Introduction to Microbiology

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 Microbiology is the study of microorganisms
usually less than 1mm in diameter which
requires some form of magnification to be
seen clearly
 Examples:
 Viruses
 Bacteria
 Fungi
 Algae
 Protozoans
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 Some organisms studies by microbiologists
CAN be visualized without the aid of
amplification [bread molds (fungus) and
filamentous algae]

 These organisms are included in the discipline of

microbiology because of similarities in properties
and techniques used to study them

Microbiology for Health students

 Microbiology considers the microscopic forms of
life and
it deals about their
 reproduction, physiology, and
 participation in the process of nature,
 helpful and harmful relationship with other living
things, and
 significance in science and industry.

Microbiology for Health students

 Microbiology interested in specific types of
organisms:
 Virology - viruses
 Bacteriology - bacteria
 Phycology or Algology - algae
 Mycology - fungi
 Protozoology- protozoa

Microbiology for Health students

 Microbiologists may have a more applied
focus:
 Medical microbiology, including
immunology
 Food and dairy microbiology
 Public health microbiology
 Industrial microbiology
 Agricultural microbiology

Microbiology for Health students

 Microbiologists may be interested in various
characteristics or activities of microorganisms:
 Microbial morphology
 Microbial cytology
 Microbial physiology
 Microbial ecology
 Microbial genetics and molecular biology
 Microbial taxonomy

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 Historical Perspectives
Early Discoveries
History of Microbiology
 Man kind has always been affected by diseases
which were originally believed to be visitations
by the gods and meant to punish evil doers.

 Hippocratus, father of medicine, observed that

ill health resulted due to changes in air, winds,
water, climate, food, nature of soil and habits of
people.

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Varro (117-126 BC)
 theory that disease was caused by
animated particles invisible to naked eye
but which were carried in the air through
the mouth and nose into the body.

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 Fracastorius (1500 G.C.)
 proposed that the agents of communicable
disease were living germs, that could be
transmitted by direct contact with humans and
animals, and indirectly by objects ;
 but no proof because of lacking experimental
evidence.
 Antony Van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723 G.C.),
father of Microbiology, observed “animalcules”
using simple microscope with one lens.

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 He was the first who properly described the
different shapes of bacteria.

 Although he was not concerned about the origin

of micro-organism;
 many other scientists were searching for an
explanation for spontaneous appearance of living
things from
 decaying meat,
 stagnating ponds,
 fermenting grain and
 infected wounds.
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On the bases of this observation, two major
theories were formulated.
 Theory of Abiogenesis
 Theory of Biogenesis

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 Theory of Abiogenesis deals with the theory
of spontaneous generation;
 stating that living things originated from non-
living things.

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 Spontaneous Generation
 The belief that life could originate from non-
living or decomposing matter

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 Supported by:
 Aristotle (322-384 BC) –The founder of a
theory spontaneous generation.
 He observed spontaneous existence of fishes
from dried ponds, when the pond was filled
with rain.
 Francisco Redi
 Performed experiments that disproved
theory of Spontaneous
 Utilized jars containing meat. Some were
covered, some were not.
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• Maggots appeared in uncovered jars.
• Results not accepted for microscopic organisms.
John Needham (1713-1781) ; Performed experiments
similar to Redi’s on the origion of life in microscopic
organisms
• Introduced the first culture medium for microbial
growth.
• Utilized infusion broth prepared by boiling meat, grain,
etc. to extract nutrients.
• Turbidity indicated growth.
• Broth put in flasks, some were sealed with corks, and
some were not.
• All flasks became cloudy, result different from Redi’s
experiment

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 Lazarro Spallanzani (1729-1799) Repeated
Needham’s experiments to disproof
spontaneous generation in microscopic life.
 • Boiled broth after placing in flasks.
 • Sealed flasks by plugging with solid stopper.
 • Results more consistent with Redi’s. No
growth in sealed flask after boiling
 – Not accepted by spontaneous generation
supporters, because they said that heating may
have destroyed, degraded “vital
 force” and air was not allowed to enter.

