History of Microbiology

History of
Microbiology
History of Microbiology
 Physics began in ancient times, mathematics even earlier, but the knowledge of tiny living things,
their biology, and their impact on human lives have only been around since the late 19th century.
 Among ancient peoples, epidemic and even endemic diseases were believed to be supernatural in
origin, sent by the gods as punishment for the sins of human kind.
 Until about the 1880s, people still believed that life could form out of thin air and that sickness was
caused by sins or bad odors.
 Diseases were thought to be caused by

 Bad smells, treated by removing or masking the bad odor.
 An imbalance in the humor of the body, treated with bleeding, sweating, and vomiting
 Sins of the soul, treated with prayer.
Concept of Contagion
A communicable disease that can spread rapidly from person to person through direct contact
(touching a person who has the infection), indirect contact (touching a contaminated object), or
droplet contact (inhaling droplets made when a person who has the infection coughs, sneezes, or
talks).
Example :
Coronaviruses, Dengue, Flu (Influenza), HIV/AIDS.
 Varo and Columella in the second century BC postulated that diseases were caused by invisible
creatures.
 Fracastorius (1546) a physician of Verona conclude that communicable diseases were caused by
living agents (germs).
 Von Plenciz (1762) suggested that each disease was caused by a separate agent.
Discovery of Microbes and the Dawn of Microbiology:
 Microbiology is the study of living organisms of microscopic size.

 The term microbiology was given by French chemist Louis Pasteur (1822-95).
 Microbiology is said to have its roots in the great expansion and development of the biological
sciences that took place after 1850.
 The term microbe was first used by Sedillot (1878)
The Discovery Era
 Robert Hooke, A 17th-century English Scientist, Was The First To Use A Lens To Observe The Smallest
Unit Of Tissues He Called “Cells.”
 Soon After, The Dutch Biologist Antony Van Leeuwenhoek Observed What He Called “Animalcules”
With The Use Of His Homemade Microscopes.
Antony van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723)
• Antony van Leeuwenhoek is considered as the “Father of microbiology”.
• Antony van Leeuwenhoek is also considered to be the father of bacteriology and protozoology
(protistology).
Contributions of Antony van Leeuwenhoek
 Antony was the first person to observe and accurately describe the microorganisms (bacteria
and protozoa) called ‘animalcules’ (little animals) using his newly developed microscope in
1673.
 His hobby was grinding lenses and observing diverse materials through them.
 Actually he spent much of his spare time in constructing simple microscopes composed of
double convex lenses held between two silver plates. He constructed over 250 small powerful
microscopes that could magnify around 50-300 times.
 Leeuwenhoek was the first person to produce precise and correct descriptions of bacteria and
protozoa using a microscope he made himself.
 Because of this extraordinary contribution to microbiology, Antony van Leeuwenhoek is

considered as the “Father of microbiology” and also considered to be the father of bacteriology
and protozoology (protistology).
 In 1683 he made accurate descriptions of various types of bacteria such as the different shapes
of bacteria as cocci (spheres) bacilli (rods) and spirochetes (spiral filaments) and
communicated them to the Royal Society in London during a 50 years period.
Transition Period
Spontaneous Generation (Abiogenesis)
 Spontaneous generation theory, which stated that living organisms could arise from nonliving
matter and that such a process was regular in nature. It also explained the origin of life from
the nonliving subjects.
 When microorganisms were known to exist, most scientists believed that such simple life
forms could surely arise through spontaneous generation.
 That is to say life was thought to spring spontaneously from mud and lakes or anywhere with
sufficient nutrients.
 Even great Aristotle (384-322 BC) though animal could originated from the soil.
 This view was finally challenged by the Italian physician Francesco Redi.
Francesco Redi’s (1626-1697) Experiment
 Francesco Redi’s experimental setup consisted of an open container, a container sealed with a cork
top, and a container covered in mesh that let in air but not flies.
 Maggots only appeared on the meat in the open container. However, maggots were also found on
the gauze of the gauze-covered container.
John Needham (1713-1781)Experiment
 John Needham is the English scientist who performed experiments on spontaneous generation or abiogenesis in
mutton broth in 1745.
 Needham showed that mutton broth boiled in flask and then still develop microorganisms, which supported the
theory of spontaneous generation
Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799) Experiment
 He was an Italian Naturalist who attempted to disprove Needham’s experiment.

 He boiled beef broth for longer period, removed the air from the flask and then sealed the
container.
 Followed incubation no growth was observed by him in these flasks.
 He showed that the heated nutrients could still grow animalcules when exposed to air by simply
making a removed the sealed.
 Thus Spallanzani disproved the principle of spontaneous generation.

 Nicolas Appert :
Nicolas Appert followed the idea of Spallanzani’s work. He
was a French wine maker who showed that soups and liquids can be preserved by heating them
extensively in thick champagine bottles.
 Ignaz Semmelweis and John Snow :

Ignaz Semmelweis and John Snow
were the two persons who showed a growing awareness of the mode of disease transmission.
 Schulze (1815-1873) and Theodor Schwan (1810-1882) :
Two German scholars Schulze (1815-1873) and Theodor Schwan (1810-1882) viewed that air
was the source of microbes.
 George Schroeder and Theodor Von Dusch (1854)
George
Schroeder and Theodor Von Dusch (1854) were the first to introduce the idea of using
cotton plugs for plugging microbial culture tubes.
 Darwin (1859)
Darwin in his book, ‘Origin of the Species’ showed that
the human body could be conceived as a creature susceptible to the laws of nature. He was
of the opinion that disease may be a biological phenomenon, rather than any magic.
The Golden Age
 The Golden age of Microbiology began with the work of Louis Pasteur and Robert
Koch who had their own research institute.
 More important there was an acceptance of their work by the scientific community
throughout the world and a willingness to continue and expand the work. During this
period, we see the real beginning of microbiology as a discipline of biology.
Contributions of Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
Louis Pasteur is known as the “Father of Modern Microbiology

Pasteur’s test of spontaneous generation
 Pasteur, thus in 1858 finally resolved the controversy of spontaneous generation

versus biogenesis and proved that microorganisms are not spontaneously generated
from non-living matter but arise from other microorganisms.
 By sterilizing a food source and keeping it isolated from the outside, Pasteur
observed no decaying of the food source. Upon exposure to the outside
environment, Pasteur observed the contamination of the food source.
 This strongly suggested that the components needed to create life do not
spontaneously arise.
Pasteur’s test of spontaneous generation
GERM THEORY
 The germ theory of disease is the currently accepted scientific theory for
many diseases.
 It states that microorganisms known as pathogens or "germs" can cause disease.
 These small organisms, too small to be seen without magnification, invade humans,
other animals, and other living hosts. Their growth and reproduction within their
hosts can cause disease.
Fermentation Process
Louis Pasteur was a chemist, but his studies on fermentation led him to take an interest in
microorganisms. His discoveries revolutionized medical practice, although he never
studied medicine.
He also found that the fermentation of fruits and grains, resulting in alcohol, was brought
about by microbes and also determined that bacteria were responsible for the spoilage of
wine during fermentation.
Pasteurization Process
 Pasteur in 1862 suggested that mild heating at 62.8°C (145°F) for 30 minutes rather
than boiling was enough to destroy the undesirable organisms without ruining the taste
of the product, the process was called Pasteurization. Pasteurization was introduced
into the United States on a commercial basis in 1892

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History of Microbiology

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History of

 Diseases were thought to be caused by

Discovery of Microbes and the Dawn of Microbiology:

 Microbiology is the study of living organisms of microscopic size.

• Antony van Leeuwenhoek is considered as the “Father of microbiology”.

 Because of this extraordinary contribution to microbiology, Antony van Leeuwenhoek is

 He was an Italian Naturalist who attempted to disprove Needham’s experiment.

 Followed incubation no growth was observed by him in these flasks.

 Thus Spallanzani disproved the principle of spontaneous generation.

 Ignaz Semmelweis and John Snow :

 Schulze (1815-1873) and Theodor Schwan (1810-1882) :

Louis Pasteur is known as the “Father of Modern Microbiology

 Pasteur, thus in 1858 finally resolved the controversy of spontaneous generation

 It states that microorganisms known as pathogens or "germs" can cause disease.

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