Theory

Fundamentals of Microbiology

History of microbiology, microbial world and their structural characters. Prokaryotes – bacteria, actinomycetes, spirochaetes, cyanobacteria, mycoplasma, rickettsiae, archaebacteria viruses, structure, classification, characters and their economic importance. Eukaryotes – fungi, algae, protozoan -structure, classification, characters and their economic importance. Microscopy, sterilization, staining, filteration, Disinfection. Microbial nutrition-nutritional requirements, cultivation of microorganisms, types of nutrition photoheterotrophs, chemoheterotrophs, photoautotrophs, chemoautotrophd and their ecological significance. Microbial growth and metabolism -measurement of cell growth, dynamics of bacterial growth, factors affecting growth. Energy yielding reactions, respiration -aerobes, anaerobes, microaerophiles and facultative anaerobes. Enzymes -characters and their importance in microbial metabolism. Pathways of catabolism -EM, ED pathways and TCA cycle, fermentation, types of fermentation. Bacterial photosynthesis, Microbial ecology- microbial interactions, types of interaction, influence of physico-chemical factors like pH, temperature, moisture, light, osmotic pressure, organic and inorganic substances, relationship with soil, water, air, food etc. Microbial genetics; genotypic and phenotypic characters, mutation and its significance, genetic recombination, transformation, transduction and conjugation, genetic engineering and biotechnology. Pathogenicity and virulence. Sources of infection. Transmission of disease producing organisms. Portals of infection. Effect of pathogenic bacteria on the body. Symptoms and lesions. Virus, Symmetry of virus, RNA and DNA virus, classification, cultivation of virus, replication of virus. Host virus interactions. Virusvirus interactions. Interference and interferon, control of viral infection. Immunology and serology -types of immunity, natural and acquired, cellular and humoral, antigen-antibody reactions and their significance, serological methods in disease diagnosis. Aquatic microbial groups, Role of microorganisms in the cycling of elements in water, breakdown and production of organic matter; Carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus iron and manganese cycles. Role of bacteria and fungi in sedimentations, microorganisms and water pollution; Effluent treatment; Bacteria of extreme environment, deep sea bacteria, hydrothermal bacteria, halophilic bacteria, their physiology and nutrition;