MODULE 1

Module Title: Microbiology – The Science

Overview:
This module introduces students to the science of microbiology. It emphasizes the importance
of microorganisms in our daily lives and provides reasons why people should learn about
microorganisms. It also describes various microbiology career fields as well as the contributions of three
microbiology pioneers (Leeuwenhoek, Pasteur and Koch)

Module Objectives:
At the end of the module, the student should be able to:
1. Define microbiology, pathogen, non-pathogen and opportunistic pathogen.
2. Differentiate between acellular microbes and microorganisms.
3. Enumerate reasons why microorganisms are important.
4. Explain relationship between microorganisms and infectious diseases.
5. Differentiate between infectious diseases and microbial intoxications.
6. Differentiate between biogenesis and abiogenesis.
7. Explain the germ theory of disease.
8. Outline Koch’s postulates and cite some circumstances where they are applicable.

Module Coverage:
A. Topic: Microbiology as a Science
B. Topic: Pioneers in the Field of Microbiology
C. Topic: Careers in Microbiology

TOPIC A:
Topic Title: Microbiology as a Science
Introduction:
This topic provides an introduction to the science of microbiology. It emphasizes the
importance of microorganisms in our daily lives and provides reasons why people should learn about
microorganisms. Key terms such as pathogens, nonpathogens, opportunistic pathogens, indigenous
microflora, infectious diseases and microbial intoxications are defined.

Topic Objectives:
At the end of the topic, the student should be able to:
1. Define microbiology, pathogen, non-pathogen and opportunistic pathogen.
2. Differentiate between acellular microbes and microorganisms and enumerate examples of each.
3. Discuss reasons why microorganisms are important.
4. Explain relationship between microorganisms and infectious diseases.
5. Differentiate between infectious diseases and microbial intoxications.

Topic Contents:
 PPP
 Use internet to learn more about differences between acellular microbes and microorganisms
 Use internet to choose a food product that requires microbial participation in the manufacturing
process and write a short report about it. Include in the report name of microorganism used in
the manufacture of food and the reaction the microorganism causes.
  Use internet to make a list of common infectious diseases and the microorganisms that cause
them. Include scientific names of microorganisms and category of microorganisms under which
they fall (bacteria, virus, fungus, etc.).

TOPIC B:
Topic Title: Pioneers in the Field of Microbiology
Introduction:
This topic describes the contributions of three microbiology pioneers -Leeuwenhoek, Pasteur
and Koch. It also discusses the microbiological theories that each pioneer proposed.

Topic Objectives:
At the end of the topic, the student should be able to:
1. Outline some of the contributions of Leeuwenhoek, Pasteur and Koch to microbiology.
2. Differentiate between biogenesis and abiogenesis.
3. Explain germ theory of disease.
4. Outline Koch’s postulates and cite some circumstances in which they may apply.

Topic Contents:
 PPP
 Use internet to research thoroughly the history behind the theories of biogenesis and
abiogenesis and how different scientists helped disprove the theory of abiogenesis. Write a
short report about your findings.

TOPIC C:
Topic Title: Careers in Microbiology
Introduction:
This topic introduces students to the different career fields within the science of microbiology.
While many fields are highly specialized, other career fields in microbiology pertain more to applied
microbiology, that is, how a knowledge of microbiology can be applied to different aspects of society,
medicine and industry.

Topic Objective:
At the end of the topic, student should be able to:
1. Differentiate specializations within the science of microbiology.
2. Discuss medically related fields of microbiology.
3. Differentiate between medical and clinical microbiology.

