1. Intro

Question 1

what is microbiology?
- microorganisms can exist as (2 types ish) + their special function ish

Answer 1

study of microorganisms or microbes, organisms that, mostly, cannot be seen by the naked eye: they are microscopic
1. as single cells, as unicellular entity –> can generate E and grow without help of other cells
2. may form communities, such as biofilms (ie pink thing in the shower/water pipes) –> able to “talk” to each other to initiate group behavior (ie one produces O2 for others to use)

Question 2

science of microbiology did not exist before what? were used for what?
- in what year did who describe what?

Answer 2

• did not exist before invention of microscopes at beginning of 17th century. microscopes were first used for the microscopic observation of macroscopic organisms, substances, surfaces, etc.

Question 3

invention of microscope; describe WHO and WHAT
- 1665
- 1684

Answer 3

• 1665, Robert Hooke described microscopic appearance of dry cork as a honeycomb of chambers that he named cellulae, hence “cell”. he also published first accurate microscopic drawings of a variety of molds
• 1684: Antoni van leeuwenhoek (Aristocrat) published first drawing of what he called “wee animalcules” (bc the cells were moving!) –> this was the first time microorganisms were seen
• Van Leeuwenhoek is generally regarded as the Father of microbiology

Question 4

• which type of disease has been a major cause of mortality and morbidity throughout history?
• was the true cause of this disease known in the 19th century?
• this type of disease has influenced what (5) + give 3 examples

Answer 4

• infectious diseases!
• before 19th century, true cause of infectious diseases was unknown –> thought it was an act of god!
• influences politics, economy, religion, science and literature!
  a) black death outbreak –> killed 40-60% of Europe population at end of 14th century –> plague, Yersinia pestis
  b) fungal disease of potatoes: potato famine in Ireland + push emigration to Canada in 1840s –> blight, Phytophtora infestans
  c) Typhoid fever: contributed to decline of Athens (430 BC) –> Salmonella typhi

Question 5

• poor medical knowledge prior to 19th century led to (3)
• when did we start hypothesize that disease could be due to invisible organisms? when was it confirmed ish?

Answer 5

1. inaccurate theories to explain causes/outbreaks of diseases, such as miasma theory (bad smells, ie from no sewers, led to people being sick)
2. witch-hunts and persecution based on ethnicity and/or religion
3. use of inappropriate treatments, for ex. bleeding people (bc bad balance between humours) which causes more damage
   - 17th century! 19th century: confirmed ish, contagion

Question 6

what is spontaneous generation?
- some recipes?

Answer 6

• hypothesis that some vital force can create living organisms from inanimate objects. widely accepted throughout the middle ages and into the latter half of 19th century, bc it fitted nicely with religious views of most people
• ie box + rages + grain = mice will magically appear
• meat + warm temp = maggots
• old apartment + students + exams = cockroaches

Question 7

when and who (2) tried to disprove spontaneous generation?
- was it accepted?

Answer 7

1. mid 1600s: Francesco Redi demonstrated that maggots did not develop from meat if meat was protected by a fine gauze cover
   - but people just said that the gauze didn’t allow the vital force to get to the meat
2. mid 1700s: Lazzaro Spallanzani demonstrated that nothing grew in liquids that were boiled and stored in closed containers.
   - proponents of spontaneous generation argued that a free supply of air was required for the “vital force” to reach the liquid

Question 8

what was Louis Pasteur’s classic experiment? what year?

Answer 8

1861
- boiling broth kills microorganisms
- flask has a bend in the neck –> allowing dust, particles and bacteria to settle
- curve of the bend of flask prevents bacteria and particles in air from entering the main reservoir and contaminating the broth
- when the neck of the flask is broken off, bacteria reach the sterile broth and organism growth occurs
*needs physical contact of liquid with the dust!

Question 9

what is a central theory in microbiology? explain
- give 3 examples

Answer 9

Germ theory –> microbes = source of infectious diseases!
1. 1847: Ignaz Semelweis showed that puerperal sepsis (childbed fever) is contagious. Medical students were transporting the cadaveric principles from morgue to the clinic (before delivering babies) –> hand washing in chlorine solution solved the problem
2. Joseph Lister reported in 1867 that death due to infection could be reduced dramatically if diluted phenol was used to soak the medical devices and surgical dressings and to spray general area during surgery = helped a lot!
3. 1877: Robert Koch published that anthrax was caused by bacterium Bacillus anthracis. also showed that tuberculosis, causing 1/7 of all human deaths at that time, was caused by bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (1882)
*Robert Koch was the first to show that specific microbes were responsible for specific diseases

Question 10

Louis Pasteur’s experiment showed that microorganisms were present where? = possible source of infection
- led to development of (2)
- what did Pasteur also develop? what year?

Answer 10

were present in air!
- development of effective sterilization procedures and pasteurization
- developed vaccines for multiple diseases, such as anthrax, fowl cholera and rabies
1885: first successful administration of vaccine against rabies

Question 11

who wrote a book, when, called what about how to identify microbes under microscope?
- describe different shapes ish

Answer 11

Dr. Trouessart, 1896
Diagnostic Bactériologique
- round, different sizes, long, kidney pea shape, baton, 2 colon shaped together (responsible for HIV)

Question 12

1. Who was the first person to saw microorgs?
2. who said that maybe we should wash our hands?
3. who said that we should disinfect tools before surgery?
4. who used microscope and described cells
5. who disproved spontaneous generation?
6. who said that microbes could cause specific diseases?

Answer 12

1. 1684: Antoni van Leeuwenhoek
2. 1847: Ignaz Semelweis
3. 1867: Joseph Lister
4. 1665, Robert Hooke
5. Louis Pasteur (classic experiment in 1861)
6. Robert Koch, 1877