1 oh boy! i am soooo excited!. 2 microbiology the study of organisms too small to be seen without...
Post on 20-Dec-2015
213 views
TRANSCRIPT
2
Microbiology
• The study of organisms too small to be seen without magnification (hence the name microorganisms or microbes)– bacteria
– viruses
– fungi
– protozoa
– helminths (worms)
– algae
3
What is unique about microbes?
• Microbes are able to carry out life processes of growth, energy generation, and reproduction in a single cell.
• They have the ability to:– metabolize almost any food (carbon) sources (even some toxic
ones)– withstand unbelievable range of
• temperatures• atmospheric pressure• osmotic pressure• pH
• Most plant and animals exist as multi-cellular organisms.
4
What do microbes do
• Ecology– nutrient production & energy flow– Decomposition– Symbiosis
• Processes significant to humans– production of foods, drugs & vaccines– bioremediation– causing disease– Notes pg 1.4-1.5
• Less than 0.01% of bacteria cause disease. – Most are beneficial to man and all other life forms
5
We literally owe our lives to bacteria – Why?
• Photosynthesis – harnessing the energy from the sun for heterotrophs
• Photosynthesis – released O2 which accumulated allowing aerobic respiration
• O2 was converted to which ozone (O3)resulted in the formation of the ozone layer that protects organisms from UV radiation allowing evolution of terrestrial (land-dwelling) organisms
7
Branches of study within microbiology
• Immunology
• Public health microbiology & epidemiology
• Food, dairy and aquatic microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Genetic engineering & recombinant DNA technology
8
Impact of pathogens
• Nearly 2,000 different microbes cause diseases
• 10 B infections/year worldwide
• 13 M deaths from infections/year worldwide
12
Scientific Method
• Form a hypothesis - a tentative explanation that can be supported or refuted by observation & experimentation
• A lengthy process of experimentation, analysis & testing either supports or refutes the hypothesis.
• Results must be published & repeated by other investigators.