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24 views10 pages

1 - B Intrduction

Uploaded by

Sheryl Lafuente
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Medical microbiology

CLS 212
Introduction
• What is microbiology?
the branch of biology that studies microorganisms and their effects on
humans

• Microorganisms
a collection of organisms that share the characteristic of being visible only
with a microscope

• contribute to the quality of human life


o maintain the balance of chemical elements in nature
o breakdown the remains of all that die
o recycle carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus and other elements

• some cause infectious disease called Pathogenic


o overwhelm body systems by sheer force of numbers
o produce powerful toxins that interfere with body physiology
o viruses inflict damage by replicating themselves within tissue cells
causing tissue degeneration
Classification of Microorganisms
• Taxonomy - the science of classification
• Kingdom (5 major divisions)
• Phylum (groups of related Classes)
• Class (groups of related Orders)
• Order (groups of related Families)
• Family (groups of related Genera)
• Genus (groups of related Species)
• Species (living organisms that are alike)

• The Five Kingdoms


1. Monera (unicellular prokaryotes: bacteria,
cyanobacteria, blue-green algae)
2. Protista (unicellular eukaryotes: protozoa,
unicellular algae, slime molds)
3. Fungi (multicellular eukaryotes: molds, mushrooms, yeasts)
4. Plantae (multicellular eukaryotes: plants)
5. Animalia (multicellular eukaryotes: animals)

• Species
• a population of individuals that breed among themselves
• microorganisms that are 70% similar from a biochemical standpoint
Classification of Microorganisms
Microorganisms and all other living organisms are classified as
Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes. They are distinguished on the
basis of their cellular characteristics.
• Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes
􀂃 enclosed by cell (plasma) membranes
􀂃 use DNA for genetic information

• Prokaryotes
􀂃 lack a nucleus
􀂃 lack organelles
􀂃 include bacteria and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae)

• Eukaryotes
􀂃 have a nucleus
􀂃 have organelles
􀂃 include fungi, protozoa and simple algae
• Viruses
􀂃 are neither Prokaryotes or Eukaryotes
􀂃 lack the characteristics of living things
􀂃 are able to replicate only in their host (living cells)
Historical Background
• mid 1600s – English scientist Robert Hooke viewed cells and
observed strands of fungi
• 1670s – Dutch merchant Anton van Leeuwenhook made a
simple one-lens microscope and observed and provided
accurate descriptions of protozoa, fungi and bacteria

• 1750-1760 – Carolus Linnaeus classified all known plants and


animals and set down rules for classification
• 1875-1900 – The Golden Age of Microbiology
Historical Theories
• The Theory of Spontaneous Generation
a long-held theory that life springs up from non-living or decaying organic
matter, was based on observations of rotting food seemingly producing
living organisms. Francesco Redi (1626-1678) was an Italian physician who
showed that rotting meat carefully kept from flies will not spontaneously
produce maggots.

• The germ theory


1861: Louis Pasteur's
famous experiments with
swan-necked flasks finally
proved that microorganisms
do not arise by spontaneous
generation
• This led to: Development
of sterilization
Historical Theories
• Koch’s postulates
1890s: Robert Koch sets guidelines for how to prove that a
particular microbial agent is responsible for a particular
disease. Koch's postulates state that:
• The suspect microorganism must be routinely isolated
from patients with a particular illness;
• The microorganism must be grown in pure culture in
vitro;
• When the pure culture is inoculated into a new host, it
must cause the same illness;
• The same microorganisms must be reisolated from new
host.

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