Foundations_of Microbiology Notes
Brief History of Microbiology
The human eye is able to visualize much of what we see every day, and yet there is a whole
world of organisms living among and within us that are not seen. The things that we cannot see
with the naked eye are called microscopic organisms because humans need equipment such as
microscopes that help to magnify these organisms in order to see them.
Microscopes have the capacity to magnify objects many times and there many types of
microscopes that can be used for lab and research applications. As technology advances,
scientists have been able to visualize even more types of organisms in both static and dynamic
states.
Examples of three types of microscopes
Monocular and Binocular Compound Microscopes
Dissecting Microscope, Stereomicroscope
Operator using a transmission electron microscope
1665-the first observations
1665: Robert Hooke reported that living things are composed of little boxes, or cell
1673-1723: Anton Van Leeuwenhoek was considered “father of microbiology” He was first to
describe live microorganisms in detail
1976-1876-Germ Theory of Disease
1796: Edward Jenner inoculated a person with cowpox virus, who was then protected from
smallpox. This was the first vaccination.
*Vaccination is derived from vacca, for cow
*The protection is called immunity
1840s: Ignaz Semmelweis-advocated hand washing to prevent transmission of puerperal
(childbirth) fever
1860s: Joseph Lister-used a chemical disinfectant (phenol) to prevent surgical wound infections
Brief History of Microbiology
The human eye is able to visualize much of what we see every day, and yet there is a whole
world of organisms living among and within us that are not seen. The things that we cannot see
with the naked eye are called microscopic organisms because humans need equipment such as
microscopes that help to magnify these organisms in order to see them.
Microscopes have the capacity to magnify objects many times and there many types of
microscopes that can be used for lab and research applications. As technology advances,
scientists have been able to visualize even more types of organisms in both static and dynamic
states.
Examples of three types of microscopes
Monocular and Binocular Compound Microscopes
Dissecting Microscope, Stereomicroscope
Operator using a transmission electron microscope
1665-the first observations
1665: Robert Hooke reported that living things are composed of little boxes, or cell
1673-1723: Anton Van Leeuwenhoek was considered “father of microbiology” He was first to
describe live microorganisms in detail
1976-1876-Germ Theory of Disease
1796: Edward Jenner inoculated a person with cowpox virus, who was then protected from
smallpox. This was the first vaccination.
*Vaccination is derived from vacca, for cow
*The protection is called immunity
1840s: Ignaz Semmelweis-advocated hand washing to prevent transmission of puerperal
(childbirth) fever
1860s: Joseph Lister-used a chemical disinfectant (phenol) to prevent surgical wound infections
