Introduction to Microbiology

Course description

Explore an exotic world too small to see with this free online course as we study microscopic organisms, otherwise known as ‘microorganisms’. We cover a range of relevant subjects, including cell structures, microbial diversity and chemical metabolisms. This course moves from the laboratory to the world around you as we examine the role of microorganisms in medical and culinary fields.

Microbiology studies extremely small organisms found in our world, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. We begin with microscopes as we investigate their lenses and usage. This course teaches you definitions and how to group microorganisms and outlines the history and foundation of microbiology. We provide specific definitions like ‘prokaryotic’ and ‘eukaryotic’ cells, which make up organisms, and explain their structure and differences. We go through metabolic processes and illustrate why enzymes are essential for living things. This course introduces you to microbes, what they need to survive and grow and the phases of bacterial growth. This helps you discover how we grow and measure microbes and what kind of chemical agents can control them.

This course takes a look at the different types of prokaryotes found in the world, which are divided into different types of archaea and bacteria. Classifications are everywhere in microbiology and we expose you to various types of phyla and eukaryota: fungi, algae, protozoa and slime and water moulds. We then cover viruses, viroids and prions and unpack the difference between deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus entry in animals and the diseases that threaten plants. We show you how microbes infect their hosts and how medical professionals try to prevent infections from spreading. We help you study how microbial diseases are acquired, which includes covering the different forms of infectious diseases and their transmission. Do you know how your immune system works to fight off infections? Do you know what cells help to prevent you from falling ill? These basic and interesting questions are answered during this course. The immune system is a complex and amazing system worth studying in detail and we establish its purpose and how antibodies boost your body’s protection.

Our attention then moves on to the nature and purpose of vaccines. We begin with the history of vaccine development and the process whereby a vaccine protects the human body. We explain the concerns raised by the presence of microorganisms in our environment and look into their effect and the carbon, nitrogen and sulphur cycles. This course finishes with a look at the use of microorganisms and microbiology in the food industry and other sectors. This course provides a solid understanding of the basics when it comes to identifying the practical role of microorganisms, for example in developing vaccines. It will interest anyone who wants a zoomed-in view of the world around them as we offer a fascinating glimpse through the microscope.