SDSU Microbiology Discussion

1. Describe 4 reasons why it is important for health workers to understand microbiology.
2. List and briefly describe the differentiating characteristics of the 9 different groups of entities
(living and non–living) that are studied by microbiologists
3. Microbiology is a broad field which encompasses many different areas of study. List and briefly
describe at least 5 different sub–disciplines of microbiology.
4. What is the difference between infection and disease?
5. In order to cause a disease, what 4 things must a pathogen do?
6. How is a true pathogen different from an opportunistic pathogen? What populations are most
likely affected by opportunistic pathogens?
7. What types of diseases and processes do epidemiologists study?
8. Briefly describe the contributions of each of the following microbiologists to our understanding of
microbiology
– Robert Hooke
– Anton van Leeuwenhoek
– Francisco Redi
– Louis Pasteur
– Joseph Lister
– Robert Koch
– Alexander Flemming
9. What are Koch’s postulates? What steps are necessary to show that a microorganism causes a
specific disease? What constraints exist on using Koch’s postulates for all diseases?
10. What is meant by the term “human microbiome”?