CHAPTER 1

MICROBIOLOGY: THE SCIENCE

BURTON’S

FOR THE HEALTH SCIENCES

EIGHTH EDITION

PowerPoint® Lecture Slide Presentation prepared by Mignonette S. Hipolito, CAS-BIO

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
 INTRODUCTION
• Microorganisms
• are organisms that are too small to be seen with the
unaided eye.
• some are friends others are foes
• affect our daily lives and our environment
• knowledge of them is important to healthcare
professionals
Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
 What is Microbiology?
• Micro – very small + Biology – study of living
organisms
• Microbiology – study of very small living organisms
called microorganisms or microbes
• Microorganisms – are virtually everywhere; viewed
under a microscope

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Categories of Microorganisms

• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Archaeans
• Algae
• Protozoa
• Fungi

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Bacteria

• Prokaryotes
• Peptidoglycan cell walls
• Binary fission
• For energy, use organic
chemicals, inorganic
chemicals, or
photosynthesis

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Figure 1.1a

 Archaea:

• Prokaryotic
• Lack peptidoglycan
• Live in extreme
environments
• Include:
• Methanogens
• Extreme halophiles
• Extreme thermophiles

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Figure 4.5b

 Fungi

• Eukaryotes
• Chitin cell walls
• Use organic chemicals
for energy
• Molds and mushrooms
are multicellular
consisting of masses of
mycelia, which are
composed of filaments
called hyphae
• Yeasts are unicellular
Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Figure 1.1b
 Protozoa

• Eukaryotes
• Absorb or ingest organic
chemicals
• May be motile via
pseudopods, cilia, or
flagella

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Figure 1.1c

 Algae

• Eukaryotes
• Cellulose cell walls
• Use photosynthesis for
energy
• Produce molecular
oxygen and organic
compounds

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Figure 1.1d

 Viruses

• Acellular
• Consist of DNA or RNA
core
• Core is surrounded by a
protein coat
• Coat may be enclosed in
a lipid envelope
• Viruses are replicated
only when they are in a
living host cell

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Figure 1.1e

 Multicellular Animal Parasites

• Eukaryote
• Multicellular animals
• Parasitic flatworms
and round worms
are called helminths.
• Microscopic stages
in life cycles.

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Figure 12.28

 Germs. Although not a
scientific term, “germs”
are the microorganisms
that cause disease

Pathogens – disease-
causing microorganism

Nonpathogens – do not
cause disease

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
 Why Study Microbiology?
• Indigenous microflora or
microbiota – are beneficial;
inhibit growth of pathogens by
occupying space
• 10X the total # of our cells
• 500 -1,000 diff spp.
• Opportunistic pathogens
(opportunists) – do not usually
cause problems, but have
potential to cause infection (e.g.
Escherichia coli)
Areas of the body
• Normal microbiota prevent growth of pathogens. where most of the
• Normal microbiota produce growth factors such indigenous
as folic acid and vitamin K. microbiota reside
Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
 Did you know? (Tortora, 8th ed.)

• Bacteria were once classified as plants which gave

rise to use of the term flora for microbes.
• This term has been replaced by microbiota.
• Microbes normally present in and on the human body
are called normal microbiota.

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Why Study Microbiology? (cont.)

• Decomposers or
saprophytes
• Decompose organic waste
• Saprophytes –live on dead or
decaying matter
• Aid in fertilization, returns inorganic
nutrients to the soil

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Why Study Microbiology? (cont.)

• Microbial Ecology –
study of relationships bet
microbes and the
environment

• Bacteria recycle carbon,

nutrients, sulfur, and
phosphorus that can be
used by plants and animals.

Nitrogen Fixation. N-fixing bacteria (on or near roots of

legumes) convert free N from the air to NH4 in the soil. Nitrifying
bacteria then convert the ammonia into nitrites and nitrates,
which are nutrients used by plants
Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Why Study Microbiology? (cont.)

• Food chain. Tiny living organisms such as bacteria, algae,

microscopic aquatic plants (e.g. phytoplankton), and microscopic
aquatic animals (e.g. zooplankton) are eaten by larger animals,
which in turn are eaten by still larger animals, etc., until an
animal in the chain is consumed by a human.

• Humans are at the top of the food chain.

