Microbiology

Course Description

COURSE CONTENT

• Development of microbiology through history. Spontaneous generation theory, Koch's postulate. Division of Microbiology. Role of microbes in people's lives and nature. Microbe research, microscope and microscopy.
• Comparison of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Structure and Function of Prokaryotic Cell. Size, shape and organization. Structures on the outer surface of the cell wall and beneath the cell wall. Gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
• Transport of substances through the membranes. Nutritional requirements of microbes. Physical and chemical requirements for growth. Cultivation of microbes in vitro. Nutrient substrates.
• Macromolecules.
• Metabolism, anabolism, catabolism. Biological catalysts-enzymes.
• Taxonomy, classification, systematics. Whittaker system of five kingdoms. System of three kingdoms. Modern classification. Criteria for microbial identification.
• The Prokaryota..
• Fungi kingdom,
• The kingdom of Protista, Viruses.
• Classical microbiological methods: plate cultivation, dilution methods, exhaustion methods, microscopy, biochemical tests, rapid molecular-microbiological methods. Identification of bacteria-determination of physiological or biochemical properties. Determination of the presence or absence of certain enzymes. Metabolic characteristics of pure cultures in various liquid or special solid nutrients. The family of Enterobacteriaceae, features, isolation and identification.
• Microbicides and microbiostatic agents. Disinfectants and antiseptics. Chemical agents for sterilization. Chemical disinfection agents. Mechanism of action of antimicrobial agents. Methods of  testing antimicrobial activity.
• Physical methods of sterilization. Evaluation of sterilization effectiveness.
• Carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, water cycle, sulfur cycle, iron cycle, calcium cycle, cycle of mercury.
• Microbial ecology. Biotic and abiotic growth factors. Interactions between different organisms. Sintrofism. Antagonism. Rapacity. Symbiosis. Competition.
• Bioterrorism. Black biotechnology. Biological weapons, space, resources and methods of distribution and dissemination in the case of a bioterrorist attack

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• use basic knowledge of microbiology, organization and role of microbes in nature and people's lives
• microorganism classification and identification
• apply methods of isolation and identification of microorganisms
• to distinguish viruses from other microbes
• select methods to supress microbial growth
• apply microscopic techniques
• prepare microscopic slides
• interpret the results of microbiological analyzes

To enrol in this course, the following courses must be completed:

• Biology 1
• Biology 2

Lectures