1 Introduction To Microbiology

INTRODUCTION TO
MICROBIOLOGY
Eric B. Panopio, M.D.

What is Microbiology?
 Micro - too small to be seen with the naked
eye
 Bio - life
 ology - study of
Organisms included in the study
of Microbiology
 1. Bacteria  Bacteriology
 2. Protozoans  Protozoology
 3. Algae  Phycology
 4. Parasites  Parasitology
 5. Yeasts and Molds
 Fungi  Mycology
 6. Viruses  Virology
Microorganisms - Microbes - Germs

5 Kingdoms of Living Organisms
 1. Animalia
 2. Plantae
 3. Fungi
 4. Protista
 5. Monera - Bacteria and Cyanobacteria
 Eukaryotic vs. Prokaryotic

5 Characteristics of Life
1. Cells
2. Maintain structure by taking up chemicals and
energy from the environment
3. Respond to stimuli in the external
environment
4. Reproduce and pass on their organization to
their offspring
5. Evolve and adapt to the environment
Microbiological Classification of
Infectious Diseases
 Disease is a disturbance in the state of health
 Microbes cause disease in the course of stealing
space, nutrients, and/or living tissue from their
symbiotic hosts (e.g., us)
 To do this, microbes do most of the following:
 Gain access to the host (contamination)
 Adhere to the host (adherence)
 Replicate on the host (colonization)
 Invade tissues (invasion)
 Produce toxins or other agents that cause host harm
(damage)
BIOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS
OF INFECTIOUS AGENTS
 Infectivity – the ability to infect a host

 Pathogenicity – the ability to cause disease in
the host
 Virulence – the ability to cause severe disease
in the host
 Immmunogenicity –the ability to induce an
immune response in the host
Infectious Disease Terms
Infectious dose – number of organisms needed to successfully infect
Latent period - exposure to infectiousness interval
Incubation period – interval from exposure to clinical symptoms
Infectious period – interval during which host can transmit infection
Reproductive rate – ability of an agent to spread in populations
Virulence
Pathogenicity
Immunogenicity
Outbreak – limited spread
Endemic – usually present; steady prevalence
Epidemic – rapid spread
Pandemic – occurring across countries and in multiple populations
Important Terms
MODES OF TRANSMISSION
 Direct
 Droplet
 Aerosol
 Skin to skin
 Indirect
 Fomites (clothes, blankets, door handles etc)
 Vectors (e.g. mosquitoes)
 Food and water
 Intermediate hosts (e.g. snails)

CLINICAL RESPONSES TO
INFECTION BY AN AGENT
 Inapparent infection – no clinical symptoms
generated
 Carrier state – usually no clinical symptoms but
host can transmit infection for long periods
 Clinical symptoms
 Mild disease
 Severe disease
 Residual impairment
 death
CLASSIFICATION OF
INFECTIOUS AGENTS (1 of 2)
 Bacteria – survive on appropriate media, stain gram-

positive or -negative
 Viruses – obbligate intracellular parasites which only
replicate intracellularly (DNA, RNA)
 Fungi – non-motile filamentous, branching strands of
connected cells
 Metazoa – multicellular animals (e.g.parasites) with
complicated life cycles often involving several hosts
CLASSIFICATION OF
INFECTIOUS AGENTS (2 of 2)
 Protozoa – single cell organisms with a well-defined

nucleus
 Rickettsia – very small bacteria spread by ticks
 Prions – unique proteins lacking genetic molecules
 Chlamydia – bacteria lacking cell walls
Size Comparison of Microbes
Bacterial Cell Structure
James D. Dick, PhD, Johns Hopkins University

Taxonomic Classification
 Man
 Kingdom  Animalia
 Phylum  Chordata
 Class  Mammalia
 Order  Primate
 Family  Hominidae
 Genus  Homo
 species  sapien
 Cat
 Kingdom  Animalia
 Phylum  Chordate
 Class  Mammalia
 Order  Carnivora
 Family  Felidae
 Genus  Felis
 species  domestica
Binomial System of Taxonomic
Classification
 Use only the Genus and species
 Homo sapien
 Felis domestica
 Escherichia coli
 Genus and species are either underlined or
italicized
 Genus is always capitilized
 species is never capitilized
Classification System
 3 Domains 1978 Carl Woese
 1. Bacteria
 Unicellular prokaryotes with cell wall containing
peptidoglycan
 2. Archaea
 Unicellular prokaryotes with no peptodoglycan in
cell wall
 3. Eukarya
 Protista
 Fungi
 Plantae
 Animalia
Bacteria - what comes to mind?
 Diseases
 Infections
 Epidemics
 Food Spoilage
 Only 1% of all known bacteria cause human
diseases
 About 4% of all known bacteria cause plant
diseases
 95% of known bacteria are non-pathogens
Microbes Benefit Humans
 1.Bacteria are primary decomposers - recycle
nutrients back into the environment (sewage
treatment plants)
 2. Microbes produce various food products
 cheese, pickles, sauerkraut, green olives
 yogurt, soy sauce, vinegar, bread
 Beer, Wine, Alcohol

