Microbiology - Week 1/Day 1 - KEY CONCEPTS & Suggested Book Qs Ch 1

What does the field of Microbiology study?

The study of microorganisms and their activities.

Which groups of microbes are prokaryotes? Which are eukaryotes?

Prokaryotes are Bacteria and Archaea. Eukaryotes include Fungi, Protozoa, and Algae. Viruses are acellular.

Compare and contrast the major characteristics of each group of microorganisms.

Bacteria and Archaea are prokaryotic; Fungi, Protozoa, and Algae are eukaryotic; Viruses are acellular and require a host cell to reproduce.

Explain the importance of observations made by Hooke and van Leeuwenhoek.

Hooke observed and named cells in cork. Van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe living microorganisms, helping establish microbiology.

What is spontaneous generation and how was it disproved by Pasteur?

Spontaneous generation was the belief that life could arise from nonliving matter. Pasteur's swan-neck flask experiments showed that microorganisms came from existing microorganisms.

What is the germ theory of disease? What is the importance of Koch's postulates?

Germ theory states that specific microorganisms cause specific diseases. Koch's postulates provided criteria for proving that a specific microbe causes a specific disease.

What lab technique allowed for postulates?

The development of pure culture techniques allowed scientists to isolate and study individual microorganisms.

What is the significance of Jenner's discovery?

Jenner showed that exposure to cowpox could protect against smallpox, leading to the development of vaccination.

What did Pasteur realize is important for successful vaccination?

He discovered that weakened (attenuated) microorganisms could be used to create immunity.

How are microorganisms named? What is binomial nomenclature? What are strains?

Microorganisms are named using genus and species. Binomial nomenclature uses two names: Genus + species. Strains are genetic variations within a species.

What are the three domains of life? Who is responsible for this organization?

Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. Carl Woese developed the three-domain system.

TIMELINE: Make a general timeline of microbiology discoveries and scientists discussed in class. Dates? Within a half century timeframe

1665 Hooke → 1670s van Leeuwenhoek → 1796 Jenner → 1850s–1860s Pasteur → 1870s–1880s Koch → 1928 Fleming → 1950s DNA discoveries → 1970s–present molecular biology and genomics.

What has the field of microbiology focused on more recently?

Molecular biology, genetics, genomics, biotechnology, microbiomes, antibiotic resistance, and emerging diseases.

List ways in which microbes affect our lives (and the planet) - destructive and beneficial.

Destructive: diseases, food spoilage, and plant diseases. Beneficial: decomposition, nutrient cycling, digestion, food production, medicine, and environmental processes.

Why is our Microbiota so important?

Microbiota help with digestion, produce vitamins and metabolites, protect against pathogens, and support the immune system.

Define infectious disease, pathogen, and parasite.

Infectious disease = disease caused by an infectious agent. Pathogen = an organism that causes disease. Parasite = an organism that lives on or in a host and benefits at the host's expense.