Microbiology Basics

Definition: Study of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists
Types of Microorganisms:
- Bacteria: prokaryotic, single-celled, no nucleus
- Viruses: not considered living cells, rely on host cells to replicate
- Fungi: eukaryotic, can be single-celled or multicellular
- Protists: diverse group of eukaryotic microorganisms
Importance of Microbiology:
- Understanding microorganisms' roles in human health and disease
- Development of antibiotics, vaccines, and other treatments
- Microorganisms' impact on environment and ecosystem

Definition: Change in the frequency of alleles in a population over time
Mechanisms of Evolution:
- Natural Selection: survival and reproduction advantages
- Genetic Drift: random events affecting allele frequencies
- Mutation: changes in DNA sequence
- Gene Flow: movement of alleles between populations
Evidence for Evolution:
- Fossil Record: chronological sequence of fossils
- Comparative Anatomy: similarities and homologies between species
- Molecular Biology: DNA and protein sequence comparisons
Types of Evolution:
- Microevolution: changes within a population
- Macroevolution: changes between species

Definition: Study of heredity, genes, and genetic variation
Key Concepts:
- DNA: double helix structure, genes, and genome
- Genotype: genetic makeup of an individual
- Phenotype: physical and behavioral traits expressed
Mendelian Genetics:
- Laws of Inheritance: segregation, independent assortment, and dominance
- Punnett Squares: predicting offspring genotypes and phenotypes
Modern Genetics:
- Chromosomal Genetics: chromosomal structure and behavior
- Molecular Genetics: DNA structure, replication, and expression

Microorganisms are tiny living organisms that can only be seen with a microscope
Microbiology is the study of these microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists
Bacteria are prokaryotic, meaning they have no nucleus, and are single-celled organisms
Viruses are not considered living cells and rely on host cells to replicate
Fungi are eukaryotic, meaning they have a nucleus, and can be single-celled or multicellular
Protists are a diverse group of eukaryotic microorganisms
Microorganisms play a crucial role in human health and disease
Understanding microorganisms is important for developing antibiotics, vaccines, and other treatments
Microorganisms also have a significant impact on the environment and ecosystem

Evolution is the change in the frequency of alleles in a population over time
Natural selection is a key mechanism of evolution, where individuals with survival and reproduction advantages are more likely to pass on their genes
Genetic drift is the random change in allele frequencies that occurs by chance
Mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of an individual
Gene flow is the movement of alleles between populations, which can lead to genetic changes
The fossil record provides a chronological sequence of fossils, showing the history of evolution
Comparative anatomy shows the similarities and homologies between different species
Molecular biology compares the DNA and protein sequences of different species to understand their evolutionary relationships
Microevolution refers to the changes that occur within a population over time
Macroevolution refers to the changes that occur between different species over a longer period of time

Genetics is the study of heredity, genes, and genetic variation
DNA is a double helix molecule that contains genes and makes up the genome
The genotype is the genetic makeup of an individual, while the phenotype is the physical and behavioral traits expressed
Mendelian genetics is the study of how genes are inherited from one generation to the next
The laws of inheritance, including segregation, independent assortment, and dominance, describe how genes are passed down
Punnett squares are a tool used to predict the genotype and phenotype of offspring
Chromosomal genetics studies the structure and behavior of chromosomes
Molecular genetics studies the structure, replication, and expression of DNA