3. Microbes are used to produce Antibiotics
 Penicillin
 Mold
 Penicillium notatum
 1928 Alexander Fleming

4. Bacteria synthesize chemicals that our
body needs, but cannot synthesize
 Example: E. coli
 B vitamins - for metabolism
 Vitamin K - blood clotting
 Escherichia coli
 Dr. Escherich
 Colon (intestine)
5. Biochemistry and Metabolism
 Very simple structure
 rapid rate of reproduction
 provides “instant” data
6. Microbial Antagonism
 Our normal microbial flora prevents potential
pathogens from gaining access to our body
7. Insect Pest Control
 Using bacteria to control the growth of insects
 Bacillus thuringiensis
 caterpillars
 bollworms
 corn borers
8. Bioremediation
 Using microbes to clean up pollutants and
toxic wastes
 Exxon Valdez - 1989
 2 Genera
 Pseudomonas sp.
 Bacillus sp.
9. Recombinant DNA Technology
Gene Therapy
Genetic Engineering
 Bacteria can be manipulated to produce
enzymes and proteins they normally would not
produce
 Insulin
 Human Growth Hormone
 Interferon
10. Microbes form the basis of
the food chain
 Marine and fresh water microorganisms
General Characteristics
 Prokaryotes no nucleus and organelles
 Eukaryotes membrane bound nucleus

and organelles
 Acellular agents genomes contain either

DNA or RNA; newer agent
is proteinaceous
Cell Types
Comparative cellular structures of microbes

The Microbes
viruses protozoa
bacteria
bacteriophage
algae
cyanobacteria
spirochaetes
fungi
Size of Microbes
Microbes vary in size ranging

from 10 nm (nanometers) to
100 mu (micrometers) to the
macroscopic.
Viruses in nm = 10-9 m (meter)
Bacteria in um = 10-6 m
Helminths in mm = 10-3 m
Bacteria
Prokaryotes
Peptidoglycan cell walls
Binary fission
Ex: Escherichia coli

Archaea
Prokaryotes
Lack peptidoglycan
Live in extreme environments
(extremophiles)
Include:
 Methanogens
 Extreme halophiles
 Extreme thermophiles
Fungi
Eukaryotes
Chitin cell walls
Molds and mushrooms

are multicellular
Yeasts are unicellular

Protozoa
Eukaryotes
Mostly saprobes and

commensals
May be motile by means

of pseudopod, cilia or
flagella
Algae
Eukaryotes
Cellulose cell walls
Photosynthetic
Produce molecular oxygen
and organic compounds
Part of food chain
Helminths
Eukaryotes
Multicellular animals
Parasitic flatworms and
roundworms called
helminths
Microscopic stages in life
cycles
Viruses
Acellular
Obligate intracellular parasites
Genome consist of DNA or
RNA called Core
Core surrounded by protein
coat called Capsid
Virion may be enclosed in lipid
envelope
Prions
Proteinaceous infectious
agents
Causes Bovine Spongiform

Encephalopathy (BSE)
Also causes Creutzfeldt-

Jacob Disease (CJD)
An Emerging Infectious

Disease (EID)
Microbes do benefit us, but they are also
capable of causing many diseases
 PneumoniaWhooping Cough
 Botulism Typhoid Fever Measles
 Cholera Scarlet Fever Mumps
 Syphilis Gonorrhea Herpes 1
 Chlamydia Tuberculosis Herpes 2
 Meningitis Tetanus RMSV
 Strep Throat Lyme Disease AIDS
 Black Plague Diarrhea Gangrene
Naming of Bacteria
 Genus and species - Binomial System of
 Information usually given:

 1. Describes an organism
 2. Identifies a habitat
 3. Honors a scientist or researcher

Bacterial Morphology
 Bacilli
 Cocci
 Spiral
Arrangements
 Staphylo
 Strepto
 Diplo
 Sarcinae
 Tetrad
 Vibrio comma shaped

 bacter bacilli
 bacterium bacilli
 Staphylococcus aureus  Escherichia coli
 Staphylococcus  Bacillus anthrasis
epidermidis  Salmonella enteridis
 Streptococcus  Streptococcus
pneumoniae pyogenes
 Steptococcus lactis
 Vibrio cholerae
 Streptococcus faecalis
 Rhodospirillium rubrum  Erlichia canis
 Bacillus subtilis  Campylobacter jujuni
 Micrococcus luteus  Helicobacter pylori
 Enterobacter
aerogenes
End:
Introduction to Microbiology
Prepared by:
Eric B. Panopio, M.D.

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INTRODUCTION TO

Eric B. Panopio, M.D.

Microorganisms - Microbes - Germs

 Eukaryotic vs. Prokaryotic

 Infectivity – the ability to infect a host

 Food and water

 Intermediate hosts (e.g. snails)

 Bacteria – survive on appropriate media, stain gram-

 Protozoa – single cell organisms with a well-defined

James D. Dick, PhD, Johns Hopkins University

 Beer, Wine, Alcohol

 1928 Alexander Fleming

 Prokaryotes no nucleus and organelles

 Eukaryotes membrane bound nucleus

 Acellular agents genomes contain either

Comparative cellular structures of microbes

Microbes vary in size ranging

Viruses in nm = 10-9 m (meter)

Peptidoglycan cell walls

Ex: Escherichia coli

Chitin cell walls

Molds and mushrooms

Yeasts are unicellular

Mostly saprobes and

May be motile by means

Causes Bovine Spongiform

Also causes Creutzfeldt-

An Emerging Infectious

 Information usually given:

 3. Honors a scientist or researcher

 Vibrio comma shaped

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