MICROBIOLOGY:
microbiology, study of microorganisms, or microbes, a diverse group of generally minute simple life-forms that include bacteria, archaea, algae, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. The field is concerned with the structure, function, and classification of such organisms and with ways of both exploiting and controlling their activities.
HISTORY OF MICROBIOLOGY:
The 17th-century discovery of living forms existing invisible to the naked eye was a significant milestone in the history of science, for from the 13th century onward it had been postulated that “invisible” entities were responsible for decay and disease. The word microbe was coined in the last quarter of the 19th century to describe these organisms, all of which were thought to be related. As microbiology eventually developed into a specialized science, it was found that microbes are a very large group of extremely diverse organisms.
Microorganisms have played a key role in the evolution of the planet earth.
Microorganisms affect animals, the environment, the food supply and also the healthcare industry. There are many different areas of microbiology including environmental, veterinary, food, pharmaceutical and medical microbiology, which is the most prominent.
Microorganisms are very important to the environment, human health and the economy. Few have immense beneficial effects without which we could not exist. Others are really harmful, and our effort to overcome their effects tests our understanding and skills. Certain microorganisms can be beneficial or harmful depending on what we require from them.
There are both useful and harmful microorganisms in the environment.
Microbiology Careers :
Most jobs in microbiology require at least a bachelor’s degree. An individual who is interested in microbiology may obtain a bachelor’s degree in biology or microbiology. The courseload is very similar for each of these majors; while a microbiology major may be more specific to the interests of someone who wants to study microbiology, it is also possible to achieve a similar level of specificity in the biology major by taking upper-level microbiology courses. The biology major may be preferred if one has interests in other subfields of biology, or if he or she is double majoring in biology and in another field. In both the microbiology and biology majors, students must take numerous biology courses and laboratories, and usually they must also take courses in chemistry (including organic), physics, mathematics, and statistics.
With a bachelor’s degree, one can become employed as a research technician in an academic or industry laboratory and provide technical support. One could also become a quality assurance technician in the food, environmental, pharmaceutical, or biotechnology industries, or with some additional training, become a medical technologist. However, many individuals with bachelor’s degrees in microbiology or biology go on to do further schooling. With a master’s degree in microbiology, an individual may go on to become a laboratory manager/coordinator or a biosafety officer. Further schooling leading to a PhD opens up opportunities in teaching and doing research at a university. Being a professor requires a PhD. Most heads of research laboratories in industry have PhDs as well. Other high-level careers involving microbiology include becoming a consultant/adviser, administrator, or lab director.
BRANCHES OF MICROBIOLOGY:
There are various different branches of microbiology and these include the following:
1. Bacteriology- The study of bacteria
2. Mycology –The study of fungi
3. Phycology- The study of photosynthetic eukaryotes. (Algae- Seaweed)
4. Protozoology – The study of protozoa (Single-celled eukaryotes)
5. Virology- The study of viruses, non-cellular particles which parasitize cells.
6. Parasitology- The study of parasites which include pathogenic protozoa certain insects and helminth worms.
7. Nematology- The study of nematodes.
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