CONTINUATION 1
PART 2
History of Microbiology 2
Early Studies
Before 17th century, study of microbiology was hampered by the
lack of appropriate tools to observe microbes.
Robert Hooke: In 1665 built a compound light microscope
and used it to observe thin slices of cork. Coined the word
cell.
Anton van Leeuwenhoek: In 1673 was the first person to
observe live microorganisms which he called “animalcules”
(bacteria, protozoa), using single-lens microscopes that he
designed.
History of Microbiology 3
Spontaneous Generation vs. Biogenesis
Before 1860s many scientists believed in Spontaneous
generation, i.e.:
That living organisms could arise spontaneously from
nonliving matter:
Mice come from rags in a basket.
Maggots come from rotting meat.
Ants come from honey.
Microbes come from spoiled broth.
History of Microbiology
Spontaneous Generation vs. Biogenesis 4
Theory of Biogenesis: Belief that living cells can only arise from
other living cells.
Francesco Redi: In 1668 proved that maggots do not arise
spontaneously from decaying meat.
Lazaro Spallanzani: In 1765 found that nutrient broth that
had been heated in a sealed flask would not become
contaminated with microbes.
- Some proponents of spontaneous generation argued that
boiling had destroyed the “life force” of air in flask.
- Others argued that microbes were different from other life
History of Microbiology
Spontaneous Generation vs. Biogenesis 5
Debate was finally settled by Pasteur.
Louis Pasteur: In 1861 finally disproved spontaneous
generation when he demonstrated that microorganisms
in the environment were responsible for microbial
growth in nutrient broth.
- Designed swan neck flasks that allowed air in, but trapped
microbes in neck.
- Developed aseptic technique: Practices that prevent
contamination by unwanted microorganisms.
History of Microbiology
6
Golden Age: 1857-1914
Rapid advances led to the development of microbiology
as a science.
Pasteur’s Contributions to Microbiology:
Fermentation: Pasteur found that yeasts were
responsible for converting sugar into alcohol in the
absence of air.
- Souring and spoilage were caused by bacterial contamination of beverages.
History of Microbiology
Golden Age: 1857-1914 7
Pasteur’s Contributions:
Pasteurization: Developed a process in which liquids are heated (at
65oC) to kill most bacteria responsible for spoilage.
Disease Causes: Identified three different microbes that caused
silkworm diseases.
Vaccine: Developed a vaccine for rabies from dried spinal cords of
infected rabbits.
Directed Pasteur Institute until his death in 1895.
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History of Microbiology
Golden Age: 1857-1914
Germ Theory of Disease: Belief that microbes cause
diseases. Before, most people believed diseases were
caused by divine punishment, poisonous vapors,
curses, witchcraft, etc.
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Agostino Bassi (1835): Found that a fungus was
responsible for a silkworm disease.
Ignaz Semmelweis (1840s): Demonstrated that
childbirth fever was transmitted from one
patient to another, by physicians who didn’t
disinfect their hands. He was ostracized by
colleagues.
History of Microbiology
Golden Age: 1857-1914 10
Germ Theory of Disease:
Joseph Lister (1860): Used disinfectant to treat
surgical wounds, greatly reducing infection rates.
Considered the father of antiseptic surgery.
Robert Koch (1876): First person to conclusively prove
that a specific bacterium caused a disease.
Germ Theory: One microbe causes one specific disease.
Proved that Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax in cattle.
Later identified bacterium that causes tuberculosis.
History of Microbiology
Modern Microbiology: After 1914 11
Chemotherapy: Treatment of a disease by using a
chemical substance. Chemical must be more
poisonous to microbe than host.
Quinine: First known chemical to treat a disease
(malaria). Used by Spanish conquistadors.
Synthetic Drugs: Made in the laboratory.
Antibiotics: Produced naturally by fungi and
bacteria.
History of Microbiology 12
Modern Microbiology: After 1914
Paul Ehrlich (1910): Search for “magic bullet”.
Discovered Salvarsan, an arsenic derivative, was effective against syphilis.
Alexander Fleming (1928): Discovered that penicillin
produced by the mold Penicillium notatum was able to
prevent microbial growth.
Penicillin was not mass produced until the 1940s.
Rene Dubos (1939): Discovered two antibiotics
(Gramidin and Tyrocidine) produced by bacterium
(Bacillus brevis).
