Microbiology

Microbiology is divided into several subfields, including virology, bacteriology, protistology, mycology, immunology, and parasitology.

Fungi and protists are examples of eukaryotic microorganisms that have membrane-bound organelles, whereas Bacteria and Archaea are examples of prokaryotic microorganisms that do not have membrane-bound organelles. Traditionally, microbiologists depended on culture, staining, and microscopy.

However, existing methods can only isolate fewer than 1% of the microorganisms found in natural habitats. Microbiologists frequently rely on molecular biology methods such as DNA sequence-based identification, such as the 16S rRNA gene sequence used to identify bacteria.

Viruses have been categorised as creatures in various ways, since they have been thought to be either extremely primitive microbes or highly complicated chemicals.

Prions, which were never considered germs, were researched by virologists since the clinical symptoms connected to them were originally thought to be attributable to persistent viral infections, and virologists went on the hunt, uncovering “infectious proteins.”