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0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in Sci 123: Microbiology and Parasitology Module No. 1

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. 1

INTRODUCTION TO MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY

MODULE OVERVIEW

Welcome to the amazing world of microbes and parasites - Science 123 – Microbiology and
Parasitology. In this module, you will discover a number of important concepts about what is Microbiology,
the earliest known infectious diseases, and pioneers in the science of Microbiology, many of which will be
elaborated in subsequent modules. These concepts are part of the foundation for understanding the microbial
world and how microbes are important components of the ecosystem.

MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES

After completing this module, you should be able to:

 explain what is Microbiology;
 describe the first microorganisms on Earth;
 characterize the earliest known infectious diseases; and
 differentiate the pioneers in the science of Microbiology.

WHAT IS MICROBIOLOGY & PARASITOLOGY?

Microbiology is the branch of science that deals with the study of microbes. With only rare
exceptions, individual microbes can be observed with the use of various types of microscopes. Microbes are
regarded to be ubiquitous which means they are everywhere.
Parasitology is another branch of science concerned with the study of parasites and parasitic
diseases, their hosts and the relationship between them.

WHY STUDY MICROBIOLOGY?

The microbes that live on and in the human body are referred to as our indigenous microbiota.
Indigenous microbiota inhibits the growth of pathogens in areas of the body where they live by occupying
space, depleting food supply, and secreting materials. Some microbes that colonize (inhabit) our bodies are
known as opportunistic pathogens (opportunists) which are microbes that do not cause us any problems
but they have the potential to cause infections should there be any opportunity. Hence, microbes are essential
for life on Earth where they contribute more to our atmosphere than do plants.

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Study Guide in Sci 123: Microbiology and Parasitology Module No. 1

Many microbes are involved in the decomposition of dead organisms and waste materials of other
organisms which are commonly referred to as decomposers or saprophytes. Some microbes are capable of
decomposing industrial wastes like oil spills. Bioremediation involves the use of living organisms, microbes
and bacteria in the removal of contaminants and pollutants which can also be utilized to clean up oil spills.
Examples include Pseudomonas putida and Dechloromonas aromatica.

Many microbes are involved in elemental cycles, such as the carbon, nitrogen oxygen, sulfur, and
phosphorus cycles. For instance, in the nitrogen cycle, certain bacteria convert nitrogen gas in the air to
ammonia to nitrites and nitrates. Other bacteria also convert the nitrogen in nitrates to nitrogen gas, thus
completing the cycle.

Some microbes live in the intestinal tracts of animals, where they aid in the digestion of food. An
example is the Escherichia coli bacteria that live in the human intestinal tract which produce vitamins K and
B1, which are absorbed and used by the human body.

Many microbes are essential in various food and beverage industries whereas others are used to
produce certain enzymes and chemicals. This involves biotechnology which is the use of living organisms or
their derivatives to make or modify useful products or processes.

Microbes are essential in the field of genetic engineering. In genetic engineering, a gene or genes
from one organism (e.g., from a bacterium, a human, an animal or plant) is inserted into a bacterial or yeast
cell. Because a gene contains the instructions for the production of a gene product, the cell that receives a
new gene can now produce whatever product is coded for by that gene. Bacteria and yeasts have been
engineered to produce a variety of useful substances such as insulin, growth hormones, interferons, and
vaccines.

Y o u m i g h t h a v e

billion years ago and for the first 800 million to 1 billion years of Earth’s existence, there was no form of life on
FIRST MICROORGANISMS ON EARTH

the planet. Fossils of primitive microbes found in ancient sandstone formations in northwestern Australia date
back to about 3.5 billion years ago. Animals first appeared on Earth between 900 and 650 million years ago.
The first microbes on Earth are archaea and cyanobacteria.

EARLIEST KNOWN INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Human pathogens have existed for thousands of years ago as evidenced by internal organs of
mummies and early human fossils. Among the diseases which were proven to have existed for a long time
included tuberculosis, leprosy, syphilis, malaria, hepatitis, and parasitic worm infections.

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Study Guide in Sci 123: Microbiology and Parasitology Module No. 1

 The earliest known account of a pestilence occurred in Egypt about 3180 BC. This represented the
first recorded epidemic.
 By 1900 BC, the Greek army was decimated by an epidemic of what is known as bubonic plague.
 Around 1500 BC, the Ebers papyrus, describing fevers, was discovered in a tomb in Thebes, Egypt
 In 1122 BC, smallpox occurred in China
 Epidemics of plague occurred in Rome in 790, 710, and 640 BC, and in Greece around 430 BC.
 Syphilis made its first appearance in Europe in 1493

PIONEERS IN THE SCIENCE OF MICROBIOLOGY

Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723)

 The “Father of Microbiology”, the “Father of Bacteriology”, and the “Father of Protozoology”
 He observed various tiny living creatures called “animalcules”

Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)

 He demonstrated that different types of microbes produced different fermentation products
 Through his experiments, Pasteur dealt the fatal blow to the theory of spontaneous generation.
 He discovered forms of life that could exist in the absence of oxygen
 He introduced the terms “aerobes” (organisms that require oxygen) and “anaerobes” (organisms that
do not require oxygen).
 He developed a process known as Pasteurization which can be used to kill pathogens in many types
of liquids.
 Today, pasteurization is accomplished by heating liquids to 63 oC to 65oC for 30 minutes or to 73oC to
75oC for 15 seconds.
 He made significant contributions to the germ theory of disease – the theory that specific microbes
cause specific infectious diseases.
 He developed vaccines to prevent chicken cholera, anthrax, and swine erysipelas.
 He further developed a vaccine to prevent rabies in dogs and used the vaccine to treat human rabies.

Robert Koch (1843-1910)

 Robert Koch is a German physician who made numerous contributions to the science of microbiology.
 He made significant contributions to the germ theory of disease. He was able to prove that Bacillus
anthracis was the causative agent of anthrax. B. anthracis produces spores which is capable of
resisting adverse conditions.
 He developed methods of cultivating bacteria on solid media. R.J. Petri, one of Koch’s colleagues,
invented the Petri dish which is used to culture bacteria on solid media. On the other hand, the wife of
another Koch’s colleagues, Frau Hesse, suggested the use of agar as a solidifying agent. These
methods enabled Koch to obtain pure cultures of bacteria. Pure culture refers to a condition in which
only one type of organism is growing on a solid culture medium or in a liquid culture medium in the
laboratory.
 He discovered the bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, that causes tuberculosis and the
bacterium, Vibrio cholera, that causes cholera.
 Koch’s Postulates
o A particular microbe must be found in all cases of the disease and must not be present in
healthy animals or humans.
o The microbe must be isolated from the diseased animal or human and grown in pure culture
in the laboratory.
o The same disease must be produced when microbes from the pure culture are inoculated into
healthy susceptible laboratory animals.
o The same microbe must be recovered from the experimentally infected animals and grown
again in pure culture.

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Study Guide in Sci 123: Microbiology and Parasitology Module No. 1

Exceptions to Koch’s Postulates

 To accomplish Koch’s postulates, it is necessary to grow (culture) the pathogen in the laboratory (in
vitro) or on artificial culture media
 However, certain pathogens will not grow on artificial media such as viruses, rickettsias, chlamydias,
and the bacteria that cause leprosy and syphilis.
 Viruses, rickettsias, and chlamydias are called obligate intracellular pathogens (or obligate
intracellular parasites)
 In the laboratory, the leprosy bacterium (Mycobacterium leprae) is propagated in armadillos, and the
spirochetes of syphilis (Treponema pallidum) grow well in the testes of rabbits and chimpanzees.
 Microbes having complex and demanding nutritional requirements are said to be fastidious. Other
fastidious organisms cannot be grown in the laboratory because no one has discovered what
ingredients to add to the medium to enable them to grow.
 To fulfill Koch’s Postulates, it is vital to infect laboratory animals with the pathogen being studied.
However, many pathogens are species-specific which means that they infect only one species of
animal.
 Some diseases which are called synergistic infections or polymicrobial infections, are caused by
the combined effects of two or more different microbes. Examples include acute necrotizing ulcerative
gingivitis (ANUG, or trench mouth) and bacterial vaginosis.
 There is another difficulty encountered while attempting to fulfill Koch’s Postulates which includes
some pathogens become altered when grown in vitro.

SUMMARY
MARY
The following learning points summarize what you have learned in this module:
 Microbiology is the branch of science that deals with the study of microbes. Whereas, Parasitology
is concerned with the study of parasites and parasitic diseases.
 The microbes that live on and in the human body are referred to as our indigenous microbiota.
 Bioremediation involves the use of living organisms, microbes and bacteria in the removal of

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Study Guide in Sci 123: Microbiology and Parasitology Module No. 1

contaminants and pollutants.

 Biotechnology is the use of living organisms or their derivatives to make or modify useful products or
processes.
 Anton van Leeuwenhoek is the Father of Microbiology and the Father of Bacteriology.
 Louis Pasteur developed a process known as Pasteurization which can be used to kill pathogens in
many types of liquids.
 Robert Koch made significant contributions to the germ theory of disease.
 Pure culture refers to a condition in which only one type of organism is growing on a solid culture
medium or in a liquid culture medium in the laboratory.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

Study Guide 1 – Learning Activity 1: Microbes: Friend or Foe?

Answer the following questions:

Encode your answers in MS Word format and send the answers to MS Teams with the
filename:
(Last Name, First Name - Section-Study Guide No. - Sci123)

1. How did the theory of biogenesis lead the way for the germ theory of disease?
2. Briefly state the role microorganisms play in each of the following:
 normal microbiota
 biological control of pests
 sewage treatment
 vaccine production
 human insulin production

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Study Guide in Sci 123: Microbiology and Parasitology Module No. 1

Study Guide 1 – Learning Activity 2: Poster Making

On an A4 size coupon bond, create a poster or collage that reflects your view on the recent COVID-19
(Coronavirus Pandemic). It should clearly show your reflection on the impacts of this global health pandemic
and how can our health systems protect us from this deadly virus. Be creative. You can use different art
materials to enable your artwork visually appealing and meaningful. On another sheet of paper, briefly explain
your output using 5-10 sentences. Your output will be rated using the following criteria:

4 3 2 1
Creativity and Work is inventive Work shows a high Work shows some Work is not
Originality and shows a high degree of degree of original.
degree of imagination and inventiveness and
imagination and resourcefulness. resourcefulness.
resourcefulness.
Visual appeal The poster is The poster is The poster is The poster is
exceptionally attractive in terms tolerably attractive messy and poorly
attractive in terms of layout, design, in terms of layout, designed.
of layout, design, and neatness. design, and
and neatness. neatness.
Clarity of The message of The message of The message of The message of
message the poster is the poster is clear the poster is the poster is
exceptionally clear and impactful. comprehensible incomprehensible.
and impactful. but may lack
impact.
Explanation The explanation The explanation The explanation The explanation
was complete, was complete and was complete, but was incomplete,
concise, and clear. clear. may be unclear. and unclear.

REFERENCES

 Engelkirk, P.G. and Engelkirk, J.D. (2015). Burton’s Microbiology for the Health Sciences. 10 th ed.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
 Flint, J., Rall, G.F., Racaniello, V.R. and Skalka, A. (2015). Principles of Virology. 4 th ed. American
Society for Microbiology.
 Gunn, A. and Pitt, S.J. (2012). Parasitology: An Integrated Approach. John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

 Johnson, T.R. and Case, C.L. (2019). Laboratory Experiments in Microbiology. 12 th ed. Pearson
Education, Inc.
 Talaro, K.P. and Chess, B. (2018). Foundations in Microbiology. 10 th ed. McGraw-Hill, Education.
 Tortora, G.J., Funke, B.R. and Case, C.L. (2018). Microbiology: An Introduction. 13 th ed. Pearson
Education South Asia Pte. Ltd.

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