BIOL 2P98 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Cowpox, Biological Warfare, Sewage Treatment

• School: Brock University
• Department: Biological Sciences
• Course: BIOL 2P98
• Professor: Mike Bidochka

Document Summary

This lecture presents a brief history (on invention of microscope, disproving the theory of spontaneous generation, sterilization, fermentation, germ theory of disease, and development of microbiology as a basic discipline) of the science of microbiology. The chapter ends with a discussion of the scope and relevance of microbiology in today"s society and the impact that molecular and genomic methods have on current advances in microbiology and related fields. What is a microbe: microbes are microscopic, through most of its lifespan, can only be seen through a microscope, less than about 1 mm across, approx. 1 m for most bacteria: microbes are living creatures, (except for viruses, metabolize food, grow, reproduce, have proteins, sugars, nucleic acids, microbial genomes are sequenced, genome = organism"s total genetic content. Complete gene sequence known for many species: over 1000 bacteria, archaea, tens of thousands of viruses. Scope and history of microbiology: why study microorganisms, large numbers, found every where, on and in our bodies.