Welcome to Microbiology

prepared by :
Dr.Mohammed Almaziny
– ( BI 104 )
2020-2021
 Chapter 1
The Microbial World and You
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You
What is Microbiology?

The branch of biology which dealing

with the study of microorganisms, or
microbes( a diverse group of minute,
simple life forms that include bacteria,
archaea, algae, fungi, protozoa, and
viruses). The field is also concerned
with the structure, function, and
classification of such organisms and
with ways of both exploiting and
controlling their activities.
Microbes, or microorganisms are very
small living things that are usually can
not be seen with the naked eye.

Most of them are harmless (99%),

but some are pathogenic (1%)
microorganisms which can affect
human, animals, plants and other
microorganisms.

“Germ” refers to a rapidly growing

cell.
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

Advantages of microbes ?

Microbes have many important and beneficia

Biological functions
- Decompose organic waste.
(recycle nutrient)
- Producer in the ecosystem
(algae, and some bacteria)
capture the energy from sun light
and convert it to food, forming the
basis of food chain
(photosynthesis)
-
-Food industry: Produce fermented foods
such as vinegar, cheese, yogurt and bread.
- Other industries: Produce industrial
chemicals such as ethyl alcohol and acetone.
-Nitrogen fixation: some bacteria can take
the nitrogen from air and incorporate it
into soil.

- Medicine and medical research: many

antibiotic and other drugs are naturally
synthesized by microbes )penicillin made
by molds).
-Digestion:
-Humans and animals are have
microorganisms in their digestive tract that
are essential for digestion, and overall
health

* Therefore, microbes are essential

for life in the earth.
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

The importance of study the microbiology

The study of microbiology provide us

with:
- To understand how they affect our
lives and how we can exploit them.
- Knowledge of Microbes allows humans
to prevent microbial disease and
food spoilage.
- Led to aseptic techniques to prevent
contamination in medicine, food
industry and in the microbiology
laboratories
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You
Example of microorganisms
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology
Ancestors of bacteria were the first life on Earth.
History of Microbiology

The early Greeks believed that living things

could originate from nonliving matter
(abiogenesis)
(the goddess Gea could create life from
stones).

Aristotle discarded this notion, but he still

held that animals could arise spontaneously
from dissimilar organisms or from soil. (
spontaneous generation)

This concept was still felt as late as the 17th

century, but toward the end of that century a
several observations, experiments, and
History of Microbiology

In 1665, Robert Hooke (Englishman)

reported that living things were composed
of little boxes or cells using a microscope
(was the first to use a microscope to observe
living things).
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723)
(Dutch)
Microbiology essentially began with the
development of the microscope. Although
others may have seen microbes before him,
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723) was
one of the first people to observe
microorganisms (1675) , using a microscope
of his own design.
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

-Description of protozoa,
basic types of bacteria,
yeasts, and algae.

- observed and described

live microorganisms in teeth
scrapings, rain water,
peppercorn infusions and
faces as Animalcules.
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

So now there are two hypotheses:

The hypothesis that living organisms arise
from nonliving matter is called spontaneous
generation. According to spontaneous
generation, a “vital force’ Forms life.

The Alternative hypothesis, that the living

organisms arise from preexisting life, is
called biogenesis.
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You
History of Microbiology

Francesco Redi (1626-1697) (Italian)

Performed an experiment to disprove spontaneous
generation.

He showed that the maggots would not arise from

decaying meat, when it is covered.

- He set up an experiment to disprove spontaneous generati

of maggots. Filled 2 jars with decaying meat, sealed one and
left the other open (only the open jar developed maggots).
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

Another experiment was set up in which a jar was

covered with a fine mesh instead of being sealed so
that fresh air could enter the jar again, only the
open jar developed maggots) Proved that the flies
had to come in contact with the meat and lay their
eggs on it, maggots did not arise spontaneously.

Can you think of an experiment that could

disprove spontaneous generation?
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

Redi filled six jars with decaying meat.

Conditions Results
3 jars covered with No maggots
fine net
3 open jars Maggots appeared

From where did the maggots come?

What was the purpose of the sealed jars?
Spontaneous generation or biogenesis?
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You
History of Microbiology

1861: Louis Pasteur (Father of medical bacteriology)

demonstrated that microorganisms are

present in the air.

