

⚫ They are extremely diverse in their

appearance, metabolism, physiology and
genetics
Microbiology

⚫ Microorganisms represent the most forms of

life on earth in terms of weight or biomass
⚫ They are also the oldest and therefore have
had the longest time to evolve
⚫ The true contribution and biological role of
microorganisms is underestimated because
less than 1% of the total number can be
studied in the laboratory
 Applications of Microbiology
Food Production

⚫ Egyptians as early as
2100 B.C used yeast to
make bread.

⚫ Today bakeries use

essentially the same
technology
 Applications of Microbiology
Food Production

⚫ Egyptians as early as
1500 B.C fermented
cereal grain to produce
beer
⚫ Today brewers use
essentially the same
fundamental techniques
to make beers and other
fermented drinks
 Applications of Microbiology
Food Production

⚫ Technology has been

developed to ferment
milk using microbes to
produce foods:

⚫ Yogurt, cheese and

butter milk
 Applications of Microbiology
Food Production

⚫ Today the bacteria

added to some
fermented milk
products are being
touted by nutritionists
as protecting against
intestinal infections
and bowel cancer

⚫ The field of probiotics

⚫ (activia)
Applications of Microbiology
Bioremediation

⚫ Bacteria are being used to destroy

dangerous pollutants such as :
⚫ PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)
⚫ DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)
⚫ Trichloroethylene (toxic solvent used in dry
cleaning)
⚫ Degradation of oil and radioactive waste
Applications of Microbiology
Useful products produced by bacteria

Some products can be synthesized faster and

cheaper using bacteria eg:
⚫ Cellulose used in stereo headsets
⚫ Hydroxybutyric acid used in the manufacture
of disposable diapers and plastics
⚫ Antibiotics
⚫ Aminoacids used as dietary supplements
Applications of Microbiology
Genetic engineering

⚫ Production of medically important products

such as :
⚫ Insulin
⚫ Human growth hormone
⚫ Blood clotting factors
⚫ Enzymes that dissolve blood clots
Applications of Microbiology
Genetic engineering

⚫ Microbes have been modified to produce

vaccines against:
⚫ Rabies
⚫ Gonorrhea
⚫ Herpes
⚫ Malaria
⚫ Hepatitis
⚫ HPV
Applications of Microbiology
Genetic Engineering

⚫ A bacterium can be used to genetically

engineer plants that are resistant to insect
attacks and viral diseases
⚫ Viruses are being studied as a means of
delivering genes into humans to correct
conditions such a cystic fibrosis, heart
disease and cancer (Gene Therapy)
 Applications of Microbiology
Medical Microbiology

⚫ More Americans died of influenza in 1918-

1919 than were killed in World War I, World
War II. The Korean War and Vietnam
combined

⚫ Modern sanitation, vaccination, and effective

antibiotic treatments have reduced the
incidence of some of the worst diseases
 Applications of Microbiology
Medical Microbiology

⚫ Respiratory infection and diarrheal diseases

cause most illness and death today:
⚫ Legionnaires’ disease
⚫ AIDS
⚫ Mad cow disease (Bovine spongiform
encephalopathy)
⚫ West Nile disease
⚫ SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)
 Applications of Microbiology
Microbe host interaction

⚫ All surfaces of the human body are

populated with bacteria
⚫ Most protect the body against disease
⚫ Approximately 500-1000 species of bacteria
reside within the human body
⚫ Bacteria also process foodstuffs in the
intestine that the body cannot digest
 Applications of Microbiology
Microorganisms as subjects for study

⚫ Model organisms for study

⚫ This is because they display the same
fundamental metabolic and genetic
properties found in higher forms of life

⚫ Most of the major advances that have been

made in the last century towards
understanding life have come through the
study of microorganisms
⚫
 Basic science subdisciplines in
Microbiology

⚫ Microbial systematics
⚫ Microbial Ecology (soil, marine, aquatic)
⚫ Microbial physiology(nutrients for metabolism/growth)
⚫ Microbial Biochemistry
⚫ Bacterial Genetics
⚫ Molecular Biology (arose to a great extent
from the study of bacterial genetics)
 Applications of Microbiology
Basic science subdisciplines in
Microbiology

⚫ Molecular Microbiology
⚫ Genomics
⚫ Proteomics
⚫ Metabolomics
⚫ Virology
⚫ Study of Bacteriophages
 The Microbial World

⚫ All living organisms can be classified into one

of three major groups called domains.
⚫ Organisms in each domain share properties
of their cells that distinguish them from
members of other domains
⚫ Many properties however, are shared among
members of different domains and the three
domains may have a common ancester
 The Microbial World

⚫ The three domains are :

⚫ Bacteria
⚫ Archaea
⚫ Eucarya (algae, fungi, protozoa)
 The Microbial World
Nomenclature

⚫ The Binomial system of Nomenclature is

used
⚫ The first word is the genus, with the first
letter always capitalized
⚫ The second is the species name, which is
not capitalized.
⚫ Both words are italicized or underlined
 The Microbial World
Nomenclature

⚫ Example:
⚫ Escherichia coli
⚫ Genus: Escherichia
⚫ The genus name is commonly abbreviated,
with the first letter capitalized: i.e E. coli
 The Microbial World
Nomenclature

⚫ A number of different species are included in

the same genus
⚫ Members of the same species amy vary from
one another in minor ways
⚫ But not enough to give the organism a
different species name
⚫ However they may be given different strain
designations
⚫ Eg E. coli strain B or E.coli strain K12
 The Microbial World
A New Golden Age

⚫ Very little is known about the prokayotic

members
⚫ Less than 1% of prokaryotes have been
studied
⚫ 1/100 prokaryote can be cultured
⚫ Genomics is part of the new revolution in
microbiology
⚫ The biodiversity of the microbial world is
astounding
 The Microbial World
A New Golden Age

⚫ Extreme environments are being mined for

their biodiversity

⚫ New biotechnology products may be found

⚫ 100 years ago we were in the Golden Age of

medical microbiology
 The Microbial World
A New Golden Age

⚫ Now we are entering the age of microbial

biodiversity !!

⚫ Hence the need to understand Microbial

Taxonomy and phylogeny