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 Louis Pasteur (1822 - 1895)
 trapped airborne organisms in cotton;
 he also heated the necks of flasks, drawing them
out into long curves, sterilized the media, and
left the flasks open to the air;
 no growth was observed because dust particles
carrying organisms did not reach the medium,
instead they were trapped in the neck of the
flask; if the necks were broken, dust would settle
and the organisms would grow; in this way
Pasteur disproved the theory of spontaneous
generation and supported germ theory
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illustration of the Swan-necked bottle
used in Pasteur's experiments to
disprove spontaneous generation

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 Theory of Biogenesis states that life comes
from pre-existing life.
 Louis Pasteur (1822-1895 GC) was the
scientist who disproved the theory of
abiogenesis.

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Major contribution of Louis Pasteur
 Microbial theory of fermentation
 Principles and practice of sterilization and
pasteurization
 Control of diseases of silk worms
 Development of vaccines against anthrax and
rabies.
 Discovery of streptococci

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 The germ theory of disease
 The complete establishment of the germ
theory of disease depended on the work of
Robert Koch (1843-1910).

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 Robert Koch established that microbes can
cause disease
 Robert Koch (1843 - 1910),
 using criteria he established the
relationship between Bacillus anthracis and
anthrax;
 his criteria became known as Koch’s
Postulates and are still used to establish the
link between a particular microorganism
and a particular disease:

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Koch’s Postulates

 The causative (etiological) agent must be

present in all affected organisms but
absent in healthy individuals
 The agent must be capable of being
isolated and cultured in pure form
 When the cultured agent is introduced to
a healthy organism, the same disease
must occur
 The same causative agent must be
isolated again from the affected host
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 Now a days additional postulate is mentioned
i.e.
 Specific antibody to the bacterium should be
detectable in the serum during the course of
the disease.

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 Exceptions to Koch’s postulates
 Many healthy people carry pathogens but do
not exhibit symptoms of the disease.
 Some microbes are very difficult or impossible
to grow in vitro(in the laboratory) in artificial
media. Eg. Treponema pallidum
 Many species are species specific. Eg. Brucella
abortus cause abortion in animals but no report
in humans.
 Certain diseases develop only when an
opportunistic pathogen invades
immunocompromised host.

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Major achievements of Robert Koch
1. Discovery and use of solid medium in
bacteriology
2. Discovery of causative agents of tuberculosis and
cholera
3. Koch’s postulate

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THE MICROBIAL WORLD
 TAXONOMY is the science of organisimal
classification.
 Classification is the assignment of organisms
(species) into an organised scheme of naming

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Binomial nomenclature

 Organisms are named using binomial

nomenclature ( viruses are exceptions)
  Genus comes before species (e.g.,
Escherichia coli)
 Genus name is always capitalized (e.g.,
Escherichia)
 Species name is never capitalized (e.g., coli)

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 Both names are always either italicized or
underlined ( e.g Escherichia coli )
 The genus name may be used alone, but not
the species name (i.e saying or writing
“Escherichia “ alone is legitimate while saying
or writing “ coli” is not)

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Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic cells
• Prokaryotic cell
(Pro -means primitive)
( Karyote - means nucleus)
 Prokaryotic cells are less complex cells. Which posses
naked
(unbound) DNA with out associated basic proteins, they
divide
by binary fission, are bounded by a semi rigid cell wall.
 The prokaryotic cells include bacteria and cyanobacteria
(blue green algae.)

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• Eukaryotic cells.
(Eu- means true,
(Karyote- means nucleus)
 The Eukaryotic cell is more complex, has
membrane bound
nucleus, and many organells.
 Eukaryotic cells include protozoa, fungi, algae,
(green, brown
and red algae) and plant and animal cells.

Microbiology for Health students

• Viruses: composed of only a few genes protected by a
protein coat, a few enzymes and little other material and
depend on the energy and metabolic machinery of the host
cell to live and reproduce.
• There fore, because they are not truly viable cells, they are
usually, placed in a completely separate category and are
not classified with the simple prokaryotic cells.

Microbiology for Health students