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Engineering
AN INTRODUCTION TO MICROBIOLOGY
Bioremediation is the use of microbes to degrade organic matter in sewage and detoxify
pollutants such as oil spills.
Modern Uses of Microbes
Biotechnology, the use of microbes as miniature biochemical
factories to produce food and chemicals is centuries old.
Genetic engineering makes use of molecular biology and
recombinant DNA techniques as new tools for biotechnology.
Gene therapy replaces missing or defective genes in human
cells through genetic engineering.
Genetically modified bacteria are used to protect crops from
pests and freezing.
Brief History of Microbiology
The Microscope
Spontaneous Generation
The First Microscope
ANTONY VAN LEEUWENHOEK (1632-1723)
First to observe living microbes
His single-lens magnified 50-300X
magnification
Between 1674-1723 he wrote series
of papers describing his observations
of bacteria, algae, protozoa, and fungi
(Animalcules)
The First Microscope Cont.
Abiogenesis vs. Biogenesis
“Spontaneous Generation” was an early belief that living things can
arise from vital forces present in nonliving and decaying matter.
(Ex: maggots from meat or mushrooms from rotting wood
The alternative hypothesis that living organisms can arise only from
preexisting life forms is called “Biogenesis”.
The Pros and Cons
Trapped airborne organisms in cotton; he also heated the necks of flasks, drawing them out into
long curves, sterilized the media, and left the flasks open to the air.
In this way Pasteur disproved the theory of spontaneous generation
Phylogenetic classification of micro-organisms
Eukaryotic
Algae
Prokaryotic Fungi
Eubacteria Archaeabacteria Protozoa
Universal Ancestor
Phylogenetic classification of micro-
organisms
EUBACTERIA most abundant of the bacteria
found in soil, water and animal digestive tracts
ARCHAEACTERIA live in extreme conditions (temperature, pH
etc) mostly anaerobic (unable to live in the
presence of oxygen)
EUKARYOTES algae: live in soil and water, contains chlorophyll
for photosynthesis, has a cell wall
fungi: yeast, molds. Lack chlorophyll and
obtains energy from organic compounds in soil
and water, has a cell wall
protozoa: colorless, lacks a cell wall, ingests
other organisms or organic particles
The General Characteristics of
Microorganism
• Cellular Organization
- “Prokaryotic” vs “eukaryotics” cells
Prokaryotic (bacterial and archaeal) cells are about 10 times smaller than
eukaryotic cells
Prokaryotic cells lack many cell structures such as double membrane-
bound organelles
All prokaryotes are microorganism, but only some eukaryotes are
Major Differences between prokaryotic
and eukaryotic micro-organisms
Cell Types
bacteria
bacteriophage
algae
cyanobacteria
spirochaetes
fungi
Size of Microbes
Bacteria in um = 10-6 m
Helminths in mm = 10-3 m
Diversity of Microbes
Bacteria-single celled prokaryotes
Protozoa-eukaryotic, single celled, colonial, many
ways of nutrition
Fungi- absorb nutrients, single celled filamentous
Viruses-acellular entities
Others- worms, insects
Bacteria & Archaea
◦ Unicellular and lack nuclei
◦ Much smaller than eukaryotes
◦ Found everywhere there is sufficient moisture;
some found in extreme environments
◦ Reproduce asexually
◦ Two kinds
◦ Bacteria – cell walls contain peptidoglycan;
some lack cell walls; most do not cause
disease and some are beneficial
◦ Archaea – cell walls composed of polymers
other than peptidoglycan
Archaea
Prokaryotes
Lack peptidoglycan
Live in extreme environments
(extremophiles)
Include:
Methanogens
Extreme halophiles
Extreme thermophiles
Fungi
◦ Eukaryotic (have membrane-bound
nucleus)
◦ Obtain food from other organisms
◦ Possess cell walls
◦ Composed of
◦ Molds – multicellular; have
hyphae; reproduce by sexual and
asexual spores
◦ Yeasts – unicellular; reproduce
asexually by budding; some
produce sexual spores
Protozoa
◦ Single-celled eukaryotes
◦ Similar to animals in nutrient needs and
cellular structure
◦ Live freely in water; some live in animal hosts
◦ Asexual (most) and sexual reproduction
◦ Most are capable of locomotion by
◦ Pseudopodia – cell extensions that flow in
direction of travel
◦ Cilia – numerous, short, hairlike protrusions
that propel organisms through environment
◦ Flagella – extensions of a cell that are fewer,
longer, and more whiplike than cilia
Algae
◦ Unicellular or multicellular
◦ Photosynthetic
◦ Simple reproductive structures QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
◦ Categorized on the basis of are needed to see this picture.