lecture 1 intro

Question 1

what is microbiology

Answer 1

The study of organisms too small to be seen clearly by the unaided eye, i.e. microorganisms (microbes

Question 2

what are some examples of microbes

Answer 2

Viruses non-cellular
Prokaryotes: Bacteria/Archaea
Eukaryotes: Protists, Algae, Fungi

Question 3

how do MOs exist in nature

Answer 3

microbial communities

interact with each other and other organisms

Question 4

what are microbial communities

Answer 4

mixed populations

Question 5

what is most of the biomass on earth made of

Answer 5

microbes

Question 6

what is an estimate of the total number of microbial cells on earth

Answer 6

5 x10^30 cells

Question 7

what are the two main themes of microbiology

Answer 7

basic science of life - easy to study

impact on humans either directly or indirectly

Question 8

what are infectious diseases caused by

Answer 8

pathogens

Question 9

whats the major cause of death in many developing countries

Answer 9

disease:

malaria, TB, cholera

Question 10

what can infectious disease be controlled by

Answer 10

vaccine, antibiotics, good personal hygeine

Question 11

what foods require and benfeit from Microbiological activity

Answer 11

yoghurt, cheese, vinegar, beer, wine

Question 12

what are problems with microbes and food

Answer 12

they grow well in food for humans, how can we stop food being spoilt? or being diseased

Question 13

in aagriculture what are three things that relate to microbes

Answer 13

N2 fixation (N to NH3)
nutrient recycling
animal husbandry (MO in the rumen help digest compounds in grass)

Question 14

how do microbes realte to energy and environment

Answer 14

methanogenic bacteria produce natural gas (CH4)

wasteproducts and surplus grain converted to biofuels

Bioremediation: microbes clean up pollution

Question 15

what is biotechnology and how it relates to microbes

Answer 15

genetically modified microorganisms synthesise products of high commercial value (e.g. insulin, human growth hormone)

Question 16

are moer microbes in nature harmful or beneficial

Answer 16

beneficial

Question 17

who was the first to describe microorganisms

Answer 17

robert hooke 1665

Question 18

what did robert hooke see

Answer 18

blueish mold from leather on a magnification of 20-30x

Question 19

who was the first to describe bacteria

Answer 19

antoni van leeuwenhoek

1676

Question 20

what is the miasma theory

Answer 20

that bad air is the reason for illnesses

Question 21

who was a supporter of miasma theory

Answer 21

dr. william farr

Question 22

what two questions did microbiologists focus on in the mid to late 19th century

Answer 22

Is there spontaneous generation of life?

What is the nature of infectious diseases?

Question 23

test to see if life arises spontaneously

Answer 23

covered and uncovered meat

Question 24

what did louis pasteur disprove

Answer 24

the concept of spontaneous generation

Question 25

what did louis pasteur invent

Answer 25

sterilisation and pasteurisation

Question 26

what vaccines did pasteur develop

Answer 26

anthrax and rabies

Question 27

what did rober koch say about the nature of disease

Answer 27

microbes were suspects but proof was lacking

Question 28

what is kochs postulates

Answer 28

criteria for proving that a specific microorganism causes diseases

Question 29

what did koch develop

Answer 29

Developed simple methods for obtaining bacteria in pure culture

Question 30

how did koch obtain pure cultures

Answer 30

by streaking samples on nutrient solutions solidified with gelatin or agar

Question 31

how did he prove that a specific microorganism causes a specific disease

Answer 31

looked at blood sample of well and of diseased animal

observe blood and tissue sample under microscope

streak agar from each sample

innoculate healthy animal and then check blood

make culture and if it is the same then that pathogen must cause the disease

Question 32

what are the actual kochs postulates

Answer 32

Suspected causative agent must be found in every case of the disease and be absent from the healthy host
Agent must be isolated and grown outside the host
When the agent is introduced into a healthy, susceptible host, the host must get the disease
The same agent must be re-isolated from diseased experimental host

Question 33

application of kochs postulates led to the discovery for the causes of

Answer 33

anthrax
tb
cholera