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Chapter 1 - 3

This document provides an outline of key topics in microbiology and parasitology. It defines microbiology as the study of microbes, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists and viruses. It notes that most microbes are nonpathogenic, while some live naturally in our bodies and a few can opportunistically cause disease. Pathogenic microbes cause infectious diseases and microbial intoxications. The document discusses the importance of microbes in processes like photosynthesis, decomposition, bioremediation and nutrient cycles. It also outlines early microbes on Earth and some of the earliest known infectious diseases in humans.

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JASMINE VERGA
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164 views3 pages

Chapter 1 - 3

This document provides an outline of key topics in microbiology and parasitology. It defines microbiology as the study of microbes, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists and viruses. It notes that most microbes are nonpathogenic, while some live naturally in our bodies and a few can opportunistically cause disease. Pathogenic microbes cause infectious diseases and microbial intoxications. The document discusses the importance of microbes in processes like photosynthesis, decomposition, bioremediation and nutrient cycles. It also outlines early microbes on Earth and some of the earliest known infectious diseases in humans.

Uploaded by

JASMINE VERGA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MICROBIOLOGY & PARASITOLOGY

 Microbes that do not cause disease are


called nonpathogens; most microbes
Chapter 1 Outline:
are nonpathogens.
 Introduction  Microbes that live on and in our bodies
 What is Microbiology are referred to as our indigenous
 Why study Microbiology microbiota.
 First Microorganisms on Earth  Some members of our indigenous
 Earliest Known Infectious Diseases microbiota are opportunistic
 Pioneers in the Science of Microbiology pathogens.
 Careers in Microbiology  Opportunistic pathogens are microbes
that can cause, but usually do not; they
can be thought of as microbes that are
What is Microbiology? awaiting the opportunity to cause
disease.
 Pathogens cause two categories of
diseases: infectious diseases and
microbial intoxications.

Acellular and Cellular Microbes

 Biology is the study of living organisms.


 Microbiology is an advanced biology
course.
 Microbiology is the study of microbes,
which are extremely small (microscopic)
living organism and certain entities.
 Living microbes are known as cellular
microbes; examples include bacteria,
archaea, some algae, protozoa, and
some fungi. Categories of Disease Caused by Pathogens
 Nonliving microbes are known as
acellular microbes or infectious
particles; examples include viroid,
prions, and viruses.
 Microbes are ubiquitous examples; they
are found virtually everywhere
 The microbes that cause disease are
sometimes referred to as germs.
 The scientific term for disease-causing
microbes is pathogens.
MICROBIOLOGY & PARASITOLOGY
 In genetic engineering, a gene from one
organism is inserted into a bacterial or
Examples of Infectious Disease:
yeast cell; the cell that receives the new
- MRSA infections gene is then capable of producing the
- Gas gangrene gene products coded by the new gene.
 The use of living organisms of their
Examples of Microbial Disease:
derivatives to make or modify usefuul
- Staphylococcal food poisoning products or processes is called
- Foodborne botulism biotechnology.

Why study Microbiology? Microbes as Saprophytes

 Microbes play significant roles in our


lives; they are essential for life on this
planet.
 Photosynthesis algae and bacteria (such
as cyanobacteria) produce much of the
oxygen in our atmosphere.
 Microogranism are involved in the
decomposition of daed organisms and
waste products.
 Saprophytes are organism that live on
dead and/or decaying organic matter.
 The use of microbes to clean up toxic
wastes and other industrial waste
products is known as bioremediation.
 Many microbes play essential role in
various elemental cycles, such as
carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and
phosphorus cycles.
 Algae and bacteria serve as food for tiny
animals; they are important links in
food chain.
 Microbes that live in intestinal tracts of
animals aid in the digestion of food and
produce benefial substances. Microbes and Nitrogen Fixation
 For many years, microogranisms have
First Microogranisms on Earth
been used as “cell models”; the more
the scientist learned about microbial  Fossils of primative microorganism date
cells, the more they learned about cells back about 3.5 billion years.
in general.  Candidates for the first microogranism
 Microbes are used in many industries, on Earth are archaea and
such as food, beverage, chemical, and cyanobacteria.
antibiotic industries and in genetic  Infectious diseases of humans and
engineering. animals have existed for as long as
MICROBIOLOGY & PARASITOLOGY
humans and animals have inhabited the
planet.
 Earliest known amout of pestilence
occurred in Egypt in about 3180 BC.

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