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Articles & Books From Michael Surette
Article / Updated 09-27-2022
The way that DNA encodes the instructions for proteins is through a set of four molecules called bases, each of which represents a letter of the genetic code (A = adenine, C = cytosine, G = guanine, and T = thymine). The bases are made of carbon and nitrogen rings and are bound to a sugar and a phosphate to form a nucleotideThe nucleotides are connected together to form a long chain with the bases pointing out.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-18-2022
When you're studying microbiology, you need to know the key differences between the three domains of life, how scientists name and classify organisms, and how scientists identify microorganisms.Differences among bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic microorganismsThere are three domains of life: bacteria (also known as eubacteria), archaea, and eukarya.
Article / Updated 11-25-2019
Prokaryotic cells come in many different shapes and sizes that you can see under a microscope. A description of the shape of a cell is called the cell morphology. The most common cell morphologies are cocci (spherical) and bacilli (rods).Coccibacillus are a mix of both, while vibrio are shaped like a comma, spirilla are shaped like a helix (a spiral, sort of like a stretched-out Slinky), and spirochetes are twisted like a screw.
Microbiology For Dummies (9781119544425) was previously published as Microbiology For Dummies (9781118871188). While this version features a new Dummies cover and design, the content is the same as the prior release and should not be considered a new or updated product. Microbiology is the study of life itself, down to the smallest particle Microbiology is a fascinating field that explores life down to the tiniest level.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Since the 19th century, there has been an explosion of great microbiological research, leading to many different branches of microbiology, all of which are both basic and applied in nature. Here’s a list of the different fields of microbiology that have developed since the discovery of microorganisms:
Aquatic, soil, and agricultural microbiology study the microorganisms associated with aquatic (including wastewater treatment systems), soil, and agricultural environments, respectively.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Today is perhaps the best time in history to be a microbiologist! The development of new experimental techniques and ability to sequence organisms without actually culturing them in the laboratory first has revealed diversity and complexity in the microbial world not previously known.
Most microorganisms can’t be grown in the lab, so they were previously unknown before the development of DNA sequencing techniques.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Many cellular structures are important for cellular function, and these differ between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Here is a list of structures important to prokaryotic cells.
Nucleoid: The nucleoid is the region in the cell where the tangled mass of genetic material, called the chromosome, is found. Unlike the nucleus of eukaryotic cells, the nucleoid does not have a membrane.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
The question of why to study microbiology is a good one — the impacts of microorganisms on your life may not be immediately obvious. But the truth is, microorganisms not only have a huge impact but are literally everywhere, covering all the surfaces of your body and in every natural and urban habitat.
In nature, microorganisms contribute to biogeochemical cycling, as well as turnover of material in soil and aquatic habitats.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
The cell needs many compounds for life, including enzymes to perform its many functions, structural molecules to give it shape, as well as nucleic acids to store its genetic material. If it can, the cell will obtain some of these things from its environment, but when it has to make them itself, it uses anabolism.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Since the beginning of their widespread use in 1943, antibiotics have saved countless lives and changed the way medicine is practiced. Before their discovery, people suffered or died from infectious diseases that today are a mere annoyance, like sexually transmitted diseases and post-operative infections. Today antibiotics are essential in treating life-threatening bacterial infections, like pneumonia and sepsis, and are used preventively in a number of medical procedures (like surgery) and treatments (like cystic fibrosis).