GENERAL AND MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY

Malshi Omedhya Galappaththi

BSc/ PhD
 Objectives

At the end of the lecture series you will be able to

gain a basic knowledge on,
• What is Microbiology?
• History and Scope
• Who found them?
• How can we observe them?
 Microbiology????

Studying about microorganisms

Microorganisms?
 What is a Microbe?

• Smaller than 0.1mm

• Includes bugs, things, germs, viruses,

protozoan, bacteria, animalcules, small
suckers
 Microorganisms
Where are they???

• Ubiquitous
 Organisms can be divided into
five kingdoms:
 Monera or Procaryotae,

 Protista,

 Fungi,

 Animalia, and

 Plantae
 There are two types of microorganisms:

 Prokaryotes
 have a relatively simple morphology and lack
a true membrane-bound nucleus
 E.g. bacteria and archaea

 Eukaryotes
 are morphologically complex and have a true,
membrane-bound nucleus
 E.g. protists, fungi, plants, and
animals (everything except prokaryotes)
 Microbiology is the study of microorganisms usually less
than 0.1mm in diameter which requires some form of
magnification to be seen clearly

 Microbes are tiny living things that are found all around
us and are too small to be seen by the naked eye.
 Examples:
 Viruses
 Bacteria
 Fungi
 Algae
 Protozoans
Viruses
 Smallest known infectious agents
 Cannot be seen by regular microscope
 Consist of only nucleic acid surrounded by a
protein coat
 Causes:
 Colds
 Influenza
 Dengue
 Corona
 Hepatitis
Hepatitis Virus
17
 Bacteria
 Single-celled prokaryotic
organisms
 Reproduce quickly
 Major cause of diseases
 Many different types and ways
to identify them
 Rapid reproduction is why Bacillus bacterial
untreated infections can be classification
dangerous

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Bacteria Classification
 Shape – coccus, bacillus, spirillum, virbrio
 Ability to retain certain dyes
 Ability to grow in presence or absence of air
 Biochemical reactions

Spirillum bacterial
classification 19
 Archaea:
 Prokaryotic
 Lack peptidoglycan
 Live in extreme
environments
 Algae

 Eukaryotes
 Cellulose cell walls
 Use photosynthesis for
energy (primary
producers)

Figure 1.1d
 Protozoa

 Eukaryotes
 Absorb or ingest
organic chemicals
 May be motile via
pseudopods, cilia, or
flagella
 Most free some
parasites
 Fungi

 Eukaryotes
 Chitin cell walls
 Use organic chemicals
for energy
 Molds and
mushrooms are
multicellular
 Yeasts are unicellular

Figure 1.1b
Parasites
 Organism that lives on or in another and
uses that organism to provide nourishment
 Infections caused by parasites are called
infestations
Worms
Insects -ticks

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A timeline of Microbiology

 Some highlights
 1665 Hooke - microscope
 1673 van Leeuwenhoek’s microscopes
 1735 Linnaeus Nomenclature
 1798 Jenner vaccine
 1857 Pasteur Fermentation
 1876 Koch germ theory of disease
 Who found them?

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek

(1632-1723)
Father of microscopy & Leewenhoek’s Microscope
microbiology
 -Microorganisms can cause
chemical changes of the
substrate

- Concepts of vaccination,
fermentation and
pasteurization

Louis Pasteur
1822-1895
Swan necked flask
 Fermentation and
Pasteurization
 Pasteur showed that microbes are responsible for
fermentation.
 Fermentation is the conversation of sugar to
alcohol to make beer and wine.
 Microbial growth is also responsible for spoilage of
food.
 Bacteria that use alcohol and produce acetic acid
spoil wine by turning it to vinegar (acetic acid).
 The Theory of Biogenesis

 The theory of biogenesis states that new living

organisms can only emerge from other previously
existing living organisms as a result of reproduction.
 Robert Koch – role of Edward Jenner – father of
microbes in diseases immunology
(1843-1910) (1749 – 1823)
discovery of the smallpox vaccine – first
tuberculosis bacterium vaccine
 Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955) discovered Penicillin
his discovery led to the introduction of antibiotics that greatly reduced
the number of deaths from infection.
Penicillium sp.
Blue cheese
 Discovery of streptomycin
Selman Waksman, Albert Schatz, and Elizabeth Bugie in 1943

Selman Waksman: the Father of Antibiotics

 Recent History
• Recombinant DNA technology
• DNA sequencing technique
– P. Berg 1980, W. Gilbert, F. Sanger
1980
• Transmission Electron Microscopy –
E. Ruska 1986 Kary Mullis
• Drug for cancer, malaria, and viral
infections – G. Elion, G. Hitchings 1988
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) - Kary
Mullis - 1993
 Nomenclature

• Carolus Linnaeus (1735)

• According to this system, only two names were
given to an organism based on its genus and
species.
• By custom once mentioned can be abbreviated
with initial of genus followed by specific
epithet. E.g. E. coli
To standardize the naming, following set of rules
were set –
1. Each organism name would consist of two words, one
to represent genus and other for species.
2. Two species of the same genus should not have same
species or specific name.
3. While writing the name, the genus name is always
written first and followed by species name.
4. The genus name always begins with capital alphabet.
5. The species name always begins with small alphabet.
6. When the scientific names are typed or print, it should
always be in italics.
7. When the scientific names are hand written, the
names should be under lined.
Modern Developments in
Microbiology

 Diagnostics
 Prevention
 Use as a tool
 Surveys and awareness
 Demonstrations that micoorganisms
cause disease

 Agostino Bassi showed that a silkworm disease

was caused by a fungus

 M. J. Berkeley demonstrated that the Great Potato

Blight of Ireland was caused by a Fungus

 Louis Pasteur showed that the pebrine disease of

silkworms was caused by a protozoan parasite
 Joseph Lister developed a system of to prevent
microorganisms from entering wounds

 Charles Chamberland -identified viruses as

disease-causing agents – Tobacco Mosaic Virus

 Edward Jenner-used a vaccination procedure to

protect individuals from smallpox

 Louis Pasteur -developed other vaccines

including those for chicken cholera, anthrax, and
rabies
 Emil von Behring and Shibasaburo Kitasato

 induced the formation of diphtheria tetanus

antitoxins in rabbits.

 Elie Metchnikoff - demonstrated the existence of

phagocytic cells in the blood, thus demonstrating
cell-mediated immunity

 Robert Koch -his criteria became known as Koch’s

Postulates and are still used to establish the link
between a particular microorganism and a particular
disease:
How Microorganisms Cause Disease

 Cause disease in variety of ways

 Use nutrients needed by cells and tissues
 Damage cells directly
 Produce toxins

 May remain localized or become systemic

transmission
 Direct contact
 Indirect contact
How Microorganisms Cause
Disease (cont.)

 Localized symptoms  Generalized symptoms

 Swelling  Fever
 Pain  Tiredness
 Warmth  Aches
 Redness  Weakness

 Normal flora
 Provides a barrier
 Can cause an infection
How Infections Are Diagnosed

 Steps to diagnosis and treatment

1. Examine the patient

2. Obtain specimen(s)
3. Culture specimen
4. Treat the patient as ordered
Specimen Collection

 Must be collected correctly

 If not, may not grow in culture
 Contaminants may be
mistakenly identified
Specimen Collection (cont.)

 Devices
 Use appropriate collection
device or specimen container
 Sterile swabs – absorbent
material on the tip

 Collection and transporting systems

 Sterile, self-contained
 Transport medium
 Aerobic or anaerobic
Specimen Collection (cont.)

 Urine specimen
 Wound specimen
 Sputum specimen
 Stool specimens
Culturing Specimens (cont.)

 Inoculating a culture plate

 Transfer some of the specimen onto a culture plate
 Label the plate correctly
 Qualitative analysis – determination of type of
pathogen
 Quantitative analysis – number of bacteria present in
sample
Culturing Specimens in the
Medical Office
 More common to send
specimens for culture to
outside labs

 Culturing involves placing a sample of specimen

on a culture medium
 Medium – nutrients
 Place in incubator for growth – colony develops as
microorganism multiplies
Quality Control in the Medical
Office
 Ongoing evaluation
of the quality of
medical care being
provided

 Routine evaluation
 Objective means to
 All media, staining
define, monitor, and
solutions, and
correct potential reagents
problems
 Equipment
 References

• Microbiology by Prescott
• Any Microbiology Book available
• Reliable online sources
• YouTube videos
Summary

• What is Microbiology?
• Categories
• History and Scope
• Who found them
• How to diagnose
Thank you

Questions?
omedyag@gmail.com