This document provides an overview of the history and key concepts of microbiology. It discusses:
1. The early pioneers of microbiology including Antonie van Leeuwenhoek who first observed microorganisms under a microscope in the 1670s, Louis Pasteur who proved the germ theory of disease in the 1850s, and Robert Koch who established standards for identifying pathogenic bacteria in the 1890s.
2. Major discoveries and advances including Jenner developing the smallpox vaccine in 1796, Lister introducing antiseptic surgery in the 1860s, Fleming discovering penicillin in the 1920s, and Ivanovsky and Beijerinck's experiments in the 1890s which led to the