History of Microbiology 13
Modern Microbiology: After 1914
Problems with Chemotherapy:
Toxicity
Drug resistant microbes
Diversity of Microorganisms 14
I. Bacteria (Sing. Bacterium)
Small, single-celled (unicellular) organisms.
Procaryotes: “Before nucleus”.
Lack the following structures:
Nuclear membrane around DNA
Membrane bound organelles
Mitochondria
Chloroplasts
Golgi apparatus
Endoplasmic reticulum
Lysosomes
Kingdom Prokaryotae: Bacteria lack nucleus
and membrane bound organelles 15
Diversity of Microorganisms 16
I. Bacteria (Sing. Bacterium)
Include two groups:
Eubacteria: Peptidoglycan cell walls.
Archaebacteria: Lack peptidoglycan cell walls.
Shapes: Several forms:
Bacilli: Rod like. (Sing. Bacillus)
Cocci: Spherical. (Sing. Coccus)
Spiral: Corkscrew or curved
Square
Star shaped
Diversity of Microorganisms
17
I. Bacteria (Sing. Bacterium)
Divide by binary fission (not mitosis).
Source of nutrients varies:
Heterotrophs: Consume organic chemicals.
Autotrophs: Make their own food. Include photosynthetic bacteria.
Motility: Many can “swim” by using moving
appendages:
Cilia: Small hair like structures
Flagella: Large whip like structures.
Distinguish between motility and Brownian motion.
Diversity of Microorganisms
II. Fungi (Sing. Fungus) 18
Eucaryotes: “True nucleus”
DNA is surrounded by nuclear membrane.
Cells have membrane bound organelles: Mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum,
etc.
Cells are larger than those of procaryotes.
May be unicellular or multicellular:
Unicellular: Yeasts
Multicellular: Molds, mushrooms
Do not carry out photosynthesis.
Must absorb organic nutrients from their environment.
Diversity of Microorganisms 19
II. Fungi (Sing. Fungus)
Source of nutrients varies:
Saprotrophs: Decomposers that feed on dead and decaying matter. Most
fungi are decomposers.
Parasites: Obtain nourishment by parasitizing live animals and plants.
Cell wall made of chitin.
May reproduce sexually or asexually.
Diversity of Microorganisms
20
III. Protozoa (Sing. Protozoan)
Eucaryotes: “True nucleus”
DNA is surrounded by nuclear membrane.
Cells have membrane bound organelles and are larger than those of procaryotes.
Unicellular
Kingdom Protista
Sexual or asexual reproduction
Classified based on locomotion:
Pseudopods: “False feet”. Cytoplasmic extensions.
Example: Amoeba
Protozoa Belong to Kingdom Protista: Eucaryotic
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Unicellular or Simple Multicellular Organisms
Diversity of Microorganisms 22
III. Protozoa (Sing. Protozoan)
Classified based on locomotion:
Flagella: Long whip like appendages.
Example: Trichomonas vaginalis, causes trichominiasis, a
sexually transmitted disease.
Cilia: Small hair like appendages
Nonmotile: Do not move in their mature forms.
Example: Plasmodium spp., causative agent of malaria.
Diversity of Microorganisms
23
IV. Algae (Sing. Alga)
Eucaryotes: “True nucleus”
Photosynthetic: Important part of food chain because
produce oxygen and carbohydrates used by animals.
Unicellular or multicellular
Kingdom Protista
Sexual or asexual reproduction
Cell walls composed of cellulose
Found in aquatic environments (oceans, lakes, rivers), soil,
and in association with plants.
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Diversity of Microorganisms
V. Viruses
Acellular infectious agents, not considered living because they lack cells.
Obligate intracellular parasites: Viruses can only reproduce by using the
cellular machinery of other organisms.
Simple structure:
Protein coat (capsid) with either DNA or RNA, but not both.
May also have a lipid envelope.
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Comparison of Cells and Viruses
Diversity of Microorganisms 26
VI. Multicellular Animal Parasites
Eucaryotes: “True nucleus”
Multicellular animals, usually are visible to the
naked eye.
Microscopic during some stages of life cycle.
Spend part or all of their lives inside an animal
host.
Helminths include:
Flatworms (Platyhelminths): E.g. Tapeworm
Roundworms (Nematodes): E.g. Ascaris, pinworm.
End 27
Unit 1 Micro-Para Lecture
