This relatively new science began with the erroneous belief in spontaneous generation (abiogenesis) and matured into the germ theory on which today’s understanding of infectious disease is based.
MICROBIOLOGY TOPICS
VIRTUAL MICROBIOLOGY CLASSROOM
Click here to visit the online materials used in an actual college-level Microbiology Course. The Virtual Microbiology Classroom provides access to a wide range of educational resources including Power Point Lectures, Study Guides, Review Questions and Practice Test Questions.
From spontaneous generation (abiogenesis) to modern immunology, this link will take you to a series of articles summarizing the key contributors and discoveries.
SPONTANEOUS GENERATION DEBATE
GERM THEORY OF DISEASE
- Early Germ Theory of Disease
- Late Germ Theory of Disease
- Robert Koch's Experiments and Postulates 1/10
- Why Is Hand Washing Important? 6/09
CLASSIFYING ORGANISMS (SYSTEMATIC & TAXONOMY)
All life is composed of cells, and only two basic models exist; prokaryotes and eukaryotes. All bacteria are prokaryotic cells. Viruses are acellular, or non-living particles that are able to cause infectious disease.
PROKARYOTES (Bacteria & Archaea)
- Prokaryotic Microbes
- Classification of Bacteria
- What Are Normal Flora? 2/10
- Probiotic Bacteria that Promote Digestive Health 11/09
VIRUSES
SPO provides a number of articles on how to properly use a compound light microscope. The main page provides descriptions and links to help you easily find the specific information that you are looking for.
- What Is a Compound Light Microscope?
- Focusing and Finding Objects with a Microscope
- How to Identify Parts of a Compound Microscope
- Tips for Using a Compound Light Microscope
- Preparing a Microscope Slide of Bacteria
- Viewing Bacteria under Oil Immersion
Microbes are tiny and often colorless. That wouldn't be a problem if we didn't so often have to identify them. Without the ability to ID specific microbes, the treatment of infectious disease would not be possible. The following links provide information on several methods used to sleuth out the identity of different bacteria, including differential staining, specialized media and other metabolic tests.
- Tests for Identification of Bacteria
- How to Use a Microscope
- Differential Staining of Bacteria
- Differential and Selective Media (MAC, MSA & BAP)
- API-20E Bacterial Idintification Test Strip
MICROBIAL CONTROL (How to Kill Microbes)
Control of microbial growth (killing microbes) can be carried out number of ways, through use of chemical, physical and chemotherapeutic (antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal) agents.
Here are links to additional pages each covering a specific microbial control method.
- Physical Control of Microbes (Heat, UV radiation)
- Chemotherapeutic Control of Microbes (Antibiotics and other meds)
- Chemical Control of Microbes (Disinfectants, cleaners like bleach and lysol)
So small that they can only be seen with a light microscope or electron microscope, humans have battled these tiny pathogens throughout our history. The following links lead to articles that describe and give examples of infectious diseases caused by eukaryotic pathogens, bacteria, viruses, viroids and prions.
- Infectious Disease Main Page
- Infectious Diseases Caused by Viruses
- Infectious Diseases Caused by Bacteria
- Cause of Mad Cow Disease
- Infectious Diseases Caused by Eukaryotic Microbes
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Other Microbiology Resources
Need More Microbiology Information?
Although I've tried to provide links that take site visitors to additional articles related to each microbiology lecture topic, there are many not yet linked. If you need more micro information, see the Microbiology main page at Suite101. Click the link above and then do a search of your specific interest.
Microbiology Links
Click here to go to a Virtual Microbiology Classroom web page with a growing list of links to other great Microbiology resources!
Sources
Image
van Leeuwenhoek, Public Domain, Wiki
