Figure 1.20 (a) Members of the Coronavirus family can cause respiratory infections like the common cold, severe
acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Here they are viewed under a
transmission electron microscope (TEM). (b) Ebolavirus, a member of the Filovirus family, as visualized using a TEM.
(credit b: modification of work by Thomas W. Geisbert)
- Are helminths microorganisms? Explain why or why not.
- How are viruses different from other microorganisms?
Microbiology as a Field of Study
Microbiologyis a broad term that encompasses the study of all different types of microorganisms. But in practice,
microbiologists tend to specialize in one of several subfields. For example,bacteriologyis the study of bacteria;
mycologyis the study of fungi;protozoologyis the study of protozoa;parasitologyis the study of helminths and
other parasites; andvirologyis the study of viruses (Figure 1.21).Immunology, the study of the immune system,
is often included in the study of microbiology because host–pathogen interactions are central to our understanding
of infectious disease processes. Microbiologists can also specialize in certain areas of microbiology, such as clinical
microbiology, environmental microbiology, applied microbiology, or food microbiology.
In this textbook, we are primarily concerned with clinical applications of microbiology, but since the various subfields
of microbiology are highly interrelated, we will often discuss applications that are not strictly clinical.
26 Chapter 1 | An Invisible World
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