Microbiology is the scientific study of microorganisms (microbes), which are typically microscopic in
size.
Microbiology comprises of numerous sub-disciplines:
Bacteriology(study of bacteria) Virology (study of virus) Parasitology (study of parasites) Mycology (study
of fungi) Immunology(study of immune system) Protistology(study of unicellular eukaryotes)
They include: Unicellular (single-celled) ,Multicellular (consisting of complex cells) ,Acellular (lacking
cells).
Classification of microorganisms Microbes can be divided into two categories: Cellular microbes (or
organisms) Includes: Bacteria, archaea, fungi & protists (algae, protozoa, slime & water moulds).
Acellular microbes (or agents). Includes: viruses, prions & viroids.
Characteristics of Microbes Invisible to the naked eye, visualized using microscope. Simple organisms
that are not highly differentiated.Multicellular microbes are composed of cells that can act
independently. Giant fungus can be chopped into half; the remaining cells will continue to function.
Multicellular microbes are simple in design, composed of branching filaments.
Microbe Size The cellular microbes are measured in micrometers (µm). A typical bacterial cell (e.g. E.
coli) is about 1 µm wide by 4 µm long. A typical protozoal cell (e.g. Paramecium) is about 25 µm wide by
100 µm long. A typical virus (e.g. influenza virus) has a diameter of about 100 nanometers (nm).
History – Contribution of Muslim Scientists Persian scientists hypothesized the existence of
microorganisms.
Avicenna (Ibn Sina) in his book The Canon of Medicine mentioned about diseases & microbes.
Ibn Zuhr (also known as Avenzoar) who discovered scabies mites. Al-Razi who gave the earliest known
description of smallpox in his book The Virtuous Life (al-Hawi).
Jesuit priest - Athanasius Kircher was the first to observe microorganisms.One of the first researchers to
observe microbes through a microscope.Proposed that the plague was caused by an infectious
microorganism and suggested effective measures to prevent its spread
Robert Hooke Used a compound microscope, (microscope with two lenses to observe objects) , Made
detailed drawings of his observations.Published the first drawings of microorganisms. In 1665 he
published a book by the name of Micrographia, with drawing of microbes such as fungi, other organisms
& cell structures.
His microscopes were restricted in their resolution, or clarity
Antony van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) Dutch cloth merchant, who experimented with microscopes.
Constructed a single lens microscope held between two silver plates. Viewed microbes from – pond
water, fecal material, teeth scrapings, etc. Made detailed drawings & notes, sent to Royal Society of
London. He saw both bacteria & a wide variety of protists. Referred as the “Father of Microbiology
How to identify microorganisms? Diagnostic tools :Microbiologists rely on culture, staining, and
microscopy for the isolation and identification of microorganisms. < 1% of the microorganisms present
in common environments can be cultured in isolation.Biotechnology helps use molecular biology tools
such as DNA sequence-based identification. E.g., 16S rRNA gene sequence used for bacterial
identification.
Microbial Groups :Classification of organisms continually changes as we acquire new information and
new tools of assessing the characteristics of an organism. Currently all organisms are grouped into
one of three categories or domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. The Three Domain Classification,
first proposed by Carl Woese in 1970s.It is based on ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences.Widely
accepted as the most accurate portrayal of organisms.
• Bacteria: Most of the members are: Unicellular ,Cells lack a nucleus or any other
organelle,Most members have a cell wall with a particular substance known as peptidoglycan
( only in bacteria!)They have 70S ribosomes All bacteria are microbes
• Archaea is a new domain, previously grouped with bacteria. Mostly unicellular, cells lack a
nucleus or any other organelle, they have 70S ribosomes, and all Archaea are microbes. Their
cell wall is completely different can vary markedly in composition (lack peptidoglycan; has
pseudomurien ).rRNA sequences show they are not closely related to Bacteria
• Eukarya (Eukaryotes) Includes many non-microbes, such as animals and plants.Microbes
include fungi, protists, slime molds, and water molds. Eukaryotic cell type has a nucleus,
organelles, such as mitochondria or an endoplasmic reticulum. They have 80S
ribosomes.Commonly found as unicellular or multicellular.
• Viruses Lack ribosomes and therefore lack rRNA sequences for comparison. They are classified
separately, using characteristics specific to viruses. Viruses are typically described as “obligate
intracellular parasites,” a reference to their strict requirement for a host cell in order to
replicate or increase in number. These acellular entities cause disease, a result of their cell
invasion.
