Microbiology: The study of micro-organisms

 Introduction: Microbiology is a branch of Science which deals with the study of various micro-organisms that are invisible to the naked eye. Our Eye Usually has the ability to detect a speck of about 0.2 mm in diameter and anything beyond that size needs an aid such as a Microscope. Many organisms such as Bacteria, some of the Fungi have a size of Micrometers which can be seen only under a Microscope and hence, their observation and study comes under the branch of Microbiology. These microbes are believed to be very primitive and that they might have originated in the beginning of the origin of life on the Earth. Earlier, the place of these Micro-organisms was in the kingdoms Monera, Protista and Fungi of the Five kingdom classification which was later not accepted by the Microbiologists because of the contradictions on the term Prokaryotes. Bacteria, Archae and Eukarya are the three domains into which all the cellular organisms have been placed. Apart from these, there are also acellular Micro-organisms such as Viruses, which can live only within a host living cell.

 Branches of Microbiology:

 MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY: Many bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa are well known to cause very deadly diseases which were so powerful once upon a time that, they could easily wipe out lakhs of people at a stretch. With the development of Microscopy, staining procedures and many other Microbial techniques, It has been made possible to identify and take action against the causative agents of many infections. Medical Microbiology deals with the identification, study and steps to prevent the occurrence of various diseases. The development of Genetic Engineering, Biotechnology have proved a boon to this field as They have made the identification of pathogens easy.

 INDUSTRIAL MICROBIOLOGY: Our daily life is really incomplete without many fermented products which are really impossible to prepare without the involvement of Micro-organisms such as Bacteria, Fungi etc. Alcoholic products such as Beer, Wine etc are prepared by the process of fermentation. The branch of Microbiology which deals with the preparation of these alcoholic products, antibiotics, enzymes, Food items such as yogurt, bread etc is called as Industrial Microbiology. The prime work of Industrial Microbiologists is to identify, study and utilize various potent strains of microbes such as Yeast, Bacteria to improve the product yield. Genetically Modified Organisms have taken over the production of these industrial products to the peak in the recent years.

 MICROBIAL ECOLOGY: The study of the role of microorganisms in the recycling of Carbon, Nitrogen, Sulfur etc which play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance comes under the branch of Microbial ecology. Recycling of these minerals is an important step in the proper maintenance of various cycles prevailing on this earth and different microbes play a vital role in different steps of these. Microbial Ecologists study about the role of these microbes and also employ them in the processes like bio remediation to reduce pollution.

 AGRICULTURAL MICROBIOLOGY: The study of the impact of various micro-organisms on agriculture is known as Agricultural Microbiology. Bacteria such as the Nitrogen fixing bacteria, play a crucial role in increasing the crop yield as they help in fixing the atmospheric nitrogen into nitrites and nitrates which are required in the growth of crop plants. Agricultural microbiologists work on methods to increase soil fertility and also they study about the rumen micro-organisms which help in increasing the production of milk,meat etc.

 FOOD AND DAIRY MICROBIOLOGY: Bacteria play an important role in the production of various dairy and food items. Fermentation, the process of production of yogurt, cheese etc is carried out in the presence of various micro-organisms. Food and Dairy Microbiologists also play an important role in preventing food spoilage. They use various molecular genetic methods to identify the pathogens which spoil food and help eradicate them, so that quality of food and dairy products is maintained.


References:
Joanne M. Willey, Linda M. Sherwood, Christopher J. Woolverton. Prescott's Microbiology Ninth Edition. United states of America: McGraw-Hill, 2014.Print.

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