Chapter 1: The Main Themes of Microbiology

Microbiology: is the study of organisms too small to be seem without magnification .

Microorganisms includes:

• bacteria
  
• viruses
  
• fungi
  
• protozoa
  
• algae
  
• helminthes (worms)
  

What benefits do Microbes Provide?

 
 

Ecological Roles:

 
 

Photosynthesis	Bacteria/algae
Decomposition	Fungus/bacteria
Nitrogen fixation	Bacteria
Bioremediation

 
 

Commercial Products:

 
 

1. Cheese, yogurt, alcohol, bread, mushrooms
   
2. Antibiotics, produce by living organism to kill other bacterias
   
3. Make up, detergent, paint
   

    
    

Health Roles:

 
 

Normal Flora (microbiola), protects us from opportunistic bacteria

Vitamin K E. coli

digestion

 
 

Note: the bacteria take the Nitrogen from the atmosphere that why we get N into our body

Example: If there are an oil spill in the ocean scientist put micros that can eat oil to clean up oceans

 
 

Characteristics of Microbes

 
 

Prokaryotes:

• Bacteria and Achaea (extreme bacteria) live in extreme environment as volcano
  
• Single cell or unicellular lack of nuclei and organelles
  
• 
  Have DNA (chromosome) but it's not package in the nucleus
  

   
   

Eukaryotes:

• Protozoa, Algae, Fungi
  
• Multicellular have nuclei and organelle
  
• Chromosome are inside the nuclei
  

   
   

Viruses:

 
 

• Acellullar, parasitic particles (non living)
  
• Composed of nuclei acid and protein
  
• No cell structure
  
• Have to be in a host cell to reproduce
  

   
   

There are two types	Virus that infect you
	Virus that infect bacteria

 
 

Microbial Dimensions

 
 

Bacteria are measured in micrometers = um (0.2 to 100 um)

Virus are measured in nanometers =nm (10- 100 nm)

 
 

Taxonomy and nomenclature

 
 

• Carl von Linne (Linnaeus, 1700's) plant or animal
  
• Taxonomic hierarchy based on similar traits:
  
  • Kingdom Family
    
  • Phylum Genus
    
  • Class Species
    
  • Order
    
• Binomial nomenclature: genus + species
  

  Genus and species italicized/ underlined
  

  Species only can be abbreviated after first use:
  

Genus	Species
Escherichia	coli
Emtanoeba	coli