1. Introduction to Microbiology Chapter 1

2. I. Objectives u Why microbiology? u What is a microbe? u How did we learn all this?

3. II. Why microbiology u A. Microbes rule! –They are everywhere and shape our visible world –They have widest range of diversity –They have adapted to survive in extremely wide range of environments

4. B. Why is microbiology important?

5. III. What are microbes? u A. Domains

6. And... u Viruses

7. B. Structure of Microbes u 1. Prokaryotic

8. 2. Eukaryotes u “eu” u “karyos”

9. C. Identification: structure vs genetics u Bacterial shape u Biochemistry u RNA/DNA

10. D. Classification u Linnaeus –examples »Escherichia coli »Bacillus megaterium »Streptococcus faecalis

11. IV. Origins: u Earth formed u fossil prokaryotes u earliest fossil eukaryotes u animals u all present day life

12. V. Distribution: u Most abundant organisms u Soil content u Human content u Absent?

13. Why are microbes so successful?

14. VI. Historical perspective u Three major epochs u Each marked by advances in methodology

15. A. Epoch 1:1660-1850 u 1. Discovery –Hooke –Anton van Leeuwenhoek

16. 2. How does life originate? u Redi u Needham u Spallanzani

17. B. Epoch 2: 1850-1930 u 1. Ending the spontaneous generation controversy –Pasteur

18. 2. Microbes as infectious disease agents u Lister u Koch and his postulates u Jenner

19. 3. Golden Age of Microbiology: late 1800s u Disease agents u Transformation of organic and inorganic matter

20. C. Epoch 3: 1930s-present u Antimicrobial agents u Branching out of fields

21. And into the new millenium! u Disease u Research u Industry u Biotechnology