Microbiology Essentials

Microbiology: Definition

• Microbiology is the study of microscopic organisms.

• These organisms cannot be seen with the naked eye.

• A microscope is typically required to view them.

Organisms by cellular organization

• Unicellular: single organisms; examples mentioned include a single bacterium or a single fungus.

• Multicellular: many unicellular organisms living or working together.

• Acellular: not a cell; viruses are the prime example.

Additional context

• Microbes can interact and cooperate in various ways; this topic will be explored with examples later in the course.