Conditions Results
Nutrient broth placed Microbial growth
in flask, heated, not
sealed
Nutrient broth placed No microbial growth
in flask, heated, then
sealed
Spontaneous generation or biogenesis?
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology
Next experiment, Pasteur’s S-shaped flask kept
microbes out but let air in. These experiments
form the basis of aseptic technique
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

The Golden Age of Microbiology

1857-1914

Beginning with Pasteur’s work, discoveries

included the relationship between microbes
and disease, immunity, and antimicrobial
drugs
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

Pasteur showed that microbes are

responsible for fermentation.
Fermentation is the conversion of sugar to
alcohol to make beer and wine.
Microbial growth is also responsible for
spoilage of food.
Bacteria that use alcohol and produce acetic
acid spoil wine by turning it to vinegar (acetic
acid).
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

Pasteur demonstrated that

these spoilage bacteria
could be killed by heat
(62.8 c) that was not hot
enough to evaporate the
alcohol in wine. This
application of a high heat
for a short time (30 mins) is
called pasteurization.
 Contribution of Louis
Pasteur
• He coined the term “ Microbiology”
• He disproved the Spontaneous generation Theory
• He demonstrated that anthrax was caused by
bacteria.

• He invented the process of pasteurization and

fermentation.

. The development of effective vaccine

(rabies and anthrax)
• Pasteur works along with subsequent
observations by Lister, Koch and others established
the germ theory of disease
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

The Germ Theory of Disease

1835: Agostino Bassi showed a silkworm
disease was caused by a fungus.
1865: Pasteur believed that another silkworm
disease was caused by a protozoan.
1840s: Ignaz Semmelwise Advocated
washing hands to stop the spread of
disease.
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

The Germ Theory of Disease

• 1860s: Joseph Lister used a chemical
disinfectant to prevent surgical wound
infections after looking at Pasteur’s work
showing microbes are in the air, can spoil
food, and cause animal diseases.
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology
The Germ Theory of Disease
1876: Robert Koch provided proof that a
bacterium causes anthrax and provided the
experimental steps, Koch’s postulates, used
to prove that a specific microbe causes a
specific disease.
Koch was a physician and Pasteur’s young
rival
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

Koch's Postulates
are used to
prove the cause
of an infectious
disease.
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

Koch's Postulates
are a sequence
of experimental
steps to relate a
specific microbe
to a specific
disease.
1892 Dmitri Iosifovich Ivanovski :
Discovered viruses
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

A young milkmaid informed the physician

Edward Jenner that she could not get
smallpox because she had already been
sick from cowpox.
1796: Edward Jenner inoculated a person
with cowpox virus. The person was then
protected from smallpox.
Called vaccination from vacca for cow
The protection is called immunity
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

What can you say about the cowpox and

smallpox viruses?
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology
Vaccinations
produced from avirulent microbial strains
produced from live viruses
produced from viral particles
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

Chemotherapy – treatment with chemicals

• Chemotherapeutic agents used to treat
infectious disease can be synthetic drugs
or antibiotics.
• Antibiotics are chemicals produced by
bacteria and fungi that inhibit or kill other
microbes.
• Quinine from tree bark was long used to
treat malaria.
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology

Chemotherapy – treatment with chemicals

• 1910: Paul Ehrlich developed a synthetic
arsenic drug, salvarsan, to treat syphilis.
• 1930s: Sulfonamides were synthesized.
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

History of Microbiology
1928: Alexander Fleming
discovered the first
antibiotic.
He observed that
Penicillium fungus made
an antibiotic, penicillin,
that killed
Staphylococcus aureus.
1940s: Penicillin was tested
clinically and mass
produced.
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

Modern Developments
• Bacteriology is the study of bacteria.
• Mycology is the study of fungi.
• Parasitology is the study of protozoa and
parasitic worms.
• Recent advances in genomics, the study of
an organism’s genes, have provided new
tools for classifying microorganisms.
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

Classification of Microbes
Taxonomy
• The science of classifying organisms
• Provides universal names for organisms
• Provides a reference for identifying
organisms
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

Classification of Microbes
Taxonomy
• Systematics or phylogeny
• The study of the evolutionary history
of organisms
• All Species Inventory (2001-2025)
• To identify all species of life on Earth
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

Classification of Microbes
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Domain Binomal
Nomenclature uses
Kingdom
the Genus and
Phylum Species name to
Class identify each
creature.
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Chapter 1 The Microbial World and You

Classification of Microbes
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Each name is Latinized
There is a specific way to write each name.
Homo sapiens
The first word is capitalized

Name is in italics

Homo sapiens
H. sapiens