Introduction to
Microbiology
Microbiology
• Study of microscopic (living ) things
• E.g.
viruses, bacteria, algae, protists, fungi
History of Microbiology
• 1590 – First compound light microscope
Zacharias Janssen
History
• 1676 –first observation of bacteria
“animalcules”
Anton Von Leeuwenhoek
History
• 1796 – First vaccine (smallpox)
Edward Jenner
History
• 1857 – Germ Theory of Disease
Louis Pasteur
History
• 1867 Antiseptic Surgery
Joseph Lister
History
• 1884 Koch’s Postulates of
Disease Transmission
Robert Koch
History
• 1885 - Vaccine against
Rabies
Louis Pasteur
History
• 1929
Discovery of Penicillin
(first antibiotic)
Alexander Fleming
History
• 1938 – First Electron
Microscope
• The electron microscope is capable of
magnifying biological specimens up
to one million times. These computer
enhanced images of 1. smallpox, 2.
herpes simplex, and 3. mumps are
magnified, respectively, 150,000,
150,000 and 90,000 times.
History
1953 Structure of DNA Revealed
Watson & Crick
History
1954 Polio Vaccine
Jonas Salk
Recent History
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Genetic engineering
Cloning
Human Genome Project
Biotechnology
Who knows what is next?
Sizes of Microbes
• Virus 10 →1000 nanometers *
• Bacteria - 0.1 → 5 micrometers **
(Human eye ) can see .1 mm (1 x 10 -3 m)
* One billionth or 1 x 10 -9 m
** One millionth or 1 x 10 -6 m
Tools of Microbiology
• Compound light Microscope
- live specimens
- 1,000 mag. or less
• Electron Microscope
- non-living specimens
- > 1,000 X mag.
• Incubator – keep microbes warm for
growth
Techniques of
Microbiology
• Staining – to better see structures
• Microbial Culture - growing the wee
beasties
• Container for microbe culture
- usually Petri dish
• Culture media
- Food for the microbes
- E.g. Agar – (from red algae)
- Others such as nutrient broths
Pure Culture Techniques
1. Inoculation
2. Isolation
3. Identification