Bacteriology is the branch of microbiology that deals with the study of bacteria. The beginnings of bacteriology paralleled the development of the microscope in the 17th century when Van Leeuwenhoek first observed microorganisms. Modern understanding of bacterial morphology and classification dates back to the work of Ferdinand Cohn in the mid-19th century. Later, researchers like Pasteur and Koch established connections between bacteria and processes like fermentation and disease. Today, bacteriology involves the taxonomy and study of bacteria in various environments and their relationships to hosts and diseases.