Microbio 4000 Chapter 1 Key Concepts

What does the field of microbiology study?

Research on biochemistry, physiology, cell biology, ecology, evolution, clinical aspects of microbes and host response to these agents.

Prokaryotic Microbes

Bacteria, archea

Eukaryotic Microbes

Protozoa, Alage, Fungi, Helminths

Robert Hooke

Coined term “cell” and built first compound microscope to observe nematodes, cork, and mold

Anton van Leeuwenhoek

Observed smaller organisms and bacteria with a stonger single-lens microscope. “Father of micropbiology”

Spontaneous generation

The idea that a mixture of nonliving medium can spontaneously generate life. It was disproved by Pasteur using an S-neck flask and bioling a growth medium to kill all microbes.

Germ theory

Specific diseases are ccaused by specific microscopic “germs” (microbes).

Koch’s postulates

Scientific criteria (method0 developed by Robert Koch used to determine if a specific organism causes a specific disease

What lab techniques were adopted from Koch’s postulates

Aseptic technique, disinfection, and sanitation

What did Edward Jenner discover

Variolation, using cowpox he could infect patients to decrease the risk from smallpox.

What did Pasteur realize is important for a successful vaccination

The use of attenuated viruses resulted in less severe symptoms of the disease, this was called vaccination

Theory of immunity

Humans make compounds called antibodies to fight pathogens

How are microbes named

Genus + species + strain

What are the 3 domains of life

Bacteria, Archea, and Eukarya. Carl Woese is responsibl for this

What has the field of microbiology focused on more recently

Human microbiome, antimicrobial resistance, environmental and climate biology, host-microbe interactions, genomics.

How do microbes affect our lives and the planet

Benefit: Antibiotics, carbon fixation and O2 generation, primary producers, filter water and the environment, help our immun system, help with digestion, endosymbiotants, fermentation.

Nonbenefit: Pathogens, prions,