Index
Although the microbiological knowledge is extensive today, there is still much to know, and discoveries are constantly being made.
Even if you can not see them, there is a hidden world of microorganisms wherever you look. Microbiology is the study of this secret world of organisms that affect our health, help prepare our food and influence our environment.
Did you know that you are Mostly a Microbe?
There are more microbial cells in your body than your cells. Microbes are found everywhere: inside and on your body, in streams and rocks, on your smartphone screen, and in your food.
Despite their bad reputation, microbes are most beneficial or have a neutral effect on our lives.
Microbiology is the scientific study of all microscopic organisms (too small to be visible to the naked eye); this includes bacteria, viruses, archaea, fungi and protozoa, and algae, collectively known as ‘microbes.’
This discipline includes fundamental research on the biochemistry, physiology, cell biology, ecology, evolution, and clinical aspects of microorganisms, including the host response to these agents.
Microorganisms and their activities are vital to virtually all processes on Earth. Microorganisms are crucial because they affect all aspects of our lives: they are in us and around us.
These microbes play a vital role in the nutrient cycle, biodegradation/biodeterioration, climate change, deterioration of food, the cause and control of diseases, and biotechnology.
Thanks to their versatility, microbes can be used in different applications:
- Making medicines that save lives.
- The manufacture of biofuels.
- Cleaning up pollution
- Producing / processing food and beverages.
Microbiologists study the microbes, and some of the most important discoveries that have underpinned modern society have resulted from the research of famous microbiologists, such as:
- Jenner and his vaccine against smallpox.
- Fleming and the discovery of penicillin.
- Marshall and the identification of the link between Helicobacter infection by pylori and stomach ulcers.
- Zur Hausen identified the connection between the papillomavirus and cervical cancer.
Research in microbiology has been and continues to be critical in meeting many of the aspirations and global challenges, such as maintaining food, water, and energy security for a healthy population on habitable land.
Research in microbiology will also help answer big questions such as “How diverse is life on Earth?” And “Is there life in the rest of the Universe?”
Thanks to microbiology that AIDS is now more chronic than a deadly disease, and we can vaccinate children against all kinds of conditions. There would be no beer, yogurt, or cheese without microbiology—an empty fridge.
Microbiology is everywhere and is becoming increasingly important.
Making the Invisible Visible
Microbiologists study these organisms using microscopes, genetics, and culture tools. Microscopes allow scientists to expand microbial cells that would otherwise be too small to see.
Genetics and molecular biology help scientists understand the evolutionary relationships between microbes and their habitats.
Microbiologists have ways to make microbes visible and their construction and activities. Traditionally, these methods have included special dyes, microscopy, and the cultivation of microbes in Petri dishes.
Current researchers also make use of the genetic material of microbes. Currently, there are many branches of microbiology, such as virology (the study of viruses), mycology (the study of fungi), parasitology (the study of parasites and their hosts), and bacteriology (the study of bacteria ).
Origin
The Dutchman Antoni van Leeuwenhoek is known as the founding father of microbiology. He was the first person to discover microorganisms. He did it using his homemade microscopes.
Cultivar
It is the term used to describe growing microbes, usually combined with tests to see what microbes like to eat or under what conditions they can live. If you have ever seen a Petri dish, you have seen a common place where microbes are grown.
Petri Plate
Most of the microbes or bacteria in your body are meant to be there and are called resident bacteria. These bacteria are well-established residents of your body, especially the skin and intestine.
They are your first line of defense against potentially dangerous transient bacteria, that is, transient bacteria that can pick up when you touch the door handle or near someone who sneezes.
Resident bacteria can usually compete with transient bacteria, which prevents them from settling down and causing an infection.
Microbiology makes it more accessible.
Microbiology is increasingly focused on how microbes can be used to produce medicines, foods, and biofuels. We have a surprising amount to thank microbiologists for.
So, in what other way do microbes help us? The next time you enjoy cheese, sausage, and beer at a party, remember that many foods and drinks we want are not possible without microbes.
Dairy products, such as yogurt and cheese, were made with microbes for centuries to extend the shelf life of milk. The fermentation process is carried out by microbes and gives these items their characteristic taste, smell, and texture.
Beer and wine also use microbes (in this case, yeast) to produce alcohol in those drinks.
Thanks to the many products manufactured by or from microbes, our lives are accessible. These include antibiotics, flavor enhancers, dyes, bioethanol, enzymes, and cheese.
Despite all the good microbes, they are usually pathogens when we hear news about microbes. Pathogens are the invading microbes in our bodies that make us sick.
In general, the reaction of our immune system against foreign microbial invaders is what produces the most severe symptoms, such as fever or stomach pain.
The infections of pathogenic bacteria can sometimes disappear by themselves or with the help of antibiotics. Antibiotics are the various medicines that fight bacteria by damaging proteins and the cell wall or making other harmful attacks against bacteria.
A wrong side of antibiotics is that they can rarely distinguish between good and bad bacteria. With antibiotics, both the resident and transient bacteria are damaged, and while it will help eliminate infection, it could also cause stomach pain.
Viruses are a different story. Viruses can only be reproduced using a host cell. Sometimes, this can be other bacteria, and sometimes it can be the cells in your body.