Bacteriology: the study of bacteria

Written by Dr. T. M. Wassenaar Tuesday, 23 December 2008

Bacteriology is the study of bacteria. It comprises the identification, classification and characterization of bacterial species. Bacteria are identified by their properties, for example their looks, what nutrients they can grow on or not grow on, what temperature they require for growth, what substances they produce, etc. To study morphology, that is the shape of bacteria, a microscope is used. Go to our Special Feature Exhibit on bacterial morphology to learn all about the different shapes of bacteria, both under the microscope and visible by the naked eye. The Gram-stain is one of the commonest staining techniques used to visualize bacteria.

If you're not sure what bacