What is food spoilage? Food spoilage is simply defined as the change in the overall […]
Author: DrChika
Collection and processing of various clinical samples in the microbiology lab
COLLECTION OF SPUTUM Sputum specimens are collected from patient’s suspected to have respiratory disorders example […]
Specimen Collection in Microbiology Lab
The sample collection unit is one of the most important units in the clinical microbiology […]
GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE (GLP)
Good laboratory practice (GLP) is simply defined as a laboratory quality measure or protocol that […]
CLASSIFICATION OF MICROORGANISMS BASED ON HAZARDS AND LABORATORY
Pathogenic microorganisms inclusive of viruses, bacteria, and fungi portends health challenges to the general public […]
IMPORTANCE OF MICROORGANISMS
Microorganisms are studied for diverse reasons. These microscopic forms of life play tremendous significant roles […]
IMMUNOGLOBULIN D (IgD)
Immunoglobulin D (IgD) is an antibody with the basic four polypeptide structure of an immunoglobulin […]
IMMUNOGLOBULIN G (IgG): Structure, Function, and Clinical Significance
Structural Characteristics and Molecular Properties Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is a monomeric antibody that represents the […]
IMMUNOGLOBULIN E (IgE)
Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is an antibody that is known to bind to host tissue cells […]
IMMUNOGLOBULIN M (IgM)
Immunoglobulin M (IgM) is an antibody that mainly exist as a pentamer i.e. it consists […]
COLOSTRUM
Colostrum is the first secretion of the mammary gland (breast) produced before proper lactation commences […]
IMMUNOGLOBULIN A (IgA)
Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is an antibody found in serum (as a monomer of about 150,000 […]
TYPES OF ANTIBODIES
Immunoglobulins do not actually kill or eliminate pathogenic microorganisms or antigens from the body. The […]
ANTIBODIES (Immunoglobulins)
Antibodies are soluble protein molecules produced by the B cells of the immune system in […]
CHARACTERISTICS OF ANTIGENS
However antigenic a foreign molecule/substance may be, to be immunogenic and qualify to be called […]
CARE OF THE MICROSCOPE
Due to the critical role of microscope in microbiological and other biomedical researchers, it is […]
TYPES OF MICROSCOPES
There abound several numbers of microscopes that can be used by a microscopist to view […]
FUNCTIONS OF THE PARTS OF A MICROSCOPE
The microscope has various parts that perform specific function; and it is important that scientists […]
DNA VIRUSES
DNA viruses have only the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules as their nucleic acid; and the […]
REPLICATION IN VIRUSES – viral replication
Replication is defined as the process in which a cell divides to make copies of […]
MORPHOLOGY OF VIRUSES
The morphology of viruses refers to the structural organization, shape, size, and physical components of viral particles. […]
VIRAL COMPOSITIONS
Viruses are infectious agents that have a simple acellular structure that is mainly made up […]
METHODS USED FOR THE INACTIVATION OF VIRUSES
Several reasons exist for the inactivation of viruses I either to use them for a […]
CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF VIRUSES
Viruses have several physicochemical properties including pH, molecular size or mass, stability to heat and […]
Bacterial Transformation (The Transforming Principle)
Fredrick Griffith showed in 1928 that deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the genetic material of the […]
RIBONUCLEIC ACID (RNA)
An understanding of the nucleic acid molecules which include deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid […]
PROTEIN STRUCTURE – types and function
Proteins are a group of polypeptides that form a molecule of specific biological function; and […]
PURINES & PYRIMIDINES
Purines are heterocyclic aromatic organic compound that consist of a pyrimidine ring fused to an […]
NUCLEOTIDES
Nucleotides are nucleosides with one or more phosphate groups covalently attached to the 3′ or […]
Mechanisms for uptake of nutrients by microorganisms – diffusion & active transport
Microbial cells employ a variety of mechanisms to uptake nutrients (including macromolecules, inorganic ions, water […]
NUTRITIONAL GROUPS OF MICROORGANISMS
Living organisms vary in terms of their mode of nutrition i.e. how they feed or […]
Microbial (Bacterial) Nutrition
Bacterial Nutritionis importantfor the optimum growth of the organism because it is the only means […]
CORYNEBACTERIUM DIPHTHERIAE
Corynebacterium diphtheriae is a Gram-positive, non-spore forming, aerobic, rod-shaped and motile bacterium that causes diphtheria, […]
VIBRIO CHOLERAE
Vibrio cholerae is a Gram-negative, oxidase positive, spiral, non-spore forming, facultative, motile, curved or straight […]
NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a Gram-negative, oxidase-positive, non-motile, non-sporulating, non-capsulate, diplococcus found asymptomatically in humans. N. […]
Bacillus anthracis
Bacillus anthracis is a mesophilic, Gram-positive, aerobic, catalase-positive, rod-like and spore-forming bacterium that causes anthrax […]
MICROBIAL HAEMOLYSIS IN BLOOD AGAR
Haemolysis is the breakdown of red blood cells (RBCs). Certain bacterial species including Streptococcus and […]
HISTORY OF ANTIBIOTICS – a synopsis on how it all started
Over the past 70 years, antibiotics have saved countless number of lives across the globe […]
PATHOGENICITY ISLANDS
Pathogenicity islands (PAIs) are the regions of bacterial chromosome (usually of foreign origin) that contain […]
BACTERIAL ENZYMES THAT EXCITE PATHOGENICITY
Pathogenic bacteria produce numerous enzymes that help to increase their pathogenicity and/or virulence during an […]
ENDOTOXIN PRODUCING BACTERIA
Endotoxins are microbial toxins which are produced only on cell lysis i.e. on cell death. […]
EXOTOXIN PRODUCING BACTERIA
Exotoxins are extracellular toxins produced by living bacterial cells. They are protein molecules excreted by […]
BACTERIAL TOXINS
Toxins are specific microbial products or secretions which at very low concentrations can act specifically […]
Characteristics of Pathogenic Microorganisms (Bacteria)
Bacterial pathogens that cause infections in humans have innate characteristic mechanisms with which they use […]
INOCULUM SIZE OF MICROBES
Inoculum size is defined as the number of invading pathogenic microorganisms that is sufficient enough […]
CONTINUOUS AND SEMI-CONTINUOUS FERMENTATION
Introduction to Fermentation Processes Fermentation is a metabolic process by which microorganisms convert organic compounds—primarily […]
Fed-Batch Fermentation: A Comprehensive Overview
Fed-batch fermentation is a critical and widely used process in modern biotechnology and industrial microbiology. […]
Batch Fermentation: Principles, Process, Applications, and Evaluation
Introduction Fermentation is a biological process through which microorganisms convert substrates (typically carbohydrates) into valuable […]
