A plethora of observant researchers had already conceptualized and opined rather vehemently the much applauded and widely accepted ‘germ theory’ of disease even before Pasteur established experimentally that microbes (or bacteria) happen to be the root cause of several human dreadful diseases. Later on various other scientists supported and proved the aforesaid ‘germ theory’ in one way or the other as stated under:
Girolamo Fracastro (1483–1553) : advocated that certain diseases might be caused by virtue of invisible organisms transmitted from one subject to another.
Read the rest of this entry »
The kingdom of organisms that essentially includes yeast, molds, and mushrooms, is termed as fungi. It has been duly observed and amply demonstrated that fungi invariably grow as single cells, as in yeast, or as multicellular filamentous colonies, as in molds and mushrooms.
Interestingly, fungi do not contain chlorophyll (i.e., the nature’s organic green matter), hence they are saprophytic (i.e., they obtian food from dead organic matter) or parasitic (i.e., they obtain nourishment from the living organisms), and above all the body’s normal flora categorically contains several fungi. However, most fungi
are not pathogenic in nature.
Read the rest of this entry »
The microbial cell represents an extremely complex entity, which is essentially comprised of approximately 70% of by its weight as water, and the remaining 30% by its weight as the solid components. Besides, the two major gaseous constituents viz., oxygen (O2) and hydrogen (H2) the microbial cell predominantly consists of four other major elements, namely : Carbon (C), nitrogen (N), sulphur (S), and phosphorus (P).
In fact, the six aforesaid constituents almost account for 95% of the ensuing cellular dry weight. The various other elements that also present but in relatively much lesser quantum are : Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Co2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Fe3+ and Mo4+. Based on these critical observations and findings one may infer that the microorganisms significantly require an exceptionally large number of elements for its adequate survival as well as growth (i.e., cultivation).
Read the rest of this entry »
Virology usually refers to the study of viruses and viral diseases. Towards the later part of the nineteenth century Pasteur and his co-workers were vigorously attempting to unfold the precise and exact mechanism of the phenomenon of disease development by examining meticulously a good number of infectious fluids (drawn from patients) for the possible presence of specific disease producing agent(s) by allowing them to pass through filters with a view to retain the bacterial cells.
An affirmative conclusion could be reached easily in the event when the filtrates (obtained above) failed to produce any infection, and the presence of the disease producing bacterial agent in the original (infectious) fluid.
The following researchers determined the presence of ‘virus’ in pathological fluids in the following chronological order:
Read the rest of this entry »