Lecture 7

Question 1

Uses of microbes

Answer 1

• Alcohol
• Food (cheese)
• Rubbish decomposition
• Sewage decomposition
• Fuels (methane)

Question 2

What is microbiology?

Answer 2

The study of very
small living organisms called
microorganisms or microbes, these
include bacteria, algea, protozoa,
fungi, viruses, and helminths

Question 3

Basic Microbiology:

Answer 3

1. Deal with all microorganisms.
2. Classification of microorganisms.
3. Visualization of microorganisms (microscopes & staining).
4. Metabolism and metabolic pathways.
5. Nutrition, growth and its requirements.
6. Techniques of sterilization & the disinfection

Question 4

Industrial Microbiology:

Answer 4

1. Deal with microorganisms used in the industry.
2. Characteristics of the bacterial strains.
3. Maintain the bacterial strains unchanged.
4. Concern with quality of the products & its quantity.
5. Deal with storage condition of the products.
6. Shelf-life of the products: for how long the material will
   be stored under proper condition without being
   destructed or spoiled.
7. Mostly industrial microbiology use fermentation
   process to produce certain product

Question 5

Pharmaceutical Microbiology:

Answer 5

1. It’s the use of microorganisms in the production of
   pharmaceutical products such as antibiotics, alcohols,
   enzymes and vitamins.
2. Deal with check of contamination and spoilage of
   pharmaceutical preparation by adding preservative.
3. Use different sterilization techniques and preservation
   of pharmaceutical products.
4. Proper use of antibiotic and chemotherapeutic agent
   (give proper type of antibiotic in proper time for proper
   organism in proper dose for proper duration).

Question 6

Agricultural Microbiology

Answer 6

1. Deal with the N (nitrogen), C (carbon) and S (sulfur)
   cycle in nature.
2. Fertility of soil.
3. Disease of plants.
4. Microorganisms in ruminants used for digestion in the
   rumen.

Question 7

Sanitary Microbiology:

Answer 7

1. Deal with proper disposal of sewage and garbage.
2. Disposal of waste and wastewater.
3. Safety of water and food.
4. Control of flies and vectors, e.g. mosquitoes.

Question 8

Microbial physiology and genetics:

Answer 8

1. Research in microbial physiology lead to better
   understanding of the functions of microbes
2. DNA structure and genetic manipulation with virus and
   bacteria

Question 9

Environmental microbiology (microbial ecology):

Answer 9

• It becomes important branch because the concern aboutpollution of soil, air, water, sewage, food and dairy products
• Also cycling of elements by microbial, environmental and geochemical processes
• In addition, the biodegradation of toxic chemicals by various microorganisms is being used as method for cleaning up hazardous materials found in soil and water

Question 10

Microbes & the human body

Answer 10

• We are sterile in utero
• Colonised during birth process
• Continues in early life e.g. breastmilk
• Most are present transiently, or permanently and offer no harm.
• Most are harmless, but ~3% are pathogens (cause disease)

Question 11

Medical Microbiology

Answer 11

1. Is the study of organisms that cause diseases to humans (pathogenic organisms).
2. The relationship between microorganism and the disease, e.g. S. typhi cause typhoid fever.
3. Characteristics of microorganism causing disease, and how microorganism cause disease as invasion of tissue or by producing toxic products.
4. Mechanism of disease establishment called
   Pathogenesis.
5. Virulence factor of the microorganism called Pathogenicity, e.g. ability to invade host tissue, production of toxins as byproducts.
6. Epidemiology of the disease, deal with source of the disease and method of spread.
7. Diagnosis of disease, based on:
   Proper sampling Stain and culturing

Question 12

The germ theory of disease:

Answer 12

The contagious diseases are transmitted or spread by seeds (microbes) either directly or indirectly (transmitted from diseased to healthy person)

Question 13

Spontaneous Generation

Answer 13

organisms can arise from non-living
matter.

Question 14

Approximately what % of microbes cause disease in human?

Answer 14

3%

Question 15

Father of Medical Microbiology is

Answer 15

Koch

Question 16

Antiseptic methods were first introduced by

Answer 16

Lord Lister

Question 17

Term vaccine was coined by

Answer 17

Pasteur

Question 18

Define the theory of spontaneous generation.

Answer 18

Early belief that some forms of life could arise from “vital forces” present in nonliving or decomposing matter. In other words, organisms can arise from non-living matter.

Question 19

Which disease assisted Jenner in making the smallpox vaccine?

Answer 19

Cowpox

Question 20

Which historical figure is famous for introducing hygienic practice into surgery?

Answer 20

In 1867, Joseph Lister developed a system of surgery designed to prevent microorganisms from entering wounds - phenol (carbolic acid) sprayed in air around.

Question 21

Describe how Fleming discovered penicillin?

Answer 21

In 1928 Fleming observed that the growth of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited in areas surrounding the colony of a mold that had contaminated a Petri plate. The mold was identified as Penicillium notatum, and its active compound was named penicillin.

Question 22

What are the 4 postulates of Robert Koch?

Answer 22

• The causative agent must be present in all affected organisms but absent in healthy individuals.
• The agent must be capable of being isolated and cultured in pure form.
• When the cultured agent is introduced to a healthy organism, the same disease must occur.
• The same causative agent must be isolated again from the affected host.

Question 23

What impact does a knowledge of microbiology have upon chiropractors?

Answer 23

• Infection control
• Transmission of disease
• Recognition of disease