What is microbiology?
Microbiology is the study (logy) of very small (micro) living (bio) things. Microbiology is the study of microorganisms. These “bugs” include: bacteria (that’s the Latin plural for bacterium); viruses (that’s the non-Latin plural for virus – virii sounds weird, so I don’t say it); and, fungi (that’s the Latin plural for fungus – which by now you have guessed, or already knew, and may not be all that interested to know, anyway). Microbiology is actually made up of several sub-disciplines. Microbiology, one of the fastest growing areas of science, is the study of organisms so small that they must be viewed with a microscope. These organisms are primarily bacteria, yeasts, molds, and viruses. Many of the most important scientific discoveries of recent years have been made by microbiologists: since 1910, one-third of the Nobel Prizes in medicine and physiology have been awarded to microbiologists. They are concerned with the welfare of humankind, concentrating not only on aspects of host-m
Microbiology is often incorrectly classed as the study of germs or of bacteria. While some microbiologists may specifically study viruses, also called virology, or bacteria, also called bacteriology, microbiology encompasses the whole of studying microscopic organisms. This includes the study of bacteria, protozoa, fungi, some types of algae, and often viruses. The origins of microbiology can be traced to scientists positing that small unseeable things might affect other organisms. Anton van Leeuwenhoek was able to observe tiny bacteria in a primitive microscope in the 17th century. Many cite microbiology of medical origin as having been founded by Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch in the mid to late 19th century. Later discoveries in the 20th century, like the discovery of viruses proved of immense importance to medical use of microbiology. Most physicians today credit microbiology with some of the most important work related to human illness that has ever been conducted. Medical microbio
