Microbiology

1. Microbiology Microbiology is one of the branches of biology. It is a science that studies the life activities of various micro-organisms at the molecular, cellular or population level, such as morphological structure, growth and reproduction, physiological metabolism, genetic variation, ecological distribution and taxonomic evolution. Microbiology is widely used in industrial fermentation, medical hygiene and bioengineering. Since ancient times, human beings have been aware of the life activities of microorganisms and their roles in daily life and production practice. In 1796, the British invented the vaccinia vaccine, which laid the foundation for the development of immunology. In the 17th century, Leeuwenhoek used a self-made simple microscope to observe dental scales, rainwater, well water and plant extracts, and found that many "tiny animals" were active, and scientifically recorded the different forms of bacteria. Italian botanist P. A. Mikely also observed fungal morphology with a simple microscope. The study of microbiology has entered the physiological stage since the 1960s. The study of microbial physiology by French scientist Pasteur laid the foundation for modern microbiology. In this stage, the establishment of microbial operation technology and research methods is a unique symbol of the development of microbiology. Since the 20th century, the infiltration of Biochemistry and Biophysics into microbiology, coupled with the invention of electron microscopy and the application of isotope tracer atoms, has promoted the development of microbiology to the stage of biochemistry.