MICROBIOLOGY

 

MICROBIOLOGY

DEFINITION:

Microbiology is the study of unicellular or cell-cluster organisms and infectious agents that are too small to be seen with the naked eye. Eukaryotes (organisms with a nucleus), such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes (organisms without a nucleus), such as bacteria, are included in this category.

EXPLANATION:

The study of microbes has provided fundamental insight into how a cell functions. Microbiology, on the other hand, is an applied science that aids agriculture, health and medicine, environmental preservation, and the biotechnology business. Microbiologists investigate bacteria at three levels: community level (ecology and epidemiology), cell level (cell biology and physiology), and protein and gene level (molecular biology).

Microorganisms play a critical role in our daily lives. Some are responsible for a large number of diseases that harm not only humans but also plants and animals, while others are critical for the preservation and modification of our ecosystem. Others are used in the manufacturing of food, beverages, and antibiotics, and their distinctive qualities have been harnessed. Scientists have also discovered ways to use microorganisms in the field of molecular biology, which has a huge impact on both the industrial and medical sectors. Immunology, the study of the body's ability to mount defenses against infectious germs, is included in microbiology.

Because microbiology is defined as the study of organisms that are not visible to the human eye, we can call Antony van Leeuwenhoek, a late-17th-century Dutch scientist, the discipline's founder. Leeuwenhoek was the first to characterize small cells and germs, and he developed new procedures for grinding and polishing microscope lenses that allowed for curvatures of up to 270 diameters, the best available magnification at the time. While Van Leeuwenhoek is credited with being the first microbiologist, the earliest documented microbiological observation – mold fruiting structures — was made by English physicist Robert Hooke in 1665.

Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch, who are considered the founders of medical microbiology, are two more prominent figures in science history who produced fundamental discoveries about microbes. Pasteur is most known for a series of experiments that disproved the commonly believed hypothesis of spontaneous generation at the time, firmly establishing microbiology's status as a biological discipline. Pasteur also developed food preservation technologies (pasteurization) and vaccinations for diseases like anthrax, chicken cholera, and rabies. Koch is most recognized for his contributions to the germ theory of illness, which demonstrated that certain diseases are caused by certain pathogenic microbes. Koch's postulates are a set of criteria that he developed.

Koch was one of the first scientists to concentrate on the separation of bacteria in pure culture, which led to the discovery of several new bacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the tuberculosis causative agent.

Finally, some of the most significant discoveries affecting public health occurred in the twentieth century, including Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin, which sparked a race to discover another natural, and eventually synthetic, antibiotics; the development of critical vaccines, such as those for polio and yellow fever; and the birth of molecular biology, which began in the 1940s with the study of bacteria.

MICROBIOLOGY SUBDISCIPLINES

Bacteriology

Bacterial science is the study of bacteria.

Microbiology of the Environment

The function and diversity of microorganisms in their natural settings are studied in this field.

Microbiology in Evolution

Microbiology is the study of the evolution of microorganisms.

Microbiology of Food

Microorganisms that cause food spoilage, as well as those involved in the production of foods like cheese and beer, are studied in this field.

Microbiology in Industry

The employment of microorganisms in industrial processes such as industrial fermentation and wastewater treatment is referred to as this. This field is strongly associated with the biotechnology business.

Microbiology in Medicine (or Clinical Microbiology)

The role of bacteria in human sickness is investigated in this field. It is connected to the study of disease pathology and immunology and encompasses the study of microbial pathogenesis and epidemiology.

Genetics of Microorganisms

This is the research into how genes in microorganisms are structured and controlled in connection to their biological functions. The field of molecular biology is strongly tied to this subdiscipline.

Physiology of Microbes

This is the study of how the biochemistry of a microbial cell works. The study of microbial growth, microbial metabolism, and microbial cell structure are all included.

Mycology

The study of fungi is known as mycology.

Microbiology in Veterinary Medicine

In veterinary medicine, this is the study of the role of microorganisms.

Virology

The study of viruses is known as virology.