FMB 207- Fundamentals of Food Microbiology

Microbiology is the branch of the biological sciences that deals with microorganisms, i.e. bacteria, fungi, some algae, protozoa, viruses, viroids and prions. Most micro-organisms have the following characteristics:- 1) They are generally too small to be seen with the unaided human eye, and some form of microscopy is required for the study of their structure. 2) Cells or other structures are relatively simple and less specialized than those of higher plants and animals. 3) They are handled and cultured in the laboratory in ways that are generally quite similar. Microbiology has developed into a science that can be studied from a number of perspectives. A specialist study can be made of each of the individual groups giving rise to the following disciplines: · Bacteriology - the study of bacteria; · Mycology - the study of fungi; · Protozoology - the study of protozoa; · Phycology (algology) - the study of algae; · Virology - the study of viruses. Micro-organisms can also be studied from the applied viewpoint, i.e. the relationship between micro-organisms, the environment and human activity. This again gives rise to a number of areas of specialist study: · Medical microbiology includes some aspects of pathology (the study of diseases), immunology (how the immune system operates to prevent invasion by micro-organisms) and epidemiology (how diseases are distributed and spread). · Agricultural microbiology: The study of micro-organisms for crop/ plant health and related areas. · Industrial microbiology / biotechnology: The study of the use of Microorganisms in large scale industrial processes. · Food microbiology: The study of the role that micro-organisms play in food spoilage, food production, food preservation and food-borne disease.