LECTURE NOTES IN MICROBIOLOGY FOR NURSES AND MIDWIFERY

PREPARED BY: LEOMAR P. LIBAN, MST

I. HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
MICROBIOLOGY- branch of biology that deals about microorganism (m.o)
-deals in beneficial and harmful effect of m.o.
The science of microbiology dates back only a few hundred years, yet the
recent discovery of Mycobacaterium tuberculosis DNA in 300 year old
Egyptina mummies remind that m.o. have been around for much longer.
Protocel- cell that have life
Microb- first life, they are anaerobic
FIRST OBSERVATION
One of the most important discoveries in the history of biology occurred in
1665 with the help of a relatively crude microscope.
ROBERT HOOKE- he observed a thin sliced of cork and report that lifes
smallest structural units were little boxes or cells.
The discover marked the beginning of cell theory
ANTONI VAN LEEUWENHOEK- a Dutch merchant and amateur scientist.
He observed the live m.o. through his magnifying lens.
Between 1763-1723 he wrote a series of letters to the Royal Society of
London describing the animalcules
He made a detailed sketch of animalcules in rainwater and liquid
which peppercorn has soaked.
Soon, he identified as representation of bacteria and protozoa.
DEBATE OVER SPONTANEOUS GENERATION
The scientific community of the time became interested of those tiny
living things.
At the half of 19th century, many scientists and philosophers believed
that life could arise spontaneously from nonliving matter.
They called this hypothetical process an SPONTANEOUS GENERATION
Not much more than 100 years ago, people commonly believed that
toads, snake, mice could born of moist of soils, flies could emerge from
manure etc.
FRANCISCO REDI- Italian Physician
Set out in 1668, demonstrated that maggots did not arise
spontaneously from decaying meat.
Redis antagonists were not convinced, claiming that fresh air was
needed for Spontaneous Generation.
He set up another experiment in which 3 jars were covered with a
gauzed or fine net instead of being sealed.
There were no larvae appeared in the gauze covered jars even though
air was present. Maggots appear only when flies allowed to deposit their
eggs on meat.
Redis results were a serious blow to the long held belief.
However, many scientist still believed that small organisms such as
animalcules were simple enough to be generated from nonliving material.
JOHN NEEDHAM-1745, Englishman
Found that even after heated nutrient fluid before pouring them into
covered flask, were soon teeming with m.o.
He claimed that microbes developed spontaneously from fluid.
LAZZARO SPALLANZANI- an Italian scientist
He suggested that m.o. from air probably had entered.
He heated the broth inside the flask and sealed it.
Needham responded that Spallanzani destroyed the vital force (air0
that is necessary for Spontaneous Generation.

LAURENT LAVOISIERhe showed the importance of oxygen to life.

He criticized the work of Spallanzani
THEORY OF BIOGENESIS
RUDOLF VIRCHOW-1858, German scientist
Challenged the spontaneous generation with the concept of
BIOGENESIS
BIOGENESIS- a theory claiming that living cells can rise only from preexisting
cells.
The argument of SP and BG continued until 1861
LOUIS PASTEUR- he demonstrated that m.o. are present in the air and can
contaminate sterile solution, but air itself does not create microbes
He sets an experiment using a short neck flask. He left open and
allowed to cool after two days he found out to be contaminated by microbes.
The other flask sealed after boiling were free from m.o.
Pasteur next placed broth in open ended long neck flasks and bent the neck
into s shaped curve. The content were boiled and allowed to cool. The
broth did not decay and showed no signs of life even after months.
ASEPTIC TECHNIQUE- technique that prevent contamination by unwanted
m.o. which is now the standard practice in laboratory and many medical
procedures.
GOLDEN AGE OF MICROBIOLOGY
1857-1914- rapid advances spearheaded mainly by Pasteur and Robert Koch.
Discoveries of the agents of many diseases and the role of m.o. in the
immunity, prevention and cure of diseases.
FERMENTATION ANND PASTEURIZATION
Yeast- converts the sugars to alcohol in the absence of air a process called
FERMENTAITON
PASTEURIZATION- heats the beer and wine just enough to kill m.o. that
caused the spoilage.
THE GERM THEORY OF DISEASES
HIPOCRATESfather of medicine
Stipulates that gas is the source of illnesses
MIASMATIC THEORY- anything that makes the object uncleaned
GERM THEORY OF DISEASES- m.o. might cause diseases
PLENCIZ- formulated the germ theory of diseases
AGOSTINO BASSI-proved that another silkworm diseases was caused by a
fungus
Pasteur found out that the infliction was caused by a protozoa and
developed a method for recognizing afflicted silkworm moth,
JOSEPH LISTER- an English surgeon who applied the germ theory in medical
procedures.
He discovered Listerine
First man who used phenol(carbolic acid) for treating surgical wounds
with a phenol.
ROBERK KOCH- a German physician
Discovered Bacillus anthracis in cattle and sheep
KOCH POSTULATES
1.the organism must be found in all cases of a given disease
2. the organism must be isolated and grown in pure culture
3. the organism in the pure culture must produced the same diseases
when inoculated into susceptible animals.
4. the organisms must be then again be isolated from experimentally
animal

