上海交大微生物习题

Chapter 1 Microorganisms and Microbiology

Summary
Chapter 1 provides an important introduction to the study of microbiology for students, most of whom will have had little or no exposure to the subject up to this point in their education. Consequently, this is a good opportunity for the instructor to provide an overview of the subject that will demonstrate the important roles microorganisms play in human activities and in the ecology of the planet. The ability of microorganisms to exist independently in nature confers enormous adaptive advantages over cells of macroorganisms, the latter of which are incapable of an independent existence (see Fig. 1.1).
1.1 Describe to students the basic and applied themes of microbiology. From a basic perspective, microorganisms have been the primary tools for elucidating the genetic and biochemical basis of both unicellular and multicellular life. From an applied perspective, microorganisms are the causative agents of some of the most important human, animal, and plant diseases, presenting science and society with problems that require the expertise of scientists trained in microbiology. Microbes are also the tools used in the industrial production of products such as antibiotics and other useful products, and thus they affect the very quality of human life.
Point out to students the evolutionary importance that microorganisms have played in the emergence of higher forms of life, and the essential role of microorganisms in maintaining and supporting life on the planet via the biogeochemical cycling of key elements. As stated in the text, microorganisms are “Earth’s greatest chemists.” Stress to the students early in your course introduction that for all the reasons summarized in this section, microbiology is the foundation of all biological sciences.