PHARMACEUTICAL MICROBIOLOGY (BP303T)
UNIT-1
INTRODUCTION
A microbe, or microorganism, is a microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell
(unicellular); cell clusters; or multi cellular, relatively complex organisms.
Microbiology: The detailed study of microorganisms.
Microorganisms are very diverse; they include:
• Bacteria • Microscopic plants (green algae)
• Fungi • Animals such as rotifers and planarians.
• Algae • Some microbiologists also include viruses.
• Protozoa
Most microorganisms are unicellular, but this is not universal, since some multicellular organisms
are microscopic.
Some unicellular protists and bacteria, like Thiomargarita namibiensis, are macroscopic
and visible to the naked eye.
Most importantly, these organisms are vital to humans and the environment, as they participate in
the Earth’s element cycles, such as the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle.
Microorganisms live in all parts of the biosphere:
o water o on the ocean floor o deep inside the rocks, within
o soil o in the atmosphere the Earth’s crust
o hot springs
HISTORY OF MICROBIOLOGY
• Scientific evidence suggests that life began on Earth some 3.5 billion years ago.
• Since then, life has evolved into a wide variety of forms, which biologists have classified into
a hierarchy of taxa.
• Some of the oldest cells on Earth are single-cell
Early history of microbiology:
Historians are unsure who made the first observations of microorganisms.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723):
• Father of microbiology” Father of bacteriology and protozoology (protistology), from
Holland
• Developed microscope in 1673 and observed microorganisms, which he called animalcules
and made one of the most important contributions to biology.
• Revealed accurate descriptions of protozoa, fungi, and bacteria.
Robert Hook: Developed compound microscope and observed first cork cell.
DIFFERENT ERA IN HISTORY OF MICROBIOLOGY
1. Discovery Era 3. Golden Era (1850 to 1915)
2. Transition Era 4. Modern Era
,Abiogenesis vs. Biogenesis
• Theory of spontaneous generation, which stated that microorganisms arise from lifeless matter
such as beef broth.
• An English cleric named John Needham advanced spontaneous generation.
• This theory was disputed by Francesco Redi, who showed that fly maggots do not arise from
decaying meat (as others believed) if the meat is covered to prevent the entry of flies.
• Lazzaro Spallanzani disputed the theory by showing that boiled broth would not give rise to
microscopic forms of life.
• Pasteur had to disprove spontaneous generation to sustain his theory, and he therefore devised a
series of swan‐necked flasks filled with broth.
• John Tyndall (1820–1893): An English physicist, Gave a final blow to spontaneous
generation in 1877.
• He conducted experiments in an aseptically designed box to prove that dust indeed carried the
germs.
• He demonstrated that if no dust was present, sterile broth remained free of microbial growth for
indefinite period even if it was directly exposed to air.
• He discovered highly resistant bacteria structure, later known as endospore.
• Prolonged boiling or intermittent heating was necessary to kill these spores, to make the infusion
completely sterilized, a process known as Tyndallisation.
SCOPE OF MICROBIOLOGY
• Microorganisms are present everywhere on earth which includes humans, animals, plants and
other living creatures, soil, water and atmosphere.
• Microbes can multiply in all three habitats except in the atmosphere.
• Together their numbers far exceed all other living cells on this planet.
• Microorganisms are relevant to all of us in a multitude of ways.
• The influence of microorganism in human life is both beneficial as well as detrimental also.
• For example microorganisms are required for the production of bread, cheese, yogurt, alcohol,
wine, beer, antibiotics (e.g. penicillin, streptomycin, chloromycetin), vaccines, vitamins, enzymes
and many more important products.
• Microorganisms are indispensable components of our ecosystem.
• Microorganisms play an important role in the recycling of organic and inorganic material through
their roles in the C, N and S cycles, thus playing an important part in the maintenance of the
stability of the biosphere.
• There is vast scope in the field of microbiology due to the advancement in the field of science
and technology.
• The scope in this field is immense due to the involvement of microbiology in many fields like
medicine, pharmacy, diary, industry, clinical research, water industry, agriculture, chemical
technology and nanotechnology..
• The study of microbiology contributes greatly to the understanding of life through enhancements
and intervention of microorganisms.
ROLE AND APPLICATION OF MICROBIOLOGY IN DIFFERENT FIELDS:
Role and application of microbiology in different fields
Microbial • Study the synthesis of antibiotics and toxins, microbial energy production,
physiology and microbial nitrogen fixation, effects of chemical and physical agents on
Biochemistry microbial growth and survival etc.