Topic Contents:
 PPP

Review of Key Points

 Microbiology is the study of microbes. Individual microbes can be observed only with
the use of various types of microscopes.
 The two major categories of microbes are acellular microbes (also called infectious
particles) and cellular microbes (also called microorganisms).
 Acellular microbes include viruses and prions.
  Cellular microbes include all bacteria, all archaea, some algae, all protozoa, and some
fungi.
 Because viruses are acellular (not composed of cells), they are often referred to as
“acellular microbes” or “infectious particles” rather than microorganisms.
 Microbes are ubiquitous, meaning that they are found virtually everywhere.
 Microbes that live on and in various parts of the human body are called our indigenous
microflora (or indigenous microbiota).
 Only a small percentage of known microbes cause disease. Those that do are called
pathogens.
 Pathogens cause two types of diseases: infectious diseases and microbial intoxications.
 Microbes that do not cause disease are called nonpathogens. Opportunistic pathogens
do not cause disease under ordinary conditions, but have the potential to cause disease
should the opportunity present itself (e.g., if they gain access to the “wrong place” at
the “wrong time”).
 Many microbes are involved in the decomposition of dead organisms and the waste
products of living organisms. Collectively, they are referred to as decomposers or
saprophytes. A saprophyte is an organism that lives on dead and/or decaying organic
matter.
 The use of microbes to clean up toxic wastes and other industrial waste products is
known as bioremediation.
 Many microbes play essential roles in various elemental cycles, such as the carbon,
nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and phosphorous cycles. Photosynthetic algae and bacteria
(such as cyanobacteria) produce much of the oxygen in our atmosphere.
 Many microbes are used in various industries, such as food, beverage, chemical, and
antibiotic industries. The use of living organisms or their derivatives to make or modify
useful products or processes is called biotechnology.
 Three of the early microbiologists who made significant contributions to our present
understanding of microbes were Anton van Leeuwenhoek, Louis Pasteur, and Robert
Koch.
 Robert Koch and his colleagues established an experimental procedure to prove that a
specific microbe is the cause of a specific infectious disease. This scientific procedure
became known as Koch’s Postulates.

Spotlight on Additional Careers in Microbiology

Agricultural Microbiology
Agricultural microbiology is an excellent career field for individuals with interests in agriculture
and microbiology. Included in the field of agricultural microbiology are studies of the beneficial
and harmful roles of microbes in soil formation and fertility; in carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus,
and sulfur cycles; in diseases of plants; in the digestive processes of cows and other ruminants;
and in the production of crops and foods. Many different viruses, bacteria, and fungi cause
plant diseases. A food microbiologist is concerned with the production, processing, storage,
cooking, and serving of food, as well as the prevention of food spoilage, food poisoning, and
food toxicity. A dairy microbiologist oversees the grading, pasteurization, and processing of milk
and cheeses to prevent contamination, spoilage, and transmission of diseases from
environmental, animal, and human sources.
Biotechnology (Industrial Microbiology)
Biotechnology (Industrial Microbiology)—the use of microorganisms in industry—is an excellent
career field for individuals with interests in industry and microbiology. Many businesses and
industries depend on the proper growth and maintenance of certain microbes to produce beer,
wine, alcohol, and organic materials such as enzymes, vitamins, and antibiotics. Industrial
microbiologists monitor and maintain the microorganisms that are essential for these
commercial enterprises. Applied microbiologists conduct research aimed at producing new
products and more effective antibiotics.
Environmental Microbiology and Bioremediation
The field of environmental microbiology, or microbial ecology, has become increasingly
important in recent years because of heightened awareness and concern about dangers to the
environment. Environmental microbiologists are concerned about water and sewage
treatment. The purification of waste water is partially accomplished by bacteria in the holding
tanks of sewage disposal plants, in which feces, garbage, and other organic materials are
collected and reduced to harmless waste. Some microorganisms, such as the iron- and sulfur-
utilizing bacteria even break down metals and minerals. Bioremediation involves the use of
microorganisms to clean up after ourselves—that is, to clean up landfills and industrial and
toxic wastes. The beneficial activities of microbes affect every part of our environment,
including soil, water, and air. Environmental microbiology and bioremediation are excellent
career fields for individuals with interests in ecology and microbiology.
Microbial Genetics and Genetic Engineering
Microbial genetics involves the study of microbial DNA, chromosomes, plasmids, and genes.
(Plasmids are small, circular molecules of extrachromosomal DNA. Genetic engineering involves
the insertion of foreign genes into microorganisms (usually into bacteria or yeasts). These
foreign genes may come from any other organism (e.g., another microorganism, an animal, or
even a plant). The primary purpose of inserting a foreign gene into a microorganism is to create
a microbe that is capable of either producing a product of importance to us or accomplishing
some task of importance to us. Genetic engineering has applications in agricultural,
environmental, industrial, and medical microbiology. The intestinal bacterium, Escherichia coli,
has been used extensively in microbial genetics, genetic engineering, and microbial physiology.
Microbial genetics and genetic engineering are excellent career fields for individuals with
interests in genetics and microbiology.
Microbial Physiology
Research in microbial physiology has contributed immensely to our understanding of the
structure and functions of microbial cells. What microbiologists learn about microbial cells quite
often applies to cells, in general. Microbial physiology is an excellent career field for individuals
with interests in biochemistry and microbiology.
Paleomicrobiology
The field of paleomicrobiology involves the study of ancient microbes. Although life is thought
to have originated between 3.7 and 4 billion years ago, there are no cellular fossils available
from that time period. But there are molecular fossils—molecules (usually lipids) known to be
made only by organisms or, in some cases, only by particular organisms. Finding such molecular
fossils in ancient rocks serves as evidence that life existed at that time. The earliest molecular
fossils date back to between 3.7 and 4 billion years ago. Some paleomicrobiologists examine
and study skeletons and mummified human remains to determine the infectious diseases that
occurred in ancient civilizations. Such studies often involve the recovery of microbial DNA from
bone and mummified tissue samples. For example, finding Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in
Egyptian mummies has revealed that tuberculosis existed as far back as 3000 BC.
Paleomicrobiology is an excellent career field for individuals with interests in anthropology,
archaeology, and microbiology.
Parasitology
Technically, any organism that lives on or in another living organism is called a parasite. It
would seem, then, that the term parasite would apply to all of the microorganisms of our
indigenous microflora—the viruses and bacteria that live on or in the human body. However,
the field of parasitology involves only the following three categories of parasites: parasitic
protozoa, helminths (parasitic worms), and arthropods (specifically, certain insects and
arachnids). A parasitologist studies these organisms and their life cycles in an attempt to
discover the best ways to control and treat the diseases that they cause.
Sanitary Microbiology
The field of sanitary microbiology includes the processing and disposal of garbage and sewage
wastes, as well as the purification and processing of water supplies to ensure that no pathogens
are carried to the consumer by drinking water. Sanitary microbiologists also inspect food
processing installations and eating establishments to ensure that proper food handling
procedures are being enforced.

Veterinary Microbiology
A wide variety of microbes—including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa—cause infectious
diseases in animals. Control of such diseases is the concern of veterinary microbiologists. The
production of food from livestock, the raising of other agriculturally important animals, the care
of pets, and the transmission of diseases from animals to humans are areas of major
importance in this field. Infectious diseases of humans that are acquired from animal sources
are called zoonoses or zoonotic diseases. Veterinary microbiology is an excellent career field for
a person who is fond of animals and microbiology.

Learning Activities:
Post summative assessment.
Matching Questions
_____ 1. Developed vaccines for anthrax and rabies. A. Anton von Leeuwenhoek
_____ 2. Proposed the theory of biogenesis. B. Robert Koch
_____ 3. Discovered the causative agent of plague. C. Louis Pasteur
_____ 4. The first person to observe live bacteria & protozoa. D. Rudolf Virchow
_____ 5. Developed an experimental procedure that could be E. Alexandre Emil Jean Yersin
used to prove that a specific microorganism is the
cause of a specific infectious disease.

_____ 6. Organisms that live on dead or decaying organic matter. A. Pathogens

_____ 7. Microorganisms that do not cause disease. B. Non pathogens
_____ 8. Microorganisms that usually do not cause disease, but can C. Opportunistic pathogens
cause disease under certain circumstances. D. Indigenous microflora
_____ 9. The microorganisms that live on us and in us. E. Saprophytes
_____ 10. The most common cause of infectious diseases or
microbial intoxications.

True/False Questions
_____ 1. All infectious diseases are caused by pathogens.
_____ 2. Pathogens greatly outnumber nonpathogens.
_____ 3. Using microorganisms to clean up the environment is known as bioremediation.
_____ 4. Microorganisms are essential in the field of genetic engineering.
_____ 5. Microorganisms probably appeared on earth about 3.5 million years ago.
_____ 6. Anton von Leeuwenhoek’s experiments helped to prove that microorganisms cause disease.
_____ 7. Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch made significant contributions to the “Germ Theory of Disease”.
_____ 8. Pasteurization is a process that kills all microorganisms present in the liquid being pasteurized.
_____ 9. Microorganisms contribute more oxygen to our atmosphere than plants do.
_____ 10. Infectious diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans are known as zoonoses.

Answers:
Matching Questions True/False Questions
1. C 1. True
2. D 2. False (the reverse is true)
3. E 3. True
4. A 4. True
 5. B 5. False (3.5 billion years ago)
6. E 6. False (Leeuwenhoek did not make link between disease &
7. B microorganisms he observed; Pasteur & Koch did)
8. C 7. True
9. D 8. False (pasteurization is a process designed to kill pathogens;
10. A it does not kill all microorganisms that might be present in
the liquid being pasteurized
9. True
10. True

Reference:
Engelkirk, P. G. and G. R. W. Burton. 2011. Burton’s Microbiology for the Health Sciences. Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins. Baltimore, MD, 398 pp.