CHAPTER 1 THE MAIN THEMES OF MICROBIOLOGY

Microbiology is introduced and the scope of microbiology is revealed. Microorganisms are defined and their impact on Earth, as well as humans, is described. The origin and evolution of microorganisms is discussed. A history of microbiology is given, highlighting the major scientific contributions to the development of the field. The levels of classification are introduced and the basis of taxonomy is discussed.

Learning Objectives
A student should learn the following concepts: 1. The study of microbiology includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa and algae. 2. Studies in microbiology have contributed significantly to the fields of chemistry, genetics, and ecology. 3. Microorganisms play a crucial role in the biosphere. 4. Microorganisms are continually adapting to the biosphere. 5. Microorganisms can be genetically modified to help the environment as well as to directly help humans. 6. Although the majority of microorganisms are not pathogenic, infectious diseases caused by microorganisms are still a common cause of death. 7. There are two types of cellular microorganisms (procaryotes and eucaryotes). 8. All procaryotes are microorganisms, but only some eucaryotes are microorganisms. 9. Viruses are microorganisms that are noncellular; they are much simpler than cells. 10. The general characteristics of microorganisms are organization, size, lifestyle. 11. Our current understanding of microbiology is the result of hundreds of years of work by thousands of microbiologists. 12. The advent of the microscope allowed scientists to see microorganisms and then begin to identify them as agents of disease. 13. The scientific method is a process in which scientists develop and test hypotheses. 14. The germ theory of disease states microorganisms can be the cause of diseases. 15. Taxonomy involves classifying, organizing and naming living organisms. 16. Taxonomy groups organisms based on their evolutionary history.

Chapter Outline (also see Chapter Summary with Key Terms pg. 24)
1.1 The Scope of Microbiology 1.2 The Impact of Microbes on Earth: Small Organisms with a Giant Effect Microbial Involvement in Energy and Nutrient Flow

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1.3 Human Use of Microorganisms 1.4 Infectious Diseases and the Human Condition 1.5 The General Characteristics of Microorganisms Cellular Organization A Note about Viruses Microbial Dimensions: How Small Is Small? Lifestyles of Microorganisms 1.6 The Historical Foundations of Microbiology The Development of the Microscope: "Seeing Is Believing" The Establishment of the Scientific Method The Development of Medical Microbiology The Discovery of Spores and Sterilization o The Development of Aseptic Techniques o The Discovery of Pathogens and the Germ Theory of Disease 1.7 Taxonomy: Organizing, Classifying, and Naming Microorganisms Levels of Classification Assigning Specific Names Origin and Evolution of Microorganisms Systems of Presenting a Universal Tree of Life

Student Activities
1. Research if bioremediation is used for the treatment of municipal wastewater, solid waste, or hazardous waste in your community. If so, have students visit the treatment plants and landfills. Ask students to report on the kinds of microorganisms used in bioremediation as well as the role of the microorganisms in bioremediation. 2. Have students list ways in which microbes contribute to the biosphere. After students have completed their lists, spend time discussing how the contributions of microbes have affected the evolution of microbes. 3. After reading the Insight Box 1.3 have students come up with simple experiments, similar to the work of Francesco Redi, that could have been done in the mid1600s to support the idea of biogenesis. This is a good way to have students put the scientific method to work. Also, this will introduce the concept that experiments do not have to be complex. 4. After discussing Table 1.1 in class have students come up with examples of work being done in the areas of basic and applied microbiology listed. Good places for students to look for these examples include the Science in the News section of their local newspaper as well as online searches.

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Classroom Discussion
1. Have students read the original article written by Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes discussing the transmission of puerperal fever in a hospital setting. The plain-text electronic version can be found at www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1843holmesfever.html. The essay was originally published in the New England Quarterly Journal of Medicine and Surgery April 1843 1:503529. After students have read the article discuss the dangers of infection in giving birth and how a simple act (such as hand washing) can drastically reduce transmission of microorganisms. This article also can serve to highlight the tremendous advances that have occurred in the field of microbiology over the last 163 years. 2. Walk students through the systems presenting the universal tree of life. Explain how the grouping/phylogeny of organisms is based on their evolutionary development. 3. The Historical Insight Box 1.2 contains a statement by Surgeon General David Satcher Organisms changed and people changed. As this section is covered in class spend time discussing how the average human life span is increasing, how individuals with cancer and AIDS have longer life expectancies, how the density of a population can affect transmission of microorganisms, and how microorganisms have adapted to become resistant to antibiotics. 4. Why is it that when scientists search for life on other planets they look for microbes first? After discussing how adaptable microorganisms are, have students review Figure 1.2, which surveys a few microbial habitats. Then discuss Insight 1.1 Martian Microbes and Astrobiology. Have students form hypotheses on how to determine if Martian meteors contain microorganisms. Figure 1.10b contains a good starting point for students hypotheses. Current information on the Mars exploration program can be found at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov. 5. Scientists must be willing and able to change a theory in response to new data. A recent example of a theory that was changed in response to new data occurred in the treatment of stomach ulcers. For decades, ulcers were believed to be the result of stress and were often treated by surgery. Dr. Bruce Marshall believed that stomach ulcers were the result of bacterial infections. Physicians did not believe his hypothesis because they did not think bacteria could survive in the acidic conditions of the stomach. In order to test his hypothesis Dr. Marshall drank a culture of Helicobacter pylori. A week later he exhibited signs of an ulcer, which he then treated with antibiotics. This work was published in the scientific journal Lancet 1983 Jun 4;1(8336):12735, and today ulcers are treated with antibiotics and research is underway on a vaccine for Helicobacter pylori. 6. The general public often focuses on the devastating effects microorganisms can have on the human population. While microorganisms can cause human mortality through infection, it is also important to remember that the absence of all microorganisms would result in a biosphere in which humans would not survive.

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Applicable Microbiology Animation Quizzes

www.mhhe.com/talaro6 There are no applicable quizzes for this chapter

Key Terms and Phrases

emerging diseases pathogens bioremediation genetic engineering microbiology microscopic microorganisms microbes bacteria viruses fungi protozoa algae macroscopic adaptability immunology epidemiology biotechnology infectious procaryote eucaryote parasites hosts spontaneous generation abiogenesis biogenesis scientific methods hypotheses induction deduction inductive deductive theories law sterilization aseptic techniques germ theory of disease nomenclature taxonomy taxa classification identification domain kingdom phylum division class order family genus hierarchies scientific method species scientific names evolutionary morphology physiology genetics eubacteria archaebacteria Kingdom Procaryotae Kingdom Protista Kingdom Myceteae Kingdom Animalia Kingdom Plantae

Instructors are encouraged to visit the Foundations in Microbiology ARIS (Assessment, Review, Instruction System) site at www.mhhe.com/talaro6 for animations of key processes, online quizzing, case presentations, and more.