Chapter 1 key terms Microbiology

Eukaryotic cells

A cell that differs from a prokaryotic cell chiefly by having a nuclear membrane (a well-defined nucleus), membrane bounded sub cellular organelles, and miotic cell division.

Theory

A collection of statements, propositions, r concepts that explains or accounts for a natural event.

Genetic engineering

A field involving deliberate alterations (recombinations) of the genomes of microbes, plants, and animals through special technological processes.

Microbe

A living thing ordinarily too small to be seen without magnification; an organism of microscopic size.

Photosynthesis

A process occurring in plants, algae, and some bacteria that traps the sun's energy and converts it to ATP in the cell. This energy is used to fix CO2 into organic compounds.

Nomenclature

A set system for scientifically naming organisms, enzymes, anatomical structures, etc.

Organelles

A small component of eukaryotic cells that is bounded by a membrane and specialized in function.

Microbiology

A specialized area of biology that deals with living things ordinarily too small to be seen without magnification, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa and viruses.

Recombinant DNA

A technology, associated with genetic engineering that deliberately modifies the genetic structure of an organism to create novel products, microbes, animals, plants, and viruses.

Hypothesis

A tentative explanation of what has been observed or measured.

Germ theory of disease

A theory first originating in the 1800s that proposed that microorganisms can be the cause of diseases. The concept is actually so well established in the present time that it is considered a fact.

Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes

American physician, poet, professor, lecturer, and author. During his career teaching he became an advocate for various medical reforms and notably posited the controversial idea that doctors were capable of carrying puerperal fever from patient to patient.

Parasites

An organism that lives on or within another organism (the host), from which it obtains nutrients and enjoys protection. The parasite produces some degree of harm in the host.

Pathogens

Any agent, usually virus, bacterium, fungus, protozoan, or helminth(worms), that causes diseases.

Biogenesis

Belief that living things can only arise from others of the same kind.

Joseph Lister

British surgeon and scientist, best known for spearheading the medical use of antiseptic medicine.

Biological decomposition

Decomposition can be brought about by exposure to heat, light, or chemical or biological activity. The process of breaking down organic material, such as dead plant or animal tissue, into smaller molecules that are available for use by the organisms of an ecosystem. From the book: The breakdown of dead matter and wastes unto simple compounds that can be directed back into the natural cycle of living things.

Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis

Described as the 'savior of mothers', Semmelweis discovered that the incidence of puerperal fever could be drastically cut by the use of hand disinfection in obstetrical clinics.

Louis Pasteur

Discoveries on the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization. Created the first vaccine for rabies and anthrax. His medical discoveries provided direct support to the germ theory of diseases and its application in clinical medicine. Invention of the technique of treating milk and wine to stop bacterial contamination.

Antoine van Leeuwenhoek

Dutch tradesman and scientist. He is best known for his work on the improvement of the microscope and his contributions towards the establishment of microbiology.

Spontaneous generation

Early belief that living things arose from vital forces present in nonliving, or decomposing, matter.

Robert Koch

Established the relationship between Bacillus anthracis and anthrax. His criteria became known as Koch's Postulates and are still used to establish the link between a particular microorganism and a particular disease.

Fredinand Cohn

German botanist also discovered 'heat-resistant forms of bacteria.' These bacteria are now termed endospores. (bacillus species and Clostridium species)

John Needhman

He did experiments with gravy and later, tainted wheat, in containers. This was in order to experiment with spontaneous generation. The experiments consisted of briefly boiling a broth mixture and then cooling the mixture in an open container to room temperature. Later, the flask would be sealed, and microbes would grow a few days later. Those experiments seemed to show that there was a life force that produced spontaneous generation.

Franz Schultze

He made contributions in his studies on the anatomy and developmental history of invertebrates, in particular, his research and publications in regards to sea sponges. Also conducted important investigations of delicate sponge like protozoans known as xenophyophores.

Theodor Schwann

His many contributions to biology include the development of cell theory, the discovery of Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system, the discovery and study of pepsin, the discovery of the organic nature of yeast, and the invention of metabolism.

Louis Jablot

In 1670 Jablot conducted an experiment in which he divided a hay infusion that had been boiled into two containers: a heated container that was closed to the air and a heated container that was freely open to the art. Only the open vessel developed microorganisms. This further helped to disprove abiogenesis.

John Tyndall

In 1876 discovered that there were two different types of bacteria. Heat sensitive or heat labile forms (vegetative cells) easily destroyed by boiling. Heat resistant types known as an endospore. Tyndall demonstrated that alternate process of heating and cooling if repeated five times, can kill all the endospores. This is known as sterilization process or tyndallization.

Microscopic

Invisible to the naked eye.

Aseptic techniques

Methods of handling microbial cultures, patient specimens, and other sources of microbes in a way that prevents infection of the handler and others who may be exposed.

Host

Organism in which smaller organisms or viruses live, feed, and reproduce

Scientific method

Principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge, involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experimentation, and the formulation and testing of a hypothesis.

Deductive approach

Problem-solving process in which an individual constructs a hypothesis, tests its validity by outlining particular events that are predicted by the hypothesis, and then performs experiments to test for those events.

Binomial System of Nomenclature

Scientific method of assigning names to organisms that employs two named to identify every organism—genus name plus species name

Prokaryotic cells

Small cells, lacking special structures such as nucleus and organelles. All prokaryotes are microorganisms.

Abiogenesis

The belief in spontaneous generation as a source of life.

Morphology

The study of organismic structure.

Physiology

The study of the function of an organism.

Law

The theory has been tested numerous times and hasn't been discredited.

Bioremediation

The use of microbes to reduce or degrade pollutants, industrial wastes, and household garbage.

Francesco redi

Was an Italian physician, naturalist, and poet. He was the first scientist to challenge the theory of spontaneous generation by demonstrating that maggots come from eggs of flies. He was also the first to recognize and correctly describe details of many important parasites, he may rightly be called the father of modern parasitology, the founder of experimental biology.