Microbiology: An introduction

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Chapter 1

• Microbiology An introduction

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• What are some things that we know about the
  history of microbiology and infectious diseases?
• How are things similar or different today?

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• Invention of the microscope to genomics
• Sequencing of the genome of different organisms
• Molecular biology
• Different infectious diseases
• Early 1900s, pneumonia, TB and gastroenteritis
  were the leading causes of death
• Bubonic plague, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Measles,
  Small Pox, Polio
• SARS, Anthrax, Lyme disease, AIDS, Syphillis

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How are bacteria different from other organisms?

• The ability of microorganisms to exist
  independently in nature
• Other organisms cannot live an independent
  existence
• They need interactions with their environment
• In general, microorganisms are too small to be
  seen with the naked eye

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What is microbiology?

• Benefits and negative features of microbes
• Infectious diseases
• Microbes as cells
• How microbes live
• History
• Modern microbiology

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What are microbes?

• Mostly single cell organisms
• How do we study something too small to be seen?
• Molecular strategies DNA, RNA and protein
• Cannot study a single cell look at populations
• Biochemistry to study physiology
• Microscope for morphology

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Different types of microorganisms

• Bacteria (Bacteriology)
• Archae
• Fungi (Mycology)
• Protozoa (Parasitology)
• Algae (Phycology)
• Viruses (Virology)
• Helminths (Parasitology)

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Bacteria will be the first organism that we
study different sizes and shapes

• Cocci Spheres
• Bacilli Rods
• Spirochettes Curved or spiral

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Bacteria often appear in aggregates

• Pairs
• Chains
• Tetrads
• Clusters
• Microscopic appearance is valuable in
  classification and diagnosis

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Bacteria Also different staining patterns
Gram vs. gram -
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Bacteria differ in many ways

• Shape
• Chemical composition staining patterns
• Nutritional requirements
• Biochemical activities
• Sources of energy
• Sunlight or chemical compounds
• (look at handout)

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Importance of microorganisms

• Most microorganisms are not harmful
• Normal flora
• Very rarely harmful, mostly they help us
• Compete with the harmful biota we come in contact
  with
• For women, treat urinary infections with
  antibiotics
• May then develop a yeast infection

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Importance of microorganisms

• Agriculture
• Energy/environment
• Disease
• Food
• Biotechnology

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• Nitrogen fixing bacteria produce usable nitrogen
  for plants to use for growth
• In cattle and sheep, microorganisms carry out the
  digestion of cellulose

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Microorganisms are important in energy production

• Natural gas (methane) is a product of bacterial
  activity
• Waste materials can be converted to biofuels by
  microorganisms
• Microorganisms can detoxify unwanted wastes in
  the environment

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E. Coli is an important microorganism for genetic
engineering
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Microorganisms can have both positive and
negative effects on food

• Food can become contaminated by microorganisms
• Food spoilage and diseases
• Food can benefit from microoganisms
• Cheese
• Yogurt

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Cells fundamental unit of living matter

• What is life?

• Metabolism
• Reproduction
• Differentiation
• Communication
• Movement
• Evolution

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Are viruses alive?
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How do microorganisms exist?

• Microorganisms exist in nature in populations
  that interact with other populations in microbial
  communities.
• Most of the biomass on Earth is microbial.

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Heirarchal organization

• Individual cell
• Make up tissues in a multicellular organism
• In a unicellular organism, the cell is the entire
  organism
• Population
• Interacting group of individuals of one species
• Community
• All the organisms inhabiting an ecosystem
• Ecosystem
• All the organisms living within a particular area
  and the nonliving, physical components of the
  environment in which the organisms interact

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Individual cell
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Microbial ecology

• Population
• A group of related cells derived from a parent
  cell
• Microbial community
• Many different populations of microorganisms
• occupying the same habitat
• Ecosystem
• Communities of organisms and their natural
  environment

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How to best study microorganisms

• Pure culture
• A population of cells that all come from a single
  cell
• Broth or agar
• Laboratory population
• Need proper nutrient media and environmental
  conditions