Scope of Microbiology

In everyday life we run into millions of microbes. Some of the bacteria is capable of making humans sick. The study of microbes has become very important subject to help stop potential pandemics and ensure proper hygiene. Anthony van Leeuwenhoek was the first scientist who discovered bacteria. In my study of microbiology, I got to choose an unknown bacteria to identify. It is important to start off finding the family of the unknown bacteria and then eliminating one by one the species to know which bacteria it is. By knowing the family, a scientist can save themselves a lot of time by knowing which tests need to be performed for the elimination process. This might seem like a waste of time to one but being able to correctly identify bacteria

One of my areas of interest is microbiology, particularly the mechanisms by which pathogens evade host defense systems and cause disease. Since I currently work in a microbiology lab I have read a few papers dealing with these issues and as such I would like to investigate the clinical aspects of bacterial infections.

For many years the identification of microorganisms has been important in the world of medicine. It is essential or correct disease diagnosis in patients and for proper treatment. Knowing the correct identity and characteristics of microorganism is crucial when disease outbreaks occur in populations, also knowing how humans can benefit from microorganisms is important; many can be used in making certain foods or antibiotics.

Bacteria - are micro-organisms that consist of only one cell. Bacteria multiply by splitting themselves in two, which is called a binary fission. Because of this they can increase in number rapidly. The majority are harmless, but some can be pathogenic which results in bacterial infection occuring. Bacterial infections can be treated by using antibiotics. Bacteria can evolve a resistance to antibiotic e.g. MRSA. Some diseases caused by bacteria include tuberculosis, pneumonia, salmonella, tetanus and syphilis.

There are many reasons for knowing the identity of microorganisms. The reasons range from knowing the causative agent of a disease in a patient, so as to know how it can be treated, to knowing the correct microorganism to be used for making certain foods or antibiotics. This study was done by applying all of the methods that I have been learned so far in the microbiology laboratory class for the identification of an unknown bacterium.

Since microorganisms are not visible to the eye, the essential tool in microbiology is the microscope. One of the first to use a microscope to observe microorganisms was Robert Hooke, the English biologist who observed algae and fungi in the 1660s. In the 1670s, “Anton van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch merchant, constructed a number of simple microscopes and observed details of numerous forms of protozoa, fungi, and bacteria” (Introduction to Microscopes, n.d.). During the 1700s, microscopes were used to further explore on the microbial world, and by the late 1800s, the light microscope had been developed. “The electron microscope was developed in the 1940s, thus

I nominate myself, Dr. Ava Morrow, for the HBCU Alumni Award in the category of education because of my Service to Gallaudet University and my commitment to providing excellent leadership as the STEM Program Director for the DC Metro HBCU Alumni Alliance, Inc. I was destined to be an educator. As a child I loved to play hide and go seek, dodge ball jump rope and pretend school. I always wanted to be the teacher when we pretended to be in school. My desire to be an educator was nurtured while in middle school and high school as I served as a tutor for students in my biology class.

After many performed test such as the API 20E test strip, motility test, inoculated plates, gram stain, an identification flow chart which began with the results from an indole, MR, VP, and citrate test. This amongst many other test. These results brought the conclusion of my unknown culture to be Escherichia coli, my unknown number was 11.

living hosts. Bacteria is a Prokaryotic cells that are present in the soil, air, water and in many

- death rate, # or % of people who have the disease who actually die from it or complications from it. EX: 25% of the people who caught smallpox died from it

Microbes are everywhere and anywhere. Microbes can be found from on surfaces of our daily lives to microbes we encounter and spread on. Microbes have been always since life started in this planet. According to a BBC article about Earth, “…an older microbe came to light…to be a remarkable 3.5 million years” (BBC). As stated, microbes may be considered to have been here long before any other living organism, which means these microbes have evolved through time as well. With evolving comes the different types of bacteria that may benefit us and also harm us. Harmful bacteria such as Lyme disease and the Plague which both derive from an infected insect with different bacterium. These two different disease made different approaches to our history

Microbial cultures - means cultures that resulted from a process where pathogens were intentionally isolated.

The importance of understanding microbes is not only important in a microbiology lab setting. There are a plethora of reasons for knowing and understanding the identity and function of microorganisms. For example, in the medical and health science fields it is important to have an over-all understanding of microbes and their functions, in order to distinguish the causative agent of disease in a patient (Tortora et al., 2013). This allows health professionals to treat their patients safely and efficiently. Microbes also play a critical role in the food industry, recycling matter, and fighting disease and infection (Tortora et al., 2013). Most microbes are harmless or beneficial (Matthews, 2015). By staying educated and continuing to increase our knowledge about the significance and functions of microbes in our

Life on this planet began with microorganisms. Through millions of years microorganisms have found ways to successfully adapt and survive. These adaptations have created a wide biodiversity, allowing them to basically populate in all places. Why are these microbes so important? Because they shape the history of our world. Some microbes can be deathly to humans while some others are favorable, for example, bacteria that lives in the gut of both humans and animals and helps during the process of digestion (Alfred Brown & Heidi Smith, 2006). Understanding these interactions help scientists to find ways to protect humans from potential deathly pathogens. In order to observe microbes, microscope proficiency and microorganisms’ identification are crucial skills in a microbiology lab. During this laboratory session, samples of environmental and human organisms were inoculated into two different rich media and incubated to their according temperature. After this, appropriate use and calibration of the microscope was performed. Lastly, morphology and size of different species of bacteria, algae, fungi and protozoan were recorded.

From the very beginning of my student life, I loved biology. When I was in my lower secondary school, I still remember that day when my science teacher told me the story of microbes and the day after showed and taught applications of microscope, my interest in microbiology started to take its shape. I became even intensely interested when he told us that bacteria and virus are invisible to your naked eyes, however they can cause you disease and some might kill you. After the completion of my high school as a science major student, my parents wanted me to join medical school and become a doctor. But I had already encrypted curiosity of microbiology inside my mind. So, I began my journey into the world of microbiology. I secretly joined microbiology without telling my parents and told them that I am not shortlisted in MBBS exam.