Immunology • Immunology: The study of immune system which protect the body from
and pathogens)
Medicine • Deals with the identification and measures to cure diseases of human and
animals which are infectious to them.
• They have also provided us with the means of their control in the form of
vaccine, antibiotics and other medically important drugs.
, Molecular • Study of genetic information and how it regulated the development and
biology function of cells and organisms.
Microbial • New genes can be inserted into plants and animals.
genetics • Genetic engineering: microbes used to make hormones (insulin, human growth
and hormone), vaccine, antibiotics, and interferon and many other useful products
Genetic for human being.
engineering • Development of new efficient microbial strains to synthesize useful products.
Agriculture • The influence of microbes on agriculture; the prevention of the diseases that
mainly damage the useful crops.
Food science • Microorganisms have been used to produce food, from brewing and wine
making,
• Use of microbes to produce cheese, yoghurt, pickles and beer.
• Microbes are also responsible for food spoilage so their studt helps in the
prevention of spoilage of food and food borne diseases.
Industrial • Involves use of microbes to produce antibiotics, steroids, alcohol, vitamins and
microbiology amino acids etc.
Microbial • Bio-geochemical cycles: bioremediation (clean up the environment of toxic
ecology compounds) to reduce pollution effects
• Microbes are responsible for the cycling of carbon, nitrogen phosphorus
(geochemical cycles)
• Maintain ecological balance on earth
• Maintain soil fertility and may also be
Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes: On the basis of genetic materials enclosed by a nuclear envelope,
cells are divided into prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Prokaryotes don’t have membrane bound
organelles where as eukaryotes have.
Difference between eukaryotes and prokaryotes
Prokaryotic Cell Eukaryotic cell
Size is 0.1- 5.0 um Size is 5-100 um
Nucleus is absent Nucleus is present
Membrane bound nucleus absent. Membrane bound Nucleus is present.
One chromosome is present More than one number of chromosomes is present.
Unicellular Multicellular
Lysosomes and Peroxisomes absent Lysosomes and Peroxisomes present
Microtubules absent Microtubules present
Endoplasmic reticulum absent Endoplasmic reticulum present
Mitochondria absent Mitochondria present
Cytoskeleton absent Cytoskeleton present
UNIT-1
INTRODUCTION
A microbe, or microorganism, is a microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell
(unicellular); cell clusters; or multi cellular, relatively complex organisms.
Microbiology: The detailed study of microorganisms.
Microorganisms are very diverse; they include:
• Bacteria • Microscopic plants (green algae)
• Fungi • Animals such as rotifers and planarians.
• Algae • Some microbiologists also include viruses.
• Protozoa
Most microorganisms are unicellular, but this is not universal, since some multicellular organisms
are microscopic.
Some unicellular protists and bacteria, like Thiomargarita namibiensis, are macroscopic
and visible to the naked eye.
Most importantly, these organisms are vital to humans and the environment, as they participate in
the Earth’s element cycles, such as the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle.
Microorganisms live in all parts of the biosphere:
o water o on the ocean floor o deep inside the rocks, within
o soil o in the atmosphere the Earth’s crust
o hot springs
HISTORY OF MICROBIOLOGY
• Scientific evidence suggests that life began on Earth some 3.5 billion years ago.
• Since then, life has evolved into a wide variety of forms, which biologists have classified into
a hierarchy of taxa.
• Some of the oldest cells on Earth are single-cell
Early history of microbiology:
Historians are unsure who made the first observations of microorganisms.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723):
• Father of microbiology” Father of bacteriology and protozoology (protistology), from
Holland
• Developed microscope in 1673 and observed microorganisms, which he called animalcules
and made one of the most important contributions to biology.
• Revealed accurate descriptions of protozoa, fungi, and bacteria.
Robert Hook: Developed compound microscope and observed first cork cell.
DIFFERENT ERA IN HISTORY OF MICROBIOLOGY
1. Discovery Era 3. Golden Era (1850 to 1915)
2. Transition Era 4. Modern Era
,Abiogenesis vs. Biogenesis
• Theory of spontaneous generation, which stated that microorganisms arise from lifeless matter
such as beef broth.
• An English cleric named John Needham advanced spontaneous generation.
• This theory was disputed by Francesco Redi, who showed that fly maggots do not arise from
decaying meat (as others believed) if the meat is covered to prevent the entry of flies.
