Microbiology is the study of microorganisms that are too small to be seen with the naked eye and require microscopes. Microorganisms play important roles in disease, commercial applications like producing chemicals and enzymes, and food production including fermentation. Studying microbes can provide insights into cellular structure and function in multicellular organisms. There are various types of microbes including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, algae, viruses, and parasitic worms. Nomenclature systems are used to classify and name microorganisms.

1. Intro to Microbiology Andrew Fergus

2. What is microbiology? The study of Microorganism biology. Microorganisms are organisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Tools like microscopes are essential to observe them. Microbiology is a general science just like Biology. It can encompass microorganism ecology, and much more.

3. Why should we study Microbiology? Disease Commercial Application Food Production Model Species

4. Disease Microorganism are most commonly associated with disease. Many diseases are onset with the interaction of microorganisms and an the host organism's body. Flu, Cold, Gingavitis, etc. “ Gingivitis before and after” from Totoro33 on Wikimedia, December 2010

5. Commercial Application Synthesis of commercial chemicals. Ex: Vitamins, Enzymes, Fermentation products. Food preservation. Pasteurization. Paper mills use several enzymes to create their product. “ InternationalPaper6413” from Pollinator on Wikimedia, February, 2006

6. Food Production Much food production is aided by microorganisms. Ex: Sauerkraut, alcohol, pickles, and bread. Enzymes (synthesized by microbes) can add functionality to foods. Ex: Insulin in food. “ Fotoarchiv Höpfner” from Klaus Höpfner on Wikimedia, April, 2007

7. Model Species Cells in multi-cellular and single-cellular organisms are extremely similar. A further understanding of microbes' structures strengthens and understanding of a multi-cellular organism's cells.

8. What types of microbes are there? Bacteria Archaea Fungi Protozoa Algae Viruses Multi-cellular Parasites

9. Bacteria Common prokaryotic single-cellular organisms.

10. Archaea Prokaryotic single cellular organism that slightly differs from bacteria. They often live in extreme environments.

11. Fungi Single- or multi-cellular eukaryotes that chitinous cell walls. “ Mouldy Clementine” from NotFromUtrecht on Wikimedia, February, 2010

12. Protozoa Single-cellular eukaryotes that are motile via cilia, flagella, or pseudopods.

13. Algae Photosynthetic eukaryotes. “ Phytoplankton Lake Chuzenji” from NEON on Wikimedia, February, 2007

14. Viruses Acellular organisms with a nucleic acid core and protein coat. Infiltrate cells and uses their cellular mechanisms to reproduce. Parasitic, yet non-living. “ Phage injecting its genome into bacterial cell” from Graham Colm on Wikimedia, September, 2008

15. Parasites Helminths. Parasitic flatworms and roundworms. Some stages of life they are microbes, some stages they are not microbes.

16. Brief nomenclature Nomenclature is the system in which scientists use to name organisms. Nomenclature assigns two names to an organism depending on their classifications. The genus (capitalized and italicized) and then the species (italicized). Nomenclature can be based on an organisms structure or appearance. Staphylococcus aureus has the prefix Staphylo-, which describes clustered colonies, and aureus, which means golden in Latin, because Staphylococcus aureus is a gold colored bacterium found in clustered colonies.

17. References Tortora, G. J., Funke, B. R., & Case, C. L. (2010). Chapter 1: The Microbial World and You. Microbiology: an introduction (10 ed., pp. 1-25). San Francisco, CA: Pearson Benjamin Cummings. All photos are public domain unless noted otherwise.