"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..."
Study of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Introduction to Microbiology: This covers the basic principles and concepts of microbiology, including the different types of microorganisms, their significance in medicine, and the various techniques used in their study.
Microbial Diversity and Taxonomy: This covers the classification and identification of microorganisms, including their morphological, physiological, biochemical, and genetic characteristics.
Microbial Growth and Reproduction: This covers the various factors that influence microbial growth and reproduction, including temperature, pH, osmotic pressure, and nutrient availability.
Cell Structure and Function: This covers the basic structural and functional characteristics of microbial cells, including their cell wall, membrane, cytoplasm, and organelles.
Microbial Genetics: This covers the molecular basis of microbial genetics, including the mechanisms of DNA replication, transcription, translation, and genetic recombination.
Microbial Metabolism: This covers the various metabolic pathways and energy sources utilized by microorganisms, including carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism.
Bacterial Pathogenesis: This covers the mechanisms by which bacteria cause disease in humans, including the different virulence factors and pathogenicity mechanisms involved.
Control of Microbial Growth: This covers the various methods used to control or eliminate microbial growth, including physical, chemical, and biological methods.
Microbial Ecology: This covers the interactions between microorganisms and their environment, including the roles of microorganisms in biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functioning.
Industrial Microbiology: This covers the practical applications of microorganisms in industry, including the production of foods, drugs, and biodegradable materials.
Immunology: This covers the basic principles and concepts of immunology, including the immune system's structure, function, and response to infections.
Epidemiology: This covers the study of the distribution and determinants of infectious diseases in populations, including the various types of epidemiological studies and surveillance systems.
Antibiotic Resistance: This covers the mechanisms by which bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics, as well as the strategies used to combat antibiotic resistance.
Emerging Infectious Diseases: This covers the recent trends in the emergence of new infectious diseases, including their causes, transmission, and control.
Medical Microbiology: This covers the practical applications of microbiology in medicine, including the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases.
Bacteriology: The study of bacteria, including their structure, growth, metabolism, and genetic makeup, and how they interact with their environment and other organisms.
Virology: The study of viruses and viral diseases, including their structure, replication, mode of transmission, and host-cell interactions.
Immunology: The study of the immune system and its response to various pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Parasitology: The study of parasites and parasitic diseases, including their morphology, life cycle, epidemiology, and pathology.
Mycology: The study of fungi and fungal diseases, including their morphology, ecology, genetics, and pathogenesis.
Microbial Ecology: The study of how microorganisms interact with each other and with their environment, including the roles they play in nutrient cycling, biodegradation, and symbiosis.
Medical Microbiology: The study of microorganisms that cause clinical infections and diseases, including their diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
Applied Microbiology: The study of how microorganisms can be used in various industrial, agricultural, and environmental applications, including biotechnology, food production, and waste management.
Environmental Microbiology: The study of microorganisms in natural and built environments, including their roles in biogeochemical cycles, pollution remediation, and ecosystem health.
Astrobiology: The study of the origin, distribution, and evolution of life in the universe, including the possibility of microbial life on other planets and moons.
"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."