Microorganisms and Microbiology

Chapter 1

Chapter outline

1.1 What is a microbe?1.2 The importance of Microbiology1.3 Microbes in our lives1.4 The history of microbiology1.5 Important events in the development of microbiology

Concepts

• Microorganisms are responsible for many of the changes observed in organic and inorganic matter (e.g., fermentation and the carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycles that occurred in nature.

• The development of microbiology as a scientific discipline has depended on the availability of the microscope and the ability to isolate and grow pure cultures of microorganisms.

• Microbiology is a large discipline, which has a great impact on other areas of biology and general human welfare

The word microbe (microorganism) is used to describe an organism that is so small that can not be seen without the use of a microscope. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and some algae are all included in this category.

1.1 What is a microbe?

Our world is populated by invisible creatures too small to be seen with the unaided eye. These life forms, the microbes or microorganisms, may be seen only by magnifying their image with a microscope.

Microbial world

Organisms (living)

Infectious agents (non-living)

Prokaryotes (unicellular)

eukaryotes viruses viroids prions

Eubacteria Archaea Algae (unicellular or multicellular)

Fungi (unicellular or multicellular)

Protozoa (unicellular)

Other (multicellular organisms)

Most of the bacteria, protozoa, and fungi are single-celled microorganisms, and even the multicelled microbes do not have a great range of cell types. Viruses are not even cells, just genetic material surrounded by a protein coat and incapable of independent existence.

The size and cell type of microbes

Microbe Approximate range of sizes

Cell type

Viruses 0.01-0.25µm Acellular

Bacteria 0.1-10µm Prokaryote

Fungi 2µm->1m Eukaryote

Protozoa 2-1000µm Eukaryote

Algae 1µm-several meters Eukaryote

The size and cell type of microbes

Microbes impinge on all aspects of life, just a few of these are listed below:

The environment Medicine Food

Biotechnology Research

1.2 The importance of microbiology

• The environment

• Medicine

• Food

• Biotechnology

• Research

Press here to continue

Microbes are responsible for the geochemical cycles. They are found in association with plants in symbiotic relationships. Some microbes are devastating plant pathogens, but others may act as biological control agents against diseases.

The disease-causing ability of some microbes is well known. However, microorganisms have also provided us with the means of their control in the form of antibiotics and other medically important drugs.

Microbes have been used to produce food, from brewing and wine making, through cheese production and bread making, to the manufacture of soy sauce. But microbes are also responsible for food spoilage.

Traditionally microbes have been used to synthesize important chemicals. The advent of genetic engineering techniques has led to the cloning of polypeptides into microbes.

Microbes have been used as model organisms for the investigation of biochemical and genetical processes. Millions of copies of the same single cell can be produced very quickly and give plenty of homogeneous experimental material. Most people have no ethical objections to experiments with these microorganisms.

1.3 Microbes in our lives

• Microorganisms as Disease Agents

• Microorganisms and Agriculture

• Microorganisms and the Food Industry

• Microorganisms, Energy, and the Environment

• Microorganisms and the Future

Branches of Microbiology

Bacteriology

Protozoology

Parasitology

Microbial Morphology

Mycology

Virology

Phycology or Algology

Microbial physiology

Microbial taxonomy

Microbial genetics

Molecular biology

Microbial ecology

The future of microbiology is brightThe future of microbiology is bright

Microbiology is one of the most rewarding of professions, because it gives its practitioners the opportunity to be in contact with all the other natural science and thus to contribute in many different ways to the betterment of human life.

1.4 The history of microbiology

In the field of observation, chance favors only prepared minds.

------ Louis Pasteur

In the field of observation, chance favors only prepared minds.

------ Louis Pasteur

The discovery of microorganisms

The spontaneous generation conflict

The recognition of microbial role in disease

The discovery of microbial effects on organic and inorganic matter

The development of microbiology in this century

The discovery of microorganisms

The first person to accurately observe and describe microorganisms

Antony van Leeuwenhock (1632-1723)

The first person to observe and describe microorganisms was the amateur microscopist Antony van leeuwenhoek of Delft, Holland.

The first person to observe and describe microorganisms was the amateur microscopist Antony van leeuwenhoek of Delft, Holland.

Leeuwenhock made his simple, single-lens microscope which could amplify the object being viewed 50 – 300 times. Between 1673-1723, he wrote a series of letters to the Royal Society of London describing the microbes he observed from the samples of rainwater, and humam mouth.

Leeuwenhoek’s drawings of bacteria from the human mouth.

A drawing of one of the microscopes showing the lens a; mounting pin b; and focusing screws c and d.

lensObject being viewed

adjustingscrews

Pasteur’s contributions:

Louis Pasteur working in his laboratory

Louis Pasteur (1822 – 1895)

• Pasteur (1857) demonstrated that lactic acid fermentation is due to the activity of micro-organisms

• Pasteur (1861) conflict over spontaneous generation – birth of microbiology as a science

• Pasteur (1881) developed anthrax vaccine

• Pasteurization

Spontaneous generation – that living organisms could develop from nonliving or decomposing matter.

