In 1884, Koch published four postulates that EXPLAINED his method for determining whether a specific microbe was the cause of a specific disease. Each of these postulates outlines the qualifications that must be met before a disease can be linked with a pathogen.

Koch's postulates

Robert Koch was a German scientist that was the first person to discover the connection between a single microbe and a human disease. He is credited with the discovery of  Bacillus anthracis, Vibrio cholera, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He also developed 4 postulates (rules) that must be proven in order to show that an organism causes disease

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Key scientists and their research led to our understandings about the field of Microbiology.

Notable Scientists in Microbiology

Etiology refers to the study of causes of diseases

Etiology

Pioneers in epidemiology include:
- John Snow
- Florence Nightingale
- Ignaz Semmelweis
- Joseph Lister
- Robert Koch
- Louis Pasteur

Pioneers in Epidemiology

https://openstax.org/details/books/microbiology/

Microbiology covers the scope and sequence requirements for a single-semester microbiology course for non-majors. The book presents the core concepts of microbiology with a focus on applications for careers in allied health. The pedagogical features of the text make the material interesting and accessible while maintaining the career-application focus and scientific rigor inherent in the subject matter. Microbiology’s art program enhances students’ understanding of concepts through clear and effective illustrations, diagrams, and photographs.

Microbiology is produced through a collaborative publishing agreement between OpenStax and the American Society for Microbiology Press. The book aligns with the curriculum guidelines of the American Society for Microbiology.

OpenStax Microbiology Textbook

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek was the first scientist to develop a microscope lens powerful enough to see what he called "animalcules" based of of drawings he made of his observations, we now know that what he was seeing was bacteria and protists

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek

Robert Koch

Francesco Redi was an Italian physician that was among the first to disagree with the idea that maggots could spontaneously generate on meat left out for extended periods of time. To disprove the idea of spontaneous generation he did an experiment using raw meat and flies. 2 jars of raw meat were left exposed to air, 2 covered in gauze, and 2 tightly sealed. His theory was that if flies could not reach the meat, then maggots would never develop. He was proven right when no maggots appeared in the covered jars.

Francesco Redi

Edward Jenner coined the term "vaccination" after inoculating people with cowpox to prevent smallpox infections.

Edward Jenner

the theory that life can grow from nonliving matter.

Spontaneous Generation 

in 1847 obstetrician Ignaz Semmelweis noticed that women who gave birth in hospitals were more likely to die from infection than women who gave birth in midwife centers. He theorized that this was due to medical providers preforming autopsies and then giving vaginal exams without washing their hands in between patients. When he suggested they start washing their hands, mortality rates dropped from 10-20% to 1%.

Ignaz Semmelweis

In 1867, in an attempt to lower deaths due to postsurgical infections, Joseph Lister began to use disinfectant sprays during surgery. He also developed post operative care procedures and began sterilizing surgical equipment. He was extremely successful and this became the standard practice in all medical settings

Joseph Lister

Louis Pasteur was a very prominent chemist who is credited with many advancements. He discovered pasteurization, studied the wine spoilage and fermentation, and was ultimately the one to disprove spontaneous generation with his famous s-shaped flask experiment. 

Louis Pasteur

The cause of disease. Can be discerned using molecular Koch's postulates

Etiologic/Causative Agent

The "Father of epidemiology"; Found the source of the 1854 Broad Street cholera epidemic. He hypothesized that microbe was the infectious agent and the source of the outbreak was due to fecal-oral transmission, supporting the germ theory of disease. Upon investigation, Snow found that choleric individuals were being infected from the same contaminated water source and mapping and traced the area of high incidence to a specific water pump on Broad Street, which was fed by a common source spread. This finding led to a public health response in removing the pump and thus containing the epidemic.

(Photo credits in References)

John Snow

A British nurse considered  to be the founder of modern nursing; She carried out early epidemiological studies by keeping detailed records of soldiers' causes and deaths during the Crimean War and analyzed the data using histograms. Her data showed that most of the deaths could be attributed to preventable infectious diseases, leading to many hospital reforms in the British medical system.

(Photo credits in References)

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