VACCINATION- (YOUNG LADYS STORY)

EDWARD JENNER-young British physician
Discovered the smallpox vaccine
After the relationship m.o. and diseases was established, microbiologists
next focused on the search for substance that could destroy pathogenic m.o.
with put damaging the infected animal or human.
CHEMOTHERAPY- commonly refers to chemical treatment of noninfectious
disease, such as cancer.
Treatment of disease by using chemical substance.
SYNTHETIC DRUGS- these are the chemotherapeutic agents prepared from
chemical in the laboratory.
ANTIBIOTICS-chemicals produced naturally by bacteria and fungi to act
against other m.o.
FIRST SYNTHETIC DRUG
PAUL EHRLICH- German physician
Speculated about a magic bullet that could hunt down and destroy a
pathogen without damaging or harming the infected host.
He discover a chemotherapeutic agents called SALVARSAN
SALVARSAN- an arsenic derivative effective against syphilis.
It was named salvarsan because it was considered to offer salvation
from syphilis and it contained arsenic.
QUININE- only known chemical in Europes medical arsenal, used by Spanish
conquistadors to treat malaria.
FORTUNATE ACCIDENT-ANTIBIOTICS
ALEXANDER FLEMING- Scottish physician and bacteriologist
Contaminated by molds
Around the molds was a clear area where bacterial growth had been
inhibited.
Later, that mol was named Penicillium nonatum
II. STRUCTURE AND TYPES OF CELLS
PROKARYOTIC CELLS
Are about 10 times smaller than eukaryotic cells, it reproduces by
means of BINARY FISSION.
These are generally protozoa, archaea, bacteria and some fungi
The size is ranging from 0.20-20 micrometer in diameter and 2-8
micrometer in length.
Epulopiscum fischelsoni- has a size ranging from 80-600 micrometr and
diameter of 200-500 micrometer in length.
A flagellated and found in the intestinal tract of surgeon fish
Thiomargarita namibiensis- m.o. that can metabolized metal and can be
found in Namibia
MORPHOLOGY
a. coccus- spherical, round or circle
b. bacillus-rod shape
c. spiral
d. star
e. square
f. rectangle- Haloarcula- hhalophilic archaea
ARRANGEMENT OF CELLS
1. diplococcic- comes in partner
Ex: Neisseria gonorrheae
2. Streptococci- spherical in shaped occurs in chains
Ex: Steptococcus pneumonia- cause pneumonia
S.mutans- causes tooth decay
S. lactus- found in milk.

3. tetrads- occurs that divide into two planes remain in group of four
4.sarcinae- divides that 3-4 planes which produced plaster of 6-8
5. staphylococci- grapelike cluster
Ex: Staphyloccus aureus- causes pimples.
Spirals- have one or more twist, they are never staright
Vibrios- curved or comma shaped
Ex; Vibrio cholera- causes cholera
Vibrio harveji- laminating m.o. found in prawn
Coccobacilli- looks like oval, and look so much like cocci
Spirilla- helical in shape and its rigid
Spirochetes- helical and flexible
Ex: Treponema pallidum- causative agent of syphilis
Monomorphic- maintain a single shape
Pleomorphic- the shape varies from one form to another
Ex: Rhizobium, Corynebacterium
STRUCTURE EXTERNAL TO THE CELL WALL AND MYCOPLASMA
GLYCOCALYX- (sugar coat)
A thick material located outside the cell wall.
Slimy, gelatinous material produced by the cell membrane
Composed of polysaccharide, polypeptide and both
It protects the cell against dehydration
a. slime layer- is not highly organized and is not firmly attached to the cell
wall
it easily attaches into the cell wall and drift away
ex: Streptococcus mutants- causes tooth decay
b. capsule- highly organized and firmly attached to the cell wall
composed of polysaccharide which may combine with lipids and
proteins
it can be detected using (-) stain
serve as antiphgocytotic function
VIRULENCE- ability to caused disease
The degree to which a pathogen causes disease
EXTRA CELLULAR POLYSACCHARIDE (EPS)- a glycocalyx made of sugars
It enables the bacterium to attach to various surfaces in in its natural
environment to survive, by the use of this, bacteria can grow on diverse
surfaces such as rocks and in fast moving stations.
TYPES OF CAPSULE
a. encapsulated or smooth strain- bacteria that usually produce colonies on
nutrient agar that are smooth, mucoid and glistering and referred as s
colonies.
b. nonencapsulated- or rough strain- tends to grow dry and rough colonies
calles r colonies
FLAGELLA- an organelle of locomotion