Microbiology Overview and Applications

Microbiology Overview

• Microbiology is the study of organisms too small to be seen without magnification.
• Microorganisms include Bacteria, Viruses, Fungi, Protozoa, Helminths, Algae, and Prions.
• Microscopes were essential in the development of microbiology.
• Branches of microbiology include Immunology, Public health microbiology and epidemiology, Food, dairy and aquatic microbiology, Biotechnology, and Genetic engineering and recombinant DNA technology.
• Microbiology involves manipulating genes.

Microbial Roles and Applications

• Microbes are important in nutrient production, energy flow, decomposition, and food/drug/vaccine production.
• Biotechnology utilizes microbes for various applications, genetic engineering, and bioremediation.
• Microbes cause infectious diseases.

Microbial Classification

• Microorganisms are classified into cellular and non-cellular categories.
• Cellular microorganisms can be prokaryotic (lacking a true nucleus) or eukaryotic (possessing a true nucleus)
• Prokaryotes: Include bacteria, archaea, and blue-green algae.
• Eukaryotes: Include algae (excluding blue-green algae), fungi, and protozoa.
• Non-cellular microorganisms: Include viruses, viroids, and prions.

Taxonomic Groups

• Bacteria: Prokaryotic, unicellular organisms.
• Archaea: Prokaryotic, unicellular organisms inhabiting extreme environments.
• Algae: Eukaryotic organisms, performing photosynthesis.
• Fungi: Eukaryotic, could be unicellular or multicellular.
• Protozoa: Eukaryotic, unicellular organisms.
• Viruses: Non-cellular, seen only through electron microscopy, composed of nucleic acid and protein coat.
• Viroids: Non-cellular, plant pathogens composed of RNA, cannot produce proteins.
• Virusoids: Similar to viroids, primarily plant pathogens.
• Prions: Non-cellular, infectious proteins.

Bacterial Life Cycle

• Bacteria exist primarily in the vegetative form—a metabolically active, growing, multiplying, and infectious phase.
• Under unfavorable environmental conditions, bacteria can form endospores.
• Spores are a dormant, highly resistant resting phase.
• Under favorable conditions, spores revert to the vegetative form through germination.