MC-3 MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY
Name: HENIE LOUISE D. HINANAY Date: FEB. 2, 2022 Block: 1- A
Activity No. 1: INTRODUCTION OF MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY
Instruction: Answer the following questions using 2-5 sentences only.
1. Give your own insights about microbiology and parasitology.
Based on my own understanding, microbiology and parasitology centers on the
discussion of small living organisms or most commonly known as microorganisms.
These include various important bacteria, protozoa, and helminths that mostly act as
pathogens causing harm to the human body. In the practice of nursing, this course may
be significantly beneficial in the understanding of certain cases that lower the immune
system and heighten the risk of communicable diseases dealt with in the hospital setting.
This is helpful for nurses as it provides the basic foundation, necessary information, and
studies when handling and taking care of various patient groups. This is especially
important for cases with contagious infections for careful assessment and treatment.
2. Define:
a. Pathogen – A pathogen is generally defined as an organism that causes disease
or illness to a host. These organisms include viruses, bacteria, as well as
unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes which are taxonomically varied. Pathogens
are known to harm all living things that are especially targeted by phages in a
host’s body.
b. Non-Pathogen – Non-pathogens are organisms or other agents that are not
capable of causing disease or illness. Some non-pathogens are beneficial to us,
while some of them have no effect at all.
c. Opportunistic pathogen – According to the medical literature, opportunistic
pathogens (OPs) are organisms that can become harmful as a result of a
disturbance to their host. This is a type of infectious pathogen that is regularly
found in the body but can cause disease if the host's resistance is compromised.
d. Microorganisms – Microorganisms, often known as microbes, are technically
microscopic organisms. These organisms are studied through microbiology.
Microorganisms consist of bacteria, fungi, archaea, or protists. They include
viruses and prions, which are generally classified as non-living.
3. Differentiate between cellular and acellular microbes.
Generally, cellular microbes refer to any microbe composed of cells while acellular
microbes are simply microbes that are not made of cells. Cellular microbes include
bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protists (a little of algae, protozoa, slime molds, and water
molds). This type of microbes can be either unicellular, where one cell makes up the entire
organism, or multicellular, where numerous cells can make up the entire organism.
Acellular organisms, on the other hand, consist of viruses and other infectious agents,
such as prions and viroids. This type of microbes has no typical cell structure and no
enzymatic energy-production system.
4. Describe the earliest known infectious disease.
Leprosy is the earliest known infectious disease recorded by researchers. It was
caused by two leprosy-causing bacteria, including Mycobacterium leprae that have been
traced back to a common bacterial ancestor roughly 10 million years ago, which implies
the infection of prehistoric humans. Mycobacterium leprae bacteria grow very slowly and
may take up to 20 years to develop signs of the infection. This infection is said to affect
the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose (nasal mucosa). The bacteria attack the
nerves, which can become swollen under the skin which can result in paralysis of hands
and feet if left untreated.
5. Describe the major characteristics of the following types of microorganisms:
a. Bacteria – Bacteria are microscopic single-celled organisms that are prokaryotic
in nature. Their DNA (typically circular) is dispersed throughout the cytoplasm
rather than within a membrane-bound nucleus and they usually reproduce through
fission or spore formation. The word bacteria also generally describe its shape as
a "rod" or "staff."
b. Archaea – Archaea are single-celled prokaryotic microorganisms that belong to
the Archaea domain. These microbes are often found in severe environments
where they can thrive. Halophiles (archaea that live in extremely salty settings),
methanogens (archaea that produce methane), and thermophiles are among them
(archaea that thrive in scorching environments).
c. Fungi – Fungus or fungi are a kingdom of generally multicellular eukaryotic
creatures that are heterotrophic (cannot produce their own food) and play essential
roles in ecosystem nutrient cycle. This includes yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews,
molds, and mushrooms. Many fungus-like species, such as slime molds and
oomycetes (water molds), do not belong to the kingdom Fungi yet are commonly
referred to as fungi.
d. Protozoa – Protozoa are a diverse group of creatures, the majority of which are
free-living single-celled eukaryotes. They belong to the Eukarya Domain. Kingdom
Protista and are originally referred to as "animal-like" unicellular forms of life. They
range in size and shape from an amoeba, which may change shape, to
Paramecium, which has a fixed shape and sophisticated structure. They may be
found in a range of wet locations, including fresh water, marine environments, and
the soil.
e. Algae – Algae are photosynthetic, eukaryotic organisms that are classified in the
Kingdom Protista. These organisms come in a variety of sizes, from microscopic
Micromonas species to huge kelps that may exceed 60 meters (200 feet) in length
and may be arranged in colonies or strands. Most algae are found in fresh water
and saltwater, in wet soil, and on wet rocks. Although they are not plants, algae
are known to be more plantlike than protozoa.
f. Virus – Viruses are tiny parasitic organisms that are much smaller than bacteria.
