Microbiology (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what microbiology is, what its branches of study are and why it is important. Also, how it is classified and its history.

What is Microbiology?

Microbiology is one of the branches that integrate biology and focuses on the study of microorganisms. It is dedicated to their classification, description, distribution and the analysis of their ways of life and functioning. In the case of pathogenic microorganisms, microbiology also studies their form of infection and the mechanisms for their elimination.

The object of study of microbiology are those organisms that are not perceptible to the human eye, so An instrument typical of this branch of biology is the microscope invented in the 17th century.

Among the organisms studied by microbiology eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell aggregates are found cells, fungi, viruses and bacteria and all those microscopic elements.

Branches of microbiology

viruses - microbiology — Virology studies viruses, classifies them, analyzes their evolution and ways of infecting.

When addressing the microbial agents that generate infectious pathologies, four branches are identified within microbiology:

Parasitology It focuses on the study of parasitism and includes eukaryotic parasites such as helminths, protozoa and arthropods. This branch also addresses diseases or parasites that affect plants, humans and animals.
Bacteriology It is dedicated to studying bacteria and the diseases they generate.
Mycology He focuses on the study of fungi.
Virology It studies viruses, classifies them and analyzes their evolution, structure, ways of infecting and harboring in host cells and their interaction with them. On the other hand, address the diseases caused by viruses and the development of techniques for their cultivation, isolation and use.

Importance of microbiology

In the field of health and medicine, microbiology is of great importance since it is what is responsible for studying pathogenic microorganisms such as fungi viruses, parasites and bacteria that can cause disease in humans.

From microbiology infectious diseases that any patient suffers are studied and thanks to it it is possible to determine which is the most appropriate treatment for each disease and patient.

Furthermore, the knowledge developed in microbiology is applied in industries of all types, for example, in energy, where this knowledge is applied to convert waste into energy sources.

Types of microbiology

Within microbiology, different subdisciplines are identified according to their object of study. Some of them are the following:

Health microbiology It is dedicated to the study of those organisms that contaminate food and put the health of those who consume it at risk.
Veterinary microbiology It is dedicated to addressing microorganisms that affect animal health.
Phytopathology Addresses the diseases that some protists, bacteria, viruses or fungi can generate in plantations.
Medical microbiology It studies those microorganisms that cause diseases and takes into account their treatment and transmission.
Agricultural microbiology It addresses the bacteria and fungi that settle on crops and studies how the interaction between them can be beneficial.
Microbial genetics Analyzes the regulation and organization of microbial genes.
Microbial ecology Addresses the behavior of microbial populations and the interaction with their habitat.
Microbial physiology Study the functioning of microbial cells.
Evolutionary microbiology It focuses on the study of the evolution of microbes.

History of microbiology

Microbiology as a science was not developed until the 19th century but its origins can be found throughout history, so there are four periods:

First period It covers from antiquity to the first microscopists (it does not have specific dates).
Second period. It began around 1675 (when Leeuwenhoek discovered microorganisms) and lasted until the mid-1800s.
Third period It begins with the development of microorganism cultures and ends in the mid-1800s, when Koch and Pasteur, with their advances, turned microbiology into an established science.
Fourth period It has its beginnings in the early 1900s, when specialists approached microorganisms from various angles such as genetics, ecology, biochemistry and physiology.

Microbiology career

Microbiology - biology — A microbiologist manipulates microorganisms by developing solutions in various areas.

Many universities have a Microbiology degree program designed to train specialists in this discipline, who are dedicated to research and policy development linked to microorganisms and to infectious diseases.

Graduates in Microbiology are trained to work in fields linked to discomforts and diseases, and to manipulate microorganisms to develop solutions in the most diverse areas.

Besides, microbiologists can control the quality of food products pharmaceutical, agricultural and environmental.

Viruses in microbiology

In microbiology, the virus is defined as a genetic agent that has a central region composed of RNA, DNA, or nucleic acid. In addition, this nucleus is covered by proteins or capsids and, in some cases, by lipoproteins.

Every virus has enough information to specify its reproductive cycle and is differentiated from others by its chemical composition, shape and size.

Viruses began to be isolated very few decades ago and that is why there are no certainties about their origins: only the qualities of present-day viruses can be analyzed in depth.