• Lazzaro Spallanzani disputed the theory by showing that boiled broth would not give rise to
microscopic forms of life.
• Pasteur had to disprove spontaneous generation to sustain his theory, and he therefore devised a
series of swan‐necked flasks filled with broth.
• John Tyndall (1820–1893): An English physicist, Gave a final blow to spontaneous
generation in 1877.
• He conducted experiments in an aseptically designed box to prove that dust indeed carried the
germs.
• He demonstrated that if no dust was present, sterile broth remained free of microbial growth for
indefinite period even if it was directly exposed to air.
• He discovered highly resistant bacteria structure, later known as endospore.
• Prolonged boiling or intermittent heating was necessary to kill these spores, to make the infusion
completely sterilized, a process known as Tyndallisation.
SCOPE OF MICROBIOLOGY
• Microorganisms are present everywhere on earth which includes humans, animals, plants and
other living creatures, soil, water and atmosphere.
• Microbes can multiply in all three habitats except in the atmosphere.
• Together their numbers far exceed all other living cells on this planet.
• Microorganisms are relevant to all of us in a multitude of ways.
• The influence of microorganism in human life is both beneficial as well as detrimental also.
• For example microorganisms are required for the production of bread, cheese, yogurt, alcohol,
wine, beer, antibiotics (e.g. penicillin, streptomycin, chloromycetin), vaccines, vitamins, enzymes
and many more important products.
• Microorganisms are indispensable components of our ecosystem.
• Microorganisms play an important role in the recycling of organic and inorganic material through
their roles in the C, N and S cycles, thus playing an important part in the maintenance of the
stability of the biosphere.
• There is vast scope in the field of microbiology due to the advancement in the field of science
and technology.
• The scope in this field is immense due to the involvement of microbiology in many fields like
medicine, pharmacy, diary, industry, clinical research, water industry, agriculture, chemical
technology and nanotechnology..
• The study of microbiology contributes greatly to the understanding of life through enhancements
and intervention of microorganisms.
ROLE AND APPLICATION OF MICROBIOLOGY IN DIFFERENT FIELDS:
Role and application of microbiology in different fields
Microbial • Study the synthesis of antibiotics and toxins, microbial energy production,
physiology and microbial nitrogen fixation, effects of chemical and physical agents on
Biochemistry microbial growth and survival etc.
Immunology • Immunology: The study of immune system which protect the body from
and pathogens)
Medicine • Deals with the identification and measures to cure diseases of human and
animals which are infectious to them.
• They have also provided us with the means of their control in the form of
vaccine, antibiotics and other medically important drugs.
, Molecular • Study of genetic information and how it regulated the development and
biology function of cells and organisms.
Microbial • New genes can be inserted into plants and animals.
genetics • Genetic engineering: microbes used to make hormones (insulin, human growth
and hormone), vaccine, antibiotics, and interferon and many other useful products
Genetic for human being.
engineering • Development of new efficient microbial strains to synthesize useful products.
Agriculture • The influence of microbes on agriculture; the prevention of the diseases that
mainly damage the useful crops.
Food science • Microorganisms have been used to produce food, from brewing and wine
making,
• Use of microbes to produce cheese, yoghurt, pickles and beer.
• Microbes are also responsible for food spoilage so their studt helps in the
prevention of spoilage of food and food borne diseases.
Industrial • Involves use of microbes to produce antibiotics, steroids, alcohol, vitamins and
microbiology amino acids etc.
Microbial • Bio-geochemical cycles: bioremediation (clean up the environment of toxic
ecology compounds) to reduce pollution effects
• Microbes are responsible for the cycling of carbon, nitrogen phosphorus
(geochemical cycles)
• Maintain ecological balance on earth
• Maintain soil fertility and may also be
Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes: On the basis of genetic materials enclosed by a nuclear envelope,
cells are divided into prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Prokaryotes don’t have membrane bound
organelles where as eukaryotes have.
Difference between eukaryotes and prokaryotes
Prokaryotic Cell Eukaryotic cell
Size is 0.1- 5.0 um Size is 5-100 um
Nucleus is absent Nucleus is present
Membrane bound nucleus absent. Membrane bound Nucleus is present.
One chromosome is present More than one number of chromosomes is present.
Unicellular Multicellular
Lysosomes and Peroxisomes absent Lysosomes and Peroxisomes present
Microtubules absent Microtubules present
Endoplasmic reticulum absent Endoplasmic reticulum present
Mitochondria absent Mitochondria present
Cytoskeleton absent Cytoskeleton present
