"Microbiology is the scientific study of microorganisms, those being of unicellular (single-celled), multicellular (consisting of complex cells), or acellular (lacking cells)." - "Microbiology (from Ancient Greek μῑκρος (mīkros) 'small', βίος (bíos) 'life', and -λογία (-logía) 'study of') is the scientific study of microorganisms..."
The study of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Cell Structure and Function: Basic understanding of the structure and function of cells, including prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
Microbial Classification: Understanding the different kingdoms and phyla of microorganisms.
Microbial Growth and Nutrition: Understanding the requirements for microbial growth, including nutrient sources and environmental conditions.
Microbial Metabolism: Understanding the pathways of metabolism and how it helps microorganisms grow and survive.
Microbial Genetics: Understanding the genetic makeup of microorganisms, including DNA replication, transcription, and translation.
Microbial Gene Regulation: Understanding the mechanisms by which microorganisms control gene expression.
Antibiotics and Antimicrobials: Understanding the use and action of antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents.
Immunology: Understanding the immune system and host-pathogen interactions.
Pathogenesis: Understanding the mechanisms, symptoms, and treatments of infectious diseases caused by microorganisms.
Microbial Ecology: Understanding the ways in which microorganisms interact with each other and their environments.
Biotechnology: Understanding the various ways in which microorganisms can be used for industrial, medical, and agricultural applications.
Food Microbiology: Understanding how microorganisms affect the safety and preservation of food products.
Environmental Microbiology: Understanding the role of microorganisms in natural environments, including biogeochemical cycles and the breakdown of pollutants.
Microbial Diversity: Understanding the vast array of different microorganisms and their roles in various ecosystems.
Microscopy: Understanding the different types of microscopy and their applications in microbiology research.
Bioinformatics: Understanding the computational tools and techniques used for analyzing microbial data and genomes.
Microbial Control: Understanding the methods for controlling and preventing the spread of infectious microorganisms.
Microbial Evolution: Understanding how microorganisms evolve and adapt to changing environments.
Microbial Biogeochemistry: Understanding the role of microorganisms in cycling nutrients in the environment.
Microbial Biophysics: Understanding the physical and chemical properties of microorganisms and their interactions with their environments.
Medical microbiology: This type of Microbiology deals with the study of microorganisms that cause diseases in humans, and the techniques to prevent and cure them.
Agricultural microbiology: This type of Microbiology involves the study of microorganisms in soil, water, and food that affect plant and animal growth, and ways to maintain the health and productivity of crops and farmland.
Environmental microbiology: This type of Microbiology studies the interactions of microorganisms with the environment and the effects of environmental factors on their growth and activities.
Industrial microbiology: This type of Microbiology focuses on the use of microorganisms to produce useful products on a large scale, such as alcohol, cheese, and antibiotics.
Food microbiology: This type of Microbiology deals with the study of microorganisms that influence the quality, safety, and shelf-life of food products and the ways to prevent foodborne illnesses.
Microbial ecology: This type of Microbiology studies the interactions within microbial communities, and their relationships with the environment and other organisms.
Microbial genetics: This type of Microbiology focuses on the genetic and molecular mechanisms involved in the function and regulation of microorganisms.
Virology: This type of Microbiology deals with the study of viruses, their structure, replication, transmission, and the ways to prevent and treat viral infections.
Immunology: This type of Microbiology deals with the study of the immune system and its response to pathogenic microorganisms, allergens, and other foreign agents.
Molecular microbiology: This type of Microbiology studies the genetic and molecular mechanisms involved in the function and regulation of microorganisms, with the aim of developing new treatments for diseases.
"Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, protistology, mycology, immunology, and parasitology."
"Eukaryotic microorganisms possess membrane-bound organelles and include fungi and protists, whereas prokaryotic organisms—all of which are microorganisms—are conventionally classified as lacking membrane-bound organelles and include Bacteria and Archaea."
"Microbiologists traditionally relied on culture, staining, and microscopy for the isolation and identification of microorganisms."
"However, less than 1% of the microorganisms present in common environments can be cultured in isolation using current means."
"With the emergence of biotechnology, Microbiologists currently rely on molecular biology tools such as DNA sequence-based identification, for example, the 16S rRNA gene sequence used for bacterial identification."
"Viruses have been variably classified as organisms, as they have been considered either as very simple microorganisms or very complex molecules."
"Prions, never considered as microorganisms, have been investigated by virologists, however, as the clinical effects traced to them were originally presumed due to chronic viral infections, virologists took a search—discovering 'infectious proteins'."
"The existence of microorganisms was predicted many centuries before they were first observed, for example by the Jains in India and by Marcus Terentius Varro in ancient Rome."
"The first recorded microscope observation was of the fruiting bodies of molds, by Robert Hooke in 1666."
"But the Jesuit priest Athanasius Kircher was likely the first to see microbes, which he mentioned observing in milk and putrid material."
"Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is considered a father of microbiology as he observed and experimented with microscopic organisms in the 1670s."
"Scientific microbiology developed in the 19th century through the work of Louis Pasteur."
"In medical microbiology, Robert Koch made significant contributions."
"'μῑκρος' (mīkros)" translates to "small" in Ancient Greek, as used in the term "microbiology."
"Virology is one of the sub-disciplines of microbiology that focuses on the study of viruses."
"Prokaryotic organisms—all of which are microorganisms—are conventionally classified as lacking membrane-bound organelles and include Bacteria and Archaea."
"Microbiologists rely on molecular biology tools such as DNA sequence-based identification, for example, the 16S rRNA gene sequence used for bacterial identification."
"Antonie van Leeuwenhoek observed and experimented with microscopic organisms in the 1670s."
"Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, protistology, mycology, immunology, and parasitology."