Posts

How does microbial metabolism contribute to biogeochemical cycles?

Microbiology is one of the fundamental areas of knowledge for the health professions. We must know how to identify microorganisms in our environment and how to prevent and control the numerous pathogens that infect virtually everyone on our planet at one time or another. Once we understand the etiology of an infectious disease we are able to not only cure infected persons from the various pathogens found in our environment, but prevent others from becoming infected.
We will begin this course with a review of the history of microbiology and an introduction to cell theory. You will learn how the work of scientists Robert Hooke, Robert Koch, Louis Pasteur, and several others, led to the controversy over spontaneous generation and the understanding of the role of microorganisms in the causation of disease. The work of these pioneers in the field ultimately contributed to the development of cell theory and medical microbiology.
Once you understand the history of microbiology and cell theory, we will learn to identify different kinds of microorganisms and classify them based on certain characteristics. We will consider the concepts of how we classify “species” and how species evolve, as we learn about the classification of microbes into groups such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses.
We will then build on this general understanding of microbial biology to examine how our bodies defend against infection and disease, and explore modern concepts of disease control and prevention. In this section we will focus on some current issues surrounding antibiotic resistance (MRSA, VRSA) and STD epidemics facing the human population, such as HIV and HPV, and current attempts to control them. In order to understand why these microbes pose such a risk to our population, we will learn the basics of the human immune response, immunity, and how vaccinations and antibiotics play a role in disease control and prevention.
As we investigate these basic theories of microbiology, we will consider how the human microbiome plays a role in health and disease, and consider the microbiome found in our soil and water. We will address questions such as:
• What are the resident microbiota? What is the difference between a nonpathogenic compared to a pathogenic microbe? What conditions can cause a nonpathogenic microbe to become pathogenic?
• What is metabolism and how do microbes differ in their ability to convert energy into usable forms?
• How does microbial metabolism contribute to biogeochemical cycles?
You will begin each module by completely reading the Home page. The Case Assignment will build on the material contained in the Home page and you will accomplish readings and quizzes in the Boundless Textbook for Microbiology for your SLP assignments. Many additional resources are available to you on your ebrary bookshelf for Microbiology. You may use these to help you accomplish any research for your Case Assignments. Please use the CDC and WHO websites as well as university sites, as these are considered academic sources.
Remember, as you complete your assignments, it is important to clearly document all work submitted in the course. Work should include a title page documenting student’s name, type of assignment (Case or SLP), instructor’s name and the date. All research should be synthesized and presented as ORIGINAL WORK (use your own words!). Adhering to these practices will insure that proper credit is given for each submission. Once again, welcome to Microbiology.

WHY IS MICROBIOLOGY IMPORTANT TO HEALTH PROFESSIONALS?

WHY IS MICROBIOLOGY IMPORTANT TO HEALTH PROFESSIONALS?

4 pages
Apa
Sources:4
Additional Resources:
Singh, U. S. and Kapoor, K. “Introduction to Microbiology,” and “Microbial Cell Structure,” in Introductory Microbiology, 2010. Global Media, Jaipur IND. 2010. eISBN: 9789350431238
Mishra and Agrawal. “Chapter 1: Introduction,” in A Concise Manual of Pathogentic Microbiology, Wiley, Somerset NJ. 2013. eISBN: 9781118301210
Course Overview
Welcome to MIC 100 – Microbiology! This is a fascinating course designed to give students an overview of the microbial world, the beneficial aspects of microbes, and the role of microbes in human disease. We will emphasize the public health aspects of infectious disease, mode of transmission of disease, pathogenicity, inducible host resistance, antigens and antibodies, disease prevention, and the principles of microbial control.
Did you know that during the past century alone more than 500 million people have died of infectious diseases and nearly 5 billion have suffered from debilitating infectious diseases? Compare this number to the less than 100 million people who have died as a result of war-related casualties in the past 500 years. (Mishra and Agrawal 2013).

Identifies light and electron as two main branches of Microscopes

LIST IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES IN MICROBIOLOGY AND THEIR IMPORTANCE

Unit outcomes addressed in this Assignment:

  • List important discoveries in microbiology and their importance
  • Discuss the classification schema
  • Select appropriate microscopic method to study different types of microorganisms

 
Instructions

  • In an essay, describe the various mechanisms utilized within the field of microscopy for studying microbes.
  • Be sure to include the appropriate staining techniques.

 
Requirements

  • Your essay should be a minimum of 500 words
  • Be sure that your grammar, sentence structure, and word usage is appropriate.
  • APA FORMAT

 
Guidelines

  • Identifies light and electron as two main branches of Microscopes
  • Identifies functional differences between the two main branches of microscopes
  • Identifies the differences in staining techniques
  • Provides specific microbial staining examples
  • Identifies how microscopy is utilized in identifying unknown

microbial specimen.

Discuss the positive or negative aspects of these drug interventions or solutions.

    • Case Studies
       
      Anorexia
       
      Beth is a normal child raised in a well-balanced home by caring parents. As a teenager, she began to experience an overwhelming fear of gaining weight and becoming fat. Her fear was unfounded because Beth’s weight was normal for her height and age. Beth began to diet and lose weight, but regardless of how much she weighed, she had a very poor self-image. Beth has become dangerously thin, but she denies the seriousness of her condition. Regardless of how much weight she loses, she feels like she needs to lose more. Beth has missed several menstrual cycles and continues to severely restrict her food intake. Her weight continues to drop. Beth’s mother and father are deeply concerned, but they do not know how to help their daughter (PsychCentral®, 2006).
       
      Drug Abuse
       
      Ron is a 33-year-old man who has been in and out of the court/jail system for the last several years. He started drinking as a teenager but his alcohol abuse began to be a serious problem in his late 20s. Ron has several DUI’s (driving under the influence) and has been arrested several times, but he seems unable to control his drinking. To his credit, he admits that he is an alcoholic. Ron has been through a variety of inpatient treatment facilities for his alcoholism, but after a brief time of sobriety, he has always relapsed back into his daily abuse of alcohol. His wife is concerned about him, but she does not know what to do for her husband.
       
      Anxiety
       
      Tom is an engineer, he is happily married, and he is the father of three bright, healthy children. By all appearances, his life is stable and satisfying. Tom, however, suffers from continual worry that he has a difficult time turning off. His anxiety may center on anything from his perceived health problems (he has recently been to his doctor for a physical, but no health issues were discovered) to money and job responsibilities. At times his anxiety peaks to the point that it interferes with his ability to function on the job. Physical symptoms include muscle tension, headaches, and hot flashes that often accompany Tom’s anxiety. Tom often feels nauseated, and he becomes easily fatigued. When he feels anxious, Tom has difficulty concentrating, he becomes irritable, and he has difficulty falling asleep at night. All of these symptoms have been present for the last 6 months. Tom has tried to talk himself out of his anxiety, but this has not worked for him. Tom’s wife is supportive, but she does not know what to do for her husband (Hauser, 2005).
       
      Insomnia
       
      Mary is a single mother of one child. She has had difficulty sleeping for the last month. Her lack of sleep has caused her to be fatigued during the day, which has caused significant impairment in her professional and social life. Mary has no history of mental disorders (such as depression) nor is she on any kind of prescription medication. Mary does not drink alcohol and does not take any type of street drug. Mary has been to her doctor about this problem, but he has been reluctant to give her any kind of sleep medication for her insomnia because he is concerned about her becoming overly dependant on the medication. Mary is facing yet another night with little sleep.
       
      References
       
      Hauser, J. (2005, February 2). Anxiety: Generalized anxiety disorder. Retrieved November 21, 2006, from the PsychCentral® Web site: http://psychcentral.com/disorders/anxiety/gad.html
       
      PsychCentral® (2006, November 17). Anorexia nervosa: Symptoms. Retrieved November 21, 2006, from http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx2.htm
       
    • Discuss the positive or negative aspects of these drug interventions or solutions.
  • Conclusion