- Microbiology – Study of living organisms of microscopic size.
- Ruska (1934) – developed the electron microscope, enabling the visualisation of the microbes.The development of tissue culture technique has permitted the cultivation of viruses.
- Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955) – discovered that the fungus Penicillium produces a substance, penicillin, that destroys Staphylococci,this discovery led to the formulation of other antimicrobials.
- Antony van Leeuwenhoek – First person to describe microorganisms.
- The spontaneous generation of microorganisms was disproved by Spallanzani, Pasteur, Tyndall, and others.
- The work of Bassi, Pasteur, Koch, and others supported – Germ theory of disease.
- Joseph Lister (1827-1912)- provided indirect evidence with his development of antiseptic surgery.
- Louis Pasteur (1822-1895): Pasteur showed that fermentations were caused by microorganisms and that some microorganisms could live in the absence of oxygen.
- He is known as “Father of Microbiology”.
- Contributions of Louis Pasteur in Microbiology are very important.
- Joseph Lister (1827-1912) – introduced ‘antisepsis’, wherein he sprayed the patient and operating field with carbolic acid.
- He developed antiseptic surgery.
- He is known as “Father of modern surgery”.
- Robert Koch (1843 -1910) : defined criteria used to attribute a disease to bacterium (Koch’s Postulates).
a. the bacterium must be found in all cases of the disease, their distribution in the body should correspond to that of lesion observed. - Bacterium should be be isolated from host and grown in pure culture for several generations.
- Bacterium should be isolated in pure culture from lesions in infected animals.
- Bacteria should be isolated in pure culture from lesions in infected animals.
• Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915)- is known as “Father of chemotherapy”.
• The existence of viruses became evident during the
closing years of the nineteenth century.