Chapter 1 Germ Theory, Microbiology and Medicine

Robert Hooke

Credited with coining the term 'cell' and developing the first compound microscope.

Anton van Leeuwenhoek

Known as the 'Father of Microbiology', he made about 500 simple microscopes and could magnify specimens from 32× to 266×.

Sepsis

A life-threatening condition caused by the body's response to an infection, potentially leading to septic shock and death.

Florence Nightingale

Reformed battlefield medicine by improving sanitation and hygiene, significantly reducing infection rates during the Crimean War.

Puerperal fever

High maternal mortality disease blamed by Semmelweis on poor hand hygiene among doctors.

Cholera

An infectious disease caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacterium, famously studied by John Snow during the 1854 epidemic in Soho, London.

Hospitalism

A term used by Sir James Young Simpson to describe the negative effects of hospitals on patient health outcomes.

Gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum

A form of blindness in newborns, prevented by treatments developed by Carl Crede to address transmission during delivery.

Antisepsis

A surgical practice introduced by Joseph Lister involving the use of chemicals to prevent infection in surgical wounds.

Micrographia

A work by Robert Hooke that inspired Anton van Leeuwenhoek to become an amateur microbiologist.

Louis Pasteur

A French chemist and microbiologist known for his discoveries of pasteurization and vaccines for rabies and anthrax.

Edward Jenner

Developed the first successful smallpox vaccine, pioneering the field of immunology.

Ignaz Semmelweis

A Hungarian physician who introduced handwashing to prevent puerperal fever among mothers in hospitals.

John Snow

A British physician regarded as one of the founders of modern epidemiology for tracing the origin of a cholera outbreak in London.

Robert Koch

A German physician who developed techniques for isolating bacteria and identified the causative agents of tuberculosis and anthrax.

Vaccine

A biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease.

Infection control

Procedures and practices that prevent the spread of infections in healthcare settings.

Antibiotics

Medicinal drugs used to treat bacterial infections by killing bacteria or inhibiting their growth.

Pathogen

An organism that causes disease, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites.

Epidemiology

The study of how diseases affect the health and illness of populations.

Bacteria

Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent organisms or as parasites.

Fungi

A group of microorganisms, including yeasts and molds, that can cause infections and diseases.

Virus

A microscopic agent that can infect living organisms and replicate only within the host's cells.

Immunization

The process by which a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, often through vaccination.

Hygiene

Practices that promote health and prevent the spread of diseases, including cleanliness and sanitation.

Nosocomial infection

Infections acquired in a hospital or healthcare facility, often due to inadequate infection control.

Quarantine

A restriction on the movement of people, animals, or goods to prevent the spread of disease.

Contagion

The transmission of disease from one person or organism to another, often through direct or indirect contact.

Pathophysiology

The study of the disordered physiological processes associated with disease or injury.

Public health

The science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities through education and policy.

Hand hygiene

The act of cleaning hands to prevent the spread of pathogens and infections.

Vector-borne diseases

Diseases transmitted by vectors, such as mosquitoes and ticks, including malaria and Lyme disease.

Zoonotic diseases

Diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans, such as rabies and influenza.

Epidemic

A sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected.

Outbreak investigation

A systematic method to identify the source and cause of a disease outbreak.

Public health surveillance

The ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health-related data.

Microbial resistance

The ability of microbes to resist the effects of medications that once successfully treated them.

Global health

The health of populations in a global context and transcends the perspectives and concerns of individual nations.

Health education

The process of educating individuals about health to promote healthy behaviors and prevent disease.

Social determinants of health

Conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, affecting their health outcomes.