This document provides an overview of key concepts in microbiology. It discusses [1] the study of microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa, [2] the branches of microbiology including immunology and food/water microbiology, [3] the impact of microbes including their role in nutrient production and disease, and [4] pioneers like Antonie van Leeuwenhoek who first observed microbes under a microscope and Louis Pasteur who disproved spontaneous generation.

1. PowerPoint to accompany
Foundations in Microbiology
Fifth Edition
Talaro
Chapter
1
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2. Microbiology
• The study of of organisms too small to be
seen without magnification
– bacteria
– viruses
– fungi
– protozoa
– helminths (worms)
– algae
2

3. Branches of study within
microbiology
• Immunology
• Public health microbiology & epidemiology
• Food, dairy and aquatic microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Genetic engineering & recombinant DNA
technology
3

4. Microbes are involved in
• nutrient production & energy flow
• decomposition
• production of foods, drugs & vaccines
• bioremediation
• causing disease
4

5. Impact of pathogens
• Nearly 2,000 different microbes cause
diseases
• 10 B infections/year worldwide
• 13 M deaths from infections/year worldwide
5

6. 6

7. Characteristics of microbes
7

8. 8

9. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
• First to observe living
microbes
• his single-lens
magnified up to 300X
(1632-1723) 9

10. 10

11. Scientific Method
• Form a hypothesis - a tentative explanation
that can be supported or refuted by
observation & experimentation
• A lengthy process of experimentation,
analysis & testing either supports or refutes
the hypothesis.
• Results must be published & repeated by
other investigators.
11

12. • If hypothesis is supported by a growing
body of evidence & survives rigorous
scrutiny, it moves to the next level of
confidence - it becomes a theory
• Evidence of a theory is so compelling that
the next level of confidence is reached - it
becomes a Law or principle
12

13. Spontaneous generation
Early belief that some forms of life
could arise from vital forces present in
nonliving or decomposing matter.
(flies from manure, etc)

14. Louis Pasteur
• Showed microbes caused
fermentation & spoilage
• Disproved spontaneous
generation of m.o.
• Developed aseptic
techniques.
• Developed a rabies vaccine.
(1822-1895) 14

15. Germ theory of disease
Many diseases are caused by the growth
of microbes in the body and not by sins,
bad character, or poverty, etc.

16. Robert Koch
• Established a sequence of
experimental steps to
show that a specific m.o.
causes a particular
disease.
• Developed pure culture
methods.
• Identified cause of
anthrax, TB, & cholera.
(1843-1910) 16

17. Taxonomy - system for organizing,
classifying & naming living things
• Domain - Archaea, Bacteria &
Eukarya
• Kingdom - 5
• Phylum or Division
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Genus
• species
17

18. 3 domains
• Eubacteria -true bacteria, peptidoglycan
• Archaea –odd bacteria that live in extreme
environments, high salt, heat, etc
• Eukarya- have a nucleus, & organelles
18

19. 19

20. Naming micoorganisms
• Binomial (scientific) nomenclature
• Gives each microbe 2 names
– Genus - noun, always capitalized
– species - adjective, lowercase
• Both italicized or underlined
– Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)
– Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis)
– Escherichia coli (E. coli)
20

21. Evolution- living things change
gradually over millions of years
• Changes favoring survival are retained &
less beneficial changes are lost.
• All new species originate from preexisting
species.
• Closely related organism have similar
features because they evolved from
common ancestral forms.
• Evolution usually progresses toward greater
complexity. 21

22. 22