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Why Study Microbiology? (cont.)
• Some microorganisms live in intestinal tracts of animals
• E. coli bacteria produce Vit.K and B1
• Termites have cellulose-eating protozoa
• Produce products used in
manufacturing (e.g., cellulase)
Biotechnology – use and treatment (e.g., insulin,
of microorganisms in antibiotics)
industry antibiotics- substance produced
by a microorganism, effective in killing
or inhibiting growth of other
microorganisms
• Produce industrial chemicals such as ethyl alcohol
and acetone
• Produce fermented foods such as vinegar, cheese,
cheese
and bread
Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Why Study Microbiology? (cont.)

• Bioremediation
• Bacteria degrade organic
matter in sewage.
• Bacteria degrade or
detoxify pollutants such
as oil and mercury

• Genetic engineering is a new techniquee for biotechnology.

• Missing or defective genes in human cells can be replaced in gene
therapy.
• Genetically modified bacteria are used to protect crops from insects
and freezing.
Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Why Study Microbiology? (cont.)

• Microorganisms cause 2 categories of diseases:

• Infectious disease – pathogen colonizes body and
subsequently causes disease
• Microbial intoxication – when a person ingests
toxin (poisonous substance) produced by a
microorganism

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Two categories of diseases caused by pathogens.
Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
 Thus, knowledge of microorganisms:

• Allows humans to
• Prevent food spoilage
• Prevent disease occurrence

• Led to aseptic techniques to

prevent contamination in
medicine and in microbiology
laboratories.

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 First Microorganisms on Earth

• Fossils of primitive microorganisms 3.5B yrs ago (as

many as 11 diff types) found in ancient rock
formations in NW Australia
• Archaeans and Cyanobacteria – candidates for the
first microorganisms on earth

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Earliest Known Infectious Diseases
• 3180 BC – Egypt, the terms “pestilence” and
“plague”
• 1900 BC – near the end of Trojan War, Greek army
decimated by supposed bubonic plague
• 1500 BC - Ebers papyrus :epidemic fevers in a
tomb in Thebes Egypt
• 1122 BC – China, “smallpox”
• 790, 710, 640 BC – Epidemics of plague in Rome
• 430 BC – Epidemics of plague in Greece
Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
 Pioneers in the Science of
Microbiology

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632 –
1723)
• First person to see live bacteria and protozoa
• Described live microorganisms that he
observed in teeth scrapings, rain water,
and peppercorn infusions.

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Louis Pasteur (1822 – 1895)

• French chemist
• Made many significant contributions
• Fermentation process
• Disproved Theory of Spontaneous
Generation
• “Aerobes” and “Anaerobes”
• Pasteurization
• Silkworm disease
• Germ Theory of disease
• Changes in hospital practices
• Vaccines

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 The Theory of Biogenesis

• Pasteur’s S-shaped flask kept microbes out but let

air in.

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Figure 1.3

 Robert Koch (1843 – 1910)

• German physician
• Germ theory of disease
• Koch’s Postulates
• Methods of fixing, staining
and photographing bacteria
• Methods of bacterial culture
(with J.R. Petri and Frau
Hess)
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis
and Vibrio cholerae
• Tuberculin protein- used in
TB skin test

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Koch’s Postulates

• Exceptions:
• Obligate intracellular
pathogens (viruses,
rickettsias and chlamydias)
• Fastidious microorganisms
• Species-specific pathogens
• Synergistic infection (ex.
ANUG and bacterial
vaginosis)
• Effects of in vitro culture
• Not all diseases are caused
by microorganisms

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Careers in Microbiology

• Bacteriology
• Phycology
• Protozoology
• Mycology
• Virology

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Naming and Classifying
Microorganisms
• Linnaeus established the system of scientific
nomenclature.
• Each organism has two names: the genus and
specific epithet.

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Scientific names

• Are italicized or underlined. The genus is

capitalized and the specific epithet is lower
case.
• Are “Latinized” and used worldwide.
• May be descriptive or honor a scientist.

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Scientific names

• Staphylococcus aureus
• Describes the clustered arrangement of the cells
(staphylo-) and the golden color of the colonies.

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Scientific names

• Escherichia coli
• Honors the discoverer, Theodor Eshcerich, and
describes the bacterium’s habitat, the large intestine
or colon.

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Scientific names

• After the first use, scientific names may be abbreviated

with the first letter of the genus and the specific epithet:
• Staphylococcus aureus and Esherichia coli are
found in the human body. S. aureus is on skin and
E. coli, in the large intestine.

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Finish….. Quiz Next Meeting!!

Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins