What is Microbiology?
It is a sub-field of biology, which deals with unicellular, acellular and multicellular organisms on the microscopic level. There are many different sub-fields of microbiology that studies algae and fungi, viruses, bacteria, parasites and nematodes.
The Most Important Facts about Microbiology
- Two major branches that study eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms.
- Eukaryotes contain the membrane-bound organelles in the cell membranes (fungi and protists).
- Prokaryotes don’t contain membrane-bound organelles (eubacteria and archaebacteria).
- The researchers use various techniques to extract and locate the DNA and RNA sequences to identify organisms.
- Microorganisms were theorized hundreds of years before they were proven to exist.
- The first writing from the 6th century BC from Jainism, noted the belief that the invisible little organism existed.
- Marcus Terentius Varro from the ancient Roman era, mentioned and demonstrated the harmful little microscopic organisms living in a swamp.
- The Italian scientist Girolamo Fracastoro proposed the theory of germs related to disease, which spread the epidemics in mid-16th century.
- Anton van Leeuwenhoek of Holland was the first man to visually observe the microorganisms through the microscope with single-lens in 1676.
- Robert Hook first recorded the observation of mold spores without using the microscope in 1665.
- Louis Pasteur developed special equipment and studies, which improved understanding microbiology in the 19th century.
- Medical microbiology has grown and continues to grow with the development of technology and modern medicine.
- There was once a question, whether viruses were living microorganisms, due to their nature and structure as the living cellular organisms or molecules.
- Nowadays, prions are being questioned as the real microscopic organisms.
- There are many different fields of microbiology with specific applications like pharmaceutical, medical, agricultural, industrial and many more. Each field offers and contributes to all the society and science. Its fields are classified throughout the taxonomical means or just as applied and pure science.