PRINCIPLES OF FOOD HYGIENE: sources of contamination in food industries

Food meant for human and animal consumption must meet certain quality and safety criteria to be adjudged safe for consumption after production. And this is only possible if the production process follows certain guidelines which are all geared towards ensuring the safety and hygiene of the final product. Several factors affect the quality of food […]

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Food Microbiology, Industrial Microbiology

ANTIGEN-ANTIBODY REACTION

Antigen-antibody reaction is an immunological reaction in which a particular antibody molecule reacts with a specific antigen to form an antigen-antibody complex which is marked for further immunological response by other components of the immune system. It can occur inside a living organism (i.e. in vivo reaction) and it can also occur outside the host

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Microbe Lab, Immunology & Immune System, Techniques in Microbiology Lab, ,

ELISA

ELISA is the acronym for “enzyme linked immunosorbent assay”. It is an immunoassay or serological test that is used for the quantification or identification of specific antibodies or antigens in biological specimens (e.g. serum or blood). ELISA is mainly based on the principle of enzyme-substrate reaction. In ELISA, an enzyme (e.g. horseradish enzyme and beta-galactosidase

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Immunology & Immune System, Microbe Lab, Techniques in Microbiology Lab,

POXVIRIDAE FAMILY

Poxviridae familyis a distinct family of viral genera that contain viruses that replicate in the cytoplasm of their host cells (inclusive of vertebrate and invertebrate cells). Cowpox, smallpox or variola virus, vaccinia virus and monkey pox viruses are typical examples of viruses in this family. The Poxviridae family contains viruses that infect humans, other vertebrates,

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Virology, , , , ,

PARVOVIRIDAE FAMILY

Parvoviridae family has six (6) genera of virus which include Parvovirus, Contravirus, Erythrovirus, Dependovirus, Densovirus and Iteravirus. Parvovirus or the human parvovirus B19 is the major viral agent in this family of virus because it causes infections in humans. The family Parvoviridae also contains viruses that cause viral infection in animals. The human parvovirus B19

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Virology, , , , , , , , ,

ISOLATION TECHNIQUE

Isolation technique is a microbiology procedure which is used to obtain pure cultures of microorganisms especially from a mixed culture or specimen. It includes culturing microorganisms or specimens on selective media which allow the growth of particular organisms. After culturing, bacterial growth is often expressed on solid culture media as colonies which may contain contaminants

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Microbe Lab, Techniques in Microbiology Lab, ,

MANTOUX (TUBERCULIN) TEST

Mantoux (Tuberculin) Test is used as a laboratory diagnostic aid to detect reactions of individuals to tuberculin i.e. purified protein derivative (PPD). A tuberculin is any preparation that contains tuberculoprotein – which is usually obtained by the filtration of a culture of tubercle bacilli. PPD is the test antigen in the mantoux skin test. It

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Biochemical Tests in Microbiology Lab, Immunology & Immune System, ,

MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a slim, non-motile, non-spore forming, Gram-positive, obligate aerobe, and acid-fast bacillus (rod) with a waxy cell wall. It is found in the genus Mycobacterium and family Mycobacteriaceae. Aside M. tuberculosis, M. bovis (cattle/animal pathogen), M. avium and M. leprae (causative agent of leprosy/Hansen’s disease)are the other important species of the genus Mycobacterium

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Bacteriology, , ,

HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE

Haemophilus influenza is a small, Gram-negative, non-sporulating, non-motile, urease positive, indole positive, pleomorphic, rod-like or coccobacillus blood-loving bacterium in the family, Pasteurellaceae. H. influenzae, a non-toxin producing bacterium was first isolated during the 1890 influenza pandemic, and it is often referred to as a “blood-loving” bacterium (i.e. haemophilic bacterium) because it requires growth factors which

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Bacteriology,