They are unable of surviving and reproducing outside of a host body. These are
commonly known as a basic infectious agent that can only reproduce in live cells
of animals, plants, or microorganisms. It is often described through the phrase
"slimy liquid" or "poison"
6. In 1978, Carl Woese devised a system of classification based on the cellular
organization of organisms. State and describe the three domains of microorganisms.
Woese came up with three primary divisions of living systems also known as, the
three domains of microorganisms – Eukarya, Bacteria, and Archaea. Archaea vary widely
in shape, some are cocci, some are bacilli and others form long filaments which usually
have membranes composed of branched hydrocarbon chains (many also containing
rings within the hydrocarbon chains) attached to glycerol by ether linkages. On the other
hand, Bacteria also known as eubacteria or true bacteria, are prokaryotic cells that are
common in human daily life which contain rRNA that is unique to them as indicated by
the presence of molecular regions distinctly different from the rRNA of the other two
domains. Bacteria and Archaea are both prokaryotes, which are single-celled
microorganisms without nuclei. Lastly, domain Eukarya have eukaryotic cells and they
distinctively possess a true nucleus.
7. Explain infectious diseases and microbial intoxications.
Both infectious diseases and microbial intoxications are health conditions usually
caused and associated with certain pathogens. Infectious diseases often refer to
disorders caused mostly by live bacterial cells, viruses, fungi, or parasites that occur
through the ingestion and growth of a microorganism inside the host which causes
acute sickness and, in extreme cases, death. These diseases can be passed from one
person to another, from insects and other animals, or even through the food and water
that we consume. Microbial intoxications, on the other hand, occurs when a certain toxin-
containing microorganism is ingested and then triggers sickness in the host’s body. These
toxins contained by the microorganism usually affect the cells lining the intestinal wall,
causing vomiting, and diarrhea.
8. List some of the contributions of Van Leeuwenhoek, Louis Pasteur, and Robert Koch.
a. Anthony Van Leeuwenhoek
- 1st to see bacteria and protozoa [field of lenses]
- lens maker and in one of his production he saw microorganisms
B. Louis Pasteur
- Fermentation [eliminating bacteria] Pasteurization
- discovered anaerobes
- discovered infectious agents causing silkworm diseases
- contributed to the germ theory of disease
- championed changes in hospital practices to minimize the spread of by
pathogens
- developed vaccines to prevent chicken cholera, anthrax and swine
erysipelas [skin disease]
C. Robert Koch
- discovered the germ theory of disease [Koch’s postulates]
- Bacillus anthracis produces spores capable of resisting adverse conditions
- developed method of fixing, staining and photographing bacteria
- developed methods of cultivating bacteria on solid media
- discovered mycobacterium tuberculosis and vibrio cholerae
- worked on tuberculin which led to the development of a skin test valuable
in diagnosing tuberculosis
9. Discuss the important discovery during the First, Second, and Third Golden Age of
Microbiology.
The first golden age of microbiology began in 1857, with the work of Louis Pasteur
and Robert Koch making its way for the identification of Pathogens, creation of vaccines,
perfected methodologies, and established foundations that support modern research
today. Pasteurization, penicillin, Koch's postulates, and Gene coding were discovered
during this age. On the other hand, the second golden age of microbiology saw the rise
of the beginnings of molecular biology and chemotherapy, as well as the birth of
molecular genetics. Meanwhile, the third golden age of microbiology centers on
microbiology making significant contributions to the biological sciences and humanity
through biotechnology and the use of microbial agents' natural, as well as genetically
altered capacities to carry out biological processes for industrial, commercial, and
medical purposes. Generally, these three golden ages of microbiology paved way for the
beneficial information and scientific technology that we have in Microbiology today.
10. Discuss two medically related fields of microbiology.
Two medically related fields of microbiology are protozoology and virology.
Protozoology refers to the study about protozoa while Virology refers the study of viruses.
Protozoology focuses not only on their taxonomy and morphological aspects for
classification but also its medical significance. Virology, on the other hand, focuses on
specific aspects such as biochemistry, distribution, molecular biology, as well as the
evolution of viruses which makes it possible to further develop cures to some of the most
serious diseases caused by parasites. Generally, these two medically related fields of
microbiology both center on studying animal and human diseases
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