introduction , history and scope of microbiology

1. Presented by
Dr. Avinanda Biswas
Tutor of Microbiology
D Y Patil Medical College
and Hospital
Introduction and History of
Microbiology

2. Content
⚫Introduction of Microbiology
⚫History

3. Introduction
⚫ Microbiology-
 Micro- Small living organisms
 Bios-life
 Logos- Study
⚫ Microbiology is a branch of biology that deals with the study of
micro-organisms which are usually invisible to naked eye.
⚫ Micro-organisms/microbe- organisms with a diameter upto 0.1
mm or less than 0.1 mm are designed as micro-
organisms/microbe.
⚫ The term microbiology was introduced by Louis Pasteur

4. Continue…
⚫At present 6 major groups are included under
microorganims i.e bacteria, fungi, viruses,
protozoa, algae and parasites. Therefore they are
studied under the following branches of
microbiology:
1. The study of Bacteria – Bacteriology
2. The study of Virus – Virology
3. The study of fungi – Mycology
4. The study of parasites ; it has two arms –
I) Protozoology – The study of protozoa
ii) Helminthology – The study of helminths
5. The study of immune system – Immunology

5. Medical Microbiology is the study of
Microorganims (bacteria , viruses, fungi ,
protozoa and helminthis) and infectious
protein particles (prions) that infect humans ,
the diseases they cause , and the diagnosis,
prevention and treatment of such diseases .It
alsodeals with the response of the human
host to microbes and their antigens.
What is Medical
Microbiology ?

6. History
⚫History of microbiology is divided into 3 stages:
1) Discovery stage
2) Transition stage
3) Modern microbiology

7. 1) Discovery stage:
• In this period microbial world was explored with discovery of
m.o
 Aristotle- describe living and non living organisms and their
differentiation
 Roger Bacon (13th century)- describe that disease caused by
living organisms
 Fracastorius (1546)- describe that communicable diseases
caused by living agents known as germs
 Robert Hooke (1665)- first report on cell structure
 Antony van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723)- was first person
who used a microscope of his own design for to observe
microbes
 He discovered m.o in 1675 and named bacteria and protozoa
as animalcules
 He has provided full description of bacteria that’s why he was
known as founders of microbiology

9. 2) Transition stage
⚫ Francesco Redi (1626-1697)-
 He showed that maggots would not arise from decaying meat,
when it is covered
⚫ John Needham (1713-1781)-
 He supposed that tiny organisms arose spontaneously on the
mutton gravy
 He covered the flasks with cork as done by Redi, still the
microbes appeared on mutton broth.
⚫ Lazzaro spallanzai (1729-1799)-
 He demonstrated that air carried germs to the culture medium.
 He showed that boiled broth would not give to microscopic
forms of life.
⚫ John Tyndall (1820-1893)-
 He describe how eliminate or kill m.o by tyndallization process.
⚫ Augustino Bassi-
 He demonstrated that a silk worm disease called muscardine was
due to fungal infection

10. 3) Modern microbiology
⚫ The actual development of microbiology came with Louis
Pasteur, Robert Koch, Lord Lister, Alexander Flemming and Paul
Ehrlich , Edward Jenner .
⚫ Louis Pasteur:
⚫ He is the father of medical microbiology because he has coined
the terms microbiology, aerobic, anaerobic.
⚫ Pasture in 1897 suggested that mild heating at 62.8 C for 30 min
was more effective than boiling to destroy the pathogenic org.
this method is known as pasteurization.
⚫ He invent fermentation process and development of effective
vaccines against rabies and anthrax.
⚫ He introduced attenuated live vaccine for prophylactic use.

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⚫ Lord Joseph Lister (1827-1912)-
 He is the father of antiseptic surgery
 He concluded that wound infections are due to m.o
 He also devised a method to destroy m.o in the operation theatre by
spraying a fine mist of carbolic acid into the air.
⚫ Robert Koch (1893-1910)-
 He is the father of bacteriology.
 He introduced methods for isolation of pure stains of bacteria.
 He introduced methods of obtaining bacteria in pure culture using
solid media.
 He introduced staining techniques.
 He discovered the antrax bacillus , tubercle bacillus and the cholera
vibrios .

14. Koch‘s Phenomenon
Robert Koch observed that guniapigs already infected with tubercle
bacillus responded with an exaggerated inflammatory response
when injected with the tubercle bacillus or its protein .This
hypersensitivity reaction is called Koch’s phenomenon.

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⚫ Alexander Flemming-
 He discovered worlds first antibiotic substance benzylpenicillin
(penicillin G) from mould penicillium notatum in 1928 that
destroy many pathogenic bacteria.
⚫ Paul Erlich-
 He is the father of Chemotherapy.
 He proposed ‘side chain theory’ of antibody production.
 He discovered salvarsan , an arsenical compound, sometimes
called the ‘magic bullet’ . It was capable of destroying the
spirochaete of syphilis. Later on he discovered ‘neosalvarsan’
and thus created a new brunch of medicine known as
chemotherapy.
 He introduced methods of standardising toxin and antitoxin.

16. Edward Jenner
Developed the smallpox vaccine
from fluid taken from a cowpox
blister and laid the foundation for
protective immunity .

17. Diseases and their origin country
Aids was identified in the USA before it went on
to a global pandemic.
Nipah Virus in Kerala .
Zika virus in South Aamerika .
Mers-cov in the Middle East .
And , most recently , the coronavirus outbreak in
the Wuhan district of China .

18. Thank you