The spontaneous generation conflict

Pasteur’s swan neck flasks used in his experiments on the spontaneous generation of microorganisms

Conclusion:Microorganisms are not spontaneously generated from inanimate matter, but are produced by other microorganisms

Robert Koch in his laboratory

The recognition of microbial role in disease

Robert Koch (1843 – 1910)

Koch’s demonstration of special organisms cause

special diseases

Koch’s demonstration of special organisms cause

special diseases

Koch’s postulates Koch’s

postulates• The microorganisms must be present in every case of the disease but absent from healthy organisms.

• The suspected microorganisms must be isolated and grown in a pure culture.

• The disease must result when the isolated microorganisms is inoculated into a healthy host.

• The same microorganisms must be isolated again from the diseased host

The Golden age of microbiology

• Koch and pure cultures

• Fermentation and Pasteurization• Germ theory of disease

• Vaccination

The discovery of microbial effects on organic and inorganic matter

• The Russian microbiologist Winograsky discovered that soil bacteria could oxidize iron, sulfur and ammonia to obtain energy, and also isolated nitrogen–fixing bacteria.

• Beijerinck made fundamental contributions to microbial ecology. He isolated Azotobacter and Rhizobium.

Alexander Fleming (1881-1955)

Sir Alexander Fleming discovered the antibiotic penicillin. He had the insight to recognize the significance of the inhibition of bacterial growth in the vicinity of a fungal contaminant.

Date Microbiological History1676 Leeuwenhoek discovers "animalcules"1857 Pasteur shows that lactic acid fermentation is due to a microorganism1861 Pasteur shows that microorganisms do not arise by spontaneous generation1867 Lister publishes his work on antiseptic surgery1869 Miescher discovers nucleic acids1876-1877 Koch demonstrates that anthrax is caused by Bacillus anthracis1880 Laveran discovers Plasmodium, the cause of malaria1881 Koch cultures bacteria on gelatin Pasteur develops anthrax vaccine

1.5 Important events in the development of microbiology

1884 Koch's postulates first published Metchnikoff describes phagocytosis Gram stain developed1887 Petri dish (plate) developed by Richard Petri1889 Beijerinck isolates root nodule bacteria1899 Beijerinck proves that a virus particle causes the tobacco mosaic disease1921 Fleming discovers lysozyme1923 First edition of Bergey's Manual1928 Griffith discovers bacterial transformation1929 Fleming discovers penicillin1933 Ruska develops first transmission electron microscope

1935 Stanley crystallizes the tobacco mosaic virus

1944 Avery shows that DNA carries information during transformation Waksman discovers streptomycin Watson and Crick propose the double helix structure for DNA1961-1966 Cohen et al use plasmid vectors to clone genes in bacteria1980 Development of the scanning tunneling microscope1983-1984 The polymerase chain reaction developed by Mullis1990 First human gene-therapy testing begun1997 Discovery of Thiomargarita namibiensis, the largest known bacterium Escherichia coli genome sequenced2000 Discovery that Vibrio cholerae has two separate chromosomes

1.How did Pasteur's famous experiment defeat the theory of spontaneous generation?

2.How can Koch's postulates prove cause and effect in a disease?

3.Who was the first person to use solid culture media in microbiology? What advantages do solid media offer for the culture of microorganisms?

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

4.What is the enrichment culture technique and why was it a useful new method in microbiology?

5.When and how Alexander Fleming discovered antibiotics?

1. Pasteur's experiments on spontaneous generation were of enormous importance for the advance of microbiology, having an impact on the methodology of microbiology, ideas on (he origin of life, and the preservation of food,to name just a few. Explain briefly how the impact of his experiments was felt on each of the topics listed.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

2. Describe the various lines of proof Robert Koch used to definitively associate the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis with the disease tuberculosis. How would his proof have been flawed if any of the tools he developed for studying bacterial diseases had not been available for his study of tuberculosis?

Ronald M.Atlas Clifford Renk Principles of Microbiology.

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周德庆 2002. 微生物学教程 第二版。高等教育出版社。李阜棣 胡正嘉 . 2000 微生物学。 第五版。中国农业出版社 。赵斌 何绍江 . 2002 微生物学实验。科学出版社。Johnson.case. Laboratory Experiments in Microbiology.John P.Harley Lansing M.Prescott Microbiology 3th Edition.

Lansing, M. Prescott ;John, P. Harley; and Donald, A. Klein . 2002. Microbiology, 5th ed. McGraw-Hill .Gerard J. Tortora ; Bardell R. Funke ; Christine L. 1998. Case. Microbiology An Introduction , 6th . Benjamin/Cummings.

Michael, T. Madigan; John, M. Martinko; and Jack, Parker. 2003. Brock Biology of Microorganisms , 10th . Prentice-Hall.

References: