Chapter 1-1

Medical Microbiology For 1st Year BSc
Nursing Students
CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL
MICROBIOLOGY
1. Introduction To Medical Microbiology
Learning Objectives:
 At the end of this chapter, you will be able to
 Mention the features of microorganisms
 Define common terms in microbiology
 Describe concepts of host pathogen relationship
 Define normal microbial flora
 Describe human body parts colonized by normal flora
03/03/2024 By Sami H. 2
1.1. Basic concepts and branches of microbiology
 Microbiology is a subject which deals with living organisms that
are individually too small to be seen with the naked eye.
 Sub-branches of microbiology such as Medical microbiology,
Pharmaceutical microbiology, Industrial microbiology, Public
health microbiology and others
 Medical Microbiology is the study of

 microbes that infect humans,
 the diseases they cause,
 their diagnosis, prevention and treatment
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Sub-divisions of microbiology:
 Bacteriology–which deals with bacteria

 Virology–studies about viruses and prions
 Mycology–which deals with fungi
 Immunology–studies mechanisms of body protection against
pathogenic microorganisms
 Phycology–Which deals with Algae
 Protozoology–which deals with Protozoa
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1.3.The Distribution and features of
Microorganisms
 Microorganisms found everywhere: in the air we breathe,
water we drink, on or in our body, soil and others
 Characteristics which make them found everywhere are:
 They exist in different forms (spore, cysts)
 They are small in size
 Easy adaptation to physical and chemical factors
 They have rapid reproduction
 Easy transmission
 They have diverse metabolism (have different enzymes)
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1.4.Definitions of common terminologies in
Microbiology
 Micro-organism or microbe: is a microscopic organism
that comprises either single cell (unicellular), cell clusters
(multicellular) or no cell at all (acellular)
 Pathogen: is an organism with the potential to cause
disease
 Pathogenicity: the ability of a pathogen to damage host
cell or tissue
 Virulence factor: a factor which contributes for the
pathogenicity of the microbes
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1.5.Host and Pathogen Relationship
General Concepts
 Host Susceptibility
o Resistance to bacterial infections is enhanced by phagocytic cells
and an intact immune system. Initial resistance is due to nonspecific
mechanisms. Specific immunity develops over time.
o Susceptibility to some infections is higher in the very young and the
very old and in immunosuppressed patients.
 Pathogen Infectivity
o Pathogen infectivity results from a disturbance in the balance
between pathogen virulence and host resistance
o The "objective" of any pathogen is to multiply rather than to cause
disease; it is in the best interest of the pathogen not to kill the host
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 Host Resistance
o Numerous physical and chemical attributes of the host protect against
bacterial infection
o These defences include the antibacterial factors in secretions covering
mucosal surfaces and rapid rate of replacement of skin and mucosal
epithelial cells
o Once the surface of the body is penetrated, bacteria encounter an
environment virtually devoid of free iron needed for growth, which
requires many of them to scavenge for this essential element
 Genetic and Molecular Basis for Virulence
o Bacterial virulence factors may be encoded on chromosomal, plasmid,
transposon, or temperate bacteriophage DNA;
o Virulence factor genes on transposons or temperate bacteriophage DNA
may integrate into the bacterial chromosome
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 Host-mediated Pathogenesis
o In certain infections (e.g. tuberculosis) tissue damage results from the
toxic mediators released by lymphoid cells rather than from bacterial

toxins
o Classic examples of host response-mediated pathogenesis are seen in
diseases such as Gram-negative bacterial sepsis, tuberculosis, and

tuberculoid leprosy
o The tissue damage in these infections is caused by toxic factors
released from the lymphocytes, macrophages, and polymorph nuclear

neutrophils infiltrating the site of infection
o Often the host response is so intense that host tissues are destroyed,
allowing resistant bacteria to proliferate

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 Intracellular Growth
o Some bacteria (e.g., Rickettsia species) can grow only within eukaryotic
cells, whereas others (e.g., Salmonella species) invade cells but do not
require them for growth
o Most pathogenic bacteria multiply in tissue fluids and not in host cells
o In general, bacteria that can enter and survive within eukaryotic cells are
shielded from humoral antibodies and can be eliminated only by a cellular
immune response
o However, these bacteria must possess specialized mechanisms to protect
them from the harsh effects of the lysosomal enzymes encountered within
the cell
 Virulence Factors
 Virulence factors help bacteria to:
• invade the host
• evade host defenses

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• cause disease
 The following are types of virulence factors:
 Adherence Factors: Many pathogenic bacteria colonize
mucosal sites by using pili (fimbriae) to adhere to cells.
 Invasion Factors: Surface components that allow the
bacterium to invade host cells can be encoded on plasmids,
but more often are on the chromosome
 Capsules: Many bacteria are surrounded by capsules that
protect them from opsonisation and phagocytises
 Endotoxins: The lipopolysaccharide endotoxins on Gram-
negative bacteria cause fever, changes in blood pressure,
inflammation, lethal shock,By Sami
03/03/2024
and H.
many other toxic events 11
1.6.Normal microbial flora
 What normal flora?

 Those microorganisms that live on the human body without
causing disease are called normal flora. Eg. Bacteria
 It has been estimated that humans have approximately 1013
cells in the body and something like 1014 bacteria associated
with them, the majority in the large bowel
 Members of groups such as viruses, fungi and protozoa are also
regularly found in healthy individuals, but form only a minor
component of the total population of resident organisms
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 The organisms occur in those parts of the body that are
exposed to, or communicate with, the external
environment, namely the skin, nose and mouth, and
intestinal and urogenital tracts
 Internal organs and tissues are normally sterile and free
from any microorganism
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Advantages and disadvantages of the normal flora
Advantage of normal flora :
 Skin bacteria
• Prevents invasion by producing fatty acids.
 Gut bacteria
• Release a number of factors with antibacterial activity (bacteriocins, colicins)
• Helps in metabolism and digestion
• Produce Vitamin B and K
• Antigenic stimulation to improve immune systems
 Urogenital flora
• lactobacilli maintain an acid environment, which suppresses growth of other
organisms.
Normal flora also,

• Compete with pathogens for nutrients and adhesion sites
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• Produce substances that inhibit pathogens’ growth
Disadvantage of Normal flora
 They can cause disease when:
• Host resistance is lowered
• Displace or change their usual anatomic location
• Individuals become immunocompromised(eg. AIDS)
• The local environment changes (e.g. increases in stomach or
vaginal pH
• The composition of the flora changes (e.g. after antibiotics)
• Under these conditions, the potential pathogens take the
opportunity to invade tissues, so becoming harmful to the
host
03/03/2024 By Sami H. 15
THANK YOU !!!
03/03/2024 By Sami H. 16

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Medical Microbiology For 1st Year BSc

 Microbiology is a subject which deals with living organisms that

are individually too small to be seen with the naked eye.

 Sub-branches of microbiology such as Medical microbiology,

Pharmaceutical microbiology, Industrial microbiology, Public

health microbiology and others

 Medical Microbiology is the study of

 Bacteriology–which deals with bacteria

toxic mediators released by lymphoid cells rather than from bacterial

diseases such as Gram-negative bacterial sepsis, tuberculosis, and

released from the lymphocytes, macrophages, and polymorph nuclear

allowing resistant bacteria to proliferate

 Virulence factors help bacteria to:

• invade the host

• evade host defenses

 What normal flora?

Normal flora also,

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