Chapter 1 (History of Microbiology) Flashcards
Define Microbiology
the study of organisms too small to see w/ a microscope
Define Microorganism (microbes)
living things too small to be seen w/ the naked eye & w/o a microscope
Define Taxonomy
classification of something especially organisms
grouping things by similarity (morphology & physiology)
-Carolus Linnaeus
Define Spontaneous Generation (abiogenesis)
getting life from non-life (non-living material)
Define Biogenesis
life comes from life
Define Etiology
the study of the cause of disease
Define Germ Theory
microorganisms are responsible for disease
-proposed by pasteur following fermentation
-particular disease has specific symptoms & caused by a specific organism (pathogen)
Define Pathogen
microbe that causes disease
Define Fermentation
the conversion of sugars to alcohol
-Pasteur’s experiment
Define Pasteurization
prevent from going bad. heating liquid to kill some microbes
- Father of microbiology –> Pasteur
Define Bioremediation
using microbes to clean the environment
Who was Antoni van Leeuwenhoek?
Dutch fabric merchant
-first to look @ living sample
-crafted lens
-5 catagoreies of miccroorganisms that were decribed by
Leeuwenhoek (Prokaryotes, small animals, fungi, algae,
protozoa) didn’t find viruses b/c using a light microscope
-found “wee animalcules”
-biggest contribution to micro… (royal society of London)
What types of microbes did he see?
What two things did he do that was so important to the field of microbiology?
-living samples, examined water & found “wee animalcules”
-first to look @ living samples & Royal society of London
Who was Carolus Linnaeus?
Swedish botanist
-developed taxonomy
-Genus & specific epithet= binomial naming system using two
names
Define taxonomy
Know how to correctly write out the Genus and specific epithet of an organism
What are the 3 Domains of life?
Taxonomy: classification of something especially
organisms(grouping things together by similarity)
Genus & specific: Capitalized genus specific lowercased and
underlined
3 domains of life: bacteria, archaea (prokaryotes),
eukarya (eukaryotes)
Acellular microbes: viruses, virions, prions (disease in
animals)
What four questions were scientists trying to answer during the “Golden Age” of Microbiology?
1) Is spontaneous generation of life possible?
2) What causes fermentation?
3) What causes disease?
4) How can we prevent infection & disease?
The Spontaneous Generation debate:
Aristotle
Be able to describe the experiments performed, the results obtained, and the conclusions that were drawn from the results
Nile river dry= no life
Water=frogs (getting life from non-life) abiogenesis &
spontaneous generation
The Spontaneous Generation debate:
Redi
Be able to describe the experiments performed, the results obtained, and the conclusions that were drawn from the results
Fly deposit eggs on gauze
Conclusion: for larger animals like comes from life
(biogenesis)-life get more life
The Spontaneous Generation debate:
Needham
Be able to describe the experiments performed, the results obtained, and the conclusions that were drawn from the results
-meat/ plants boiled for short time killing all living organisms &
closed w/cork
-Conclusion: spontaneous generation of microbes
The Spontaneous Generation debate:
Spallanzani
Be able to describe the experiments performed, the results obtained, and the conclusions that were drawn from the results
-Longer boil time & sealed glass & no growth
-Conclusion: spontaneous generation does not happen w/
microbes
Critics arguments: sealed no air nothing grow & prolonged
heat killed “ life force”
The Spontaneous Generation debate:
Pasteur
Be able to describe the experiments performed, the results obtained, and the conclusions that were drawn from the results
-Neck swan flask: steam escapes air moves out of flask w/o
contamination just settle in bend
-Conclusion: Biogenesis: life comes from life( to get more
microbes you need to start off w/ some microbes
What is etiology? What is the “germ theory of disease”?
Etiology: the study of the cause of disease
Germ Theory: microorganisms are responsible for disease
Robert Koch - Describe Koch’s postulates – what are they for?
Koch’s Postulates: process/rules to identify pathogen (4)
1) a. suspected causative agent must be found in every cause
of disease &
b. be absent from healthy host
2) agent must be isolated & growth outside of host (not lab but
human body)
3) agent introduced in a healthy host, that individual must get
the disease
4) same agent must be isolated from the diseased
experimental host (#3)
What else did Robert Koch do for Microbiology?
-1st to discover a pathogen
-1st to photograph bacteria
-one cell = one colony (cfu/ml)
-simple staining techniques
-Use of petri dishes
-Aseptic techniques w/loop
What did Richard Petri do?
-the dish (using glass dish)
- used potato (not all grow on potatoes, broth (didn’t solidify),
gelatin (melt & some grow @ room temp)
What did Fanny Hess do?
-use agar as solidifying agent (she would use for jams & jelly)
What did Hans Christian Gram do?
-take any bacterium treat w/ staining technique & end come
up w/ pink & purple cells
-Gram + (stain purple)
-Gram - (stain pink)
Describe contributions of Semmelweis
HOW DO WE PREVENT INFECTION & DISEASE?
-doctor/students work w/ autopsy then deliver babies; babies
die told to wash hands
-Chlorinated lime water (↑ pH b/c microbes die in acid) to
prevent puerperal fever (kill those giving birth)
Describe contributions of Lister
HOW DO WE PREVENT INFECTION & DISEASE?
-Phenol: strong organic solvent damaging to microbe cleanse
wounds that cause infection (antiseptic)
Describe contributions of Nightengale
HOW DO WE PREVENT INFECTION & DISEASE?
-Nurse
-Cleanliness of hospitals
Describe contributions of Snow
HOW DO WE PREVENT INFECTION & DISEASE?
-Epidemiology: study of spread of disease
-pump shut down–> epidemic stopped
What did Edward Jenner do? (hint: it involves a kid)
HOW DO WE PREVENT INFECTION & DISEASE?
-wondered if infection by cowpox could prevent an infection by small pox
-milk maid didn’t get small pox b/c cow pox protecting
from small pox
-Coined the term VACCINE after the cowpox virus VACCINA
Paul Erlich had a good idea. What was he looking for?
-search for “magic bullet” for syphilis –> chemical that would kill the pathogen, but not the human host
-chemotherapy: use chemicals internally yo kill microbes
Alexander Fleming made a discovery that changed medicine forever. What was it?
-Discovered penicillin
Spontaneous Generation: This debate is a good example of how the scientific method works. Can you describe the scientific method?
What are the steps?
What’s the difference between a theory and a hypothesis?
-Observations lead to ?’s about phenomenon
-Generate hypothesis
-Conduct experiment to test hypothesis
-Based on observed results hypothesis is: Accepted (support hypothesis) Rejected (not support hypothesis Modify hypothesis.
-A hypothesis is an assumption made before any research has been done. It is formed so that it can be tested to see if it might be true. A theory is a principle formed to explain the things already shown in data.
