HISTORY OF VIROLOGY

The field of virology (inclusive of medical virology, plant virology and veterinary virology) blossomed following the discovery and development of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Virology as a field in the biological sciences has spanned over 200 years; and this important discipline has continued to remain relevant to mankind and its environment owing to the varying […]

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Virology, , ,

STAINING TECHNIQUE

Staining is any microbiological process which increases the contrast of organisms when certain dyes or stains are applied to them prior to their examination under the microscope. It is generally the process of colouring specimens and microorganisms so that they can be easily observed and distinguished under the microscope. Staining in the microbiology laboratory is

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Medical Microbiology, Microbe Lab, , , , , , , , ,

MICROBIAL GROWTH PHASE

Microbial cells can exhibit different growth patterns depending on the availability of growth nutrients in their immediate environment. In batch culture, microbial cells cannot grow continuously because the growth nutrients required for development is not renewed after it has been depleted. Thus exponential growth is limited to a few generations of microbial cells in batch

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Biotechnology, Food Microbiology, Industrial Microbiology, , , , , , , ,

Overview of Molecular Biology

Molecular biology is the study of the genetic makeup of organisms at the level of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). It encompasses the study of the ways in which diseases and traits can be passed through the genes especially via from parents to their offspring’s. Genes are the hereditary unit or genetic material that is transmitted from

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Molecular Microbiology, , , , ,

OVERVIEW OF BACTERIA

Bacteria (singular: Bacterium) is one of the two important members of the prokaryotes (i.e. cells in which the chromosomes are not separated from the cytoplasmic membrane). The second is Archaea. Bacteria are prokaryotic organisms with very simple cell structure. They are single-celled organisms with complex cell wall. Bacterial cells are the simplest possible forms of

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Bacteriology, , ,

CHARACTERISTICS OF MICROORGANISMS USED IN INDUSTRIAL MICROBIOLOGY

Microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and viruses possess some unique qualities different from animals and plants. And these special characteristics of microbe’s warrants there continued usage for most of the industrial and/or biotechnological processes that produce goods and services that are of huge economic importance. Microorganisms require cheap nutrients for growth and they grow and

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Industrial Microbiology, Biotechnology, Food Microbiology, , , , ,

GLOSSARY OF MICROBIOLOGY

A Acetogenesis is mainlycharacterized by the formation of acetate. It is the process of forming acetate by acetogens through a variety of metabolic pathways including homoacetate fermentation, mixed acid fermentation and propionic acid fermentation. Acetogens are bacteria that produce acetate as their sole end product from certain sugar fermentation. Acetobacterium species, Clostridium aceticum and C.

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Glossary & Definitions in Microbiology, , , , , , , ,

GERM THEORY OF DISEASE

Germ theory of disease is the theory that human infectious diseases are caused by specific variety of microorganisms including but not limited to bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses. This very important theory of microbiology was postulated by Louis Pasteur, a French microbiologist in 1857 when he tried to unmask the reason why beer and wine

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General Microbiology, , ,

SPONTANEOUS GENERATION (ABIOGENESIS)

Spontaneous generation (abiogenesis) is the mistaken hypothesis that living organisms are capable of being generated from non-living things. Mankind for many centuries (even till the time of Aristotle in 4th century BC) previously believed that non-living things such as meat and even decaying organic matter can generate living things (e.g. maggot). The belief that life

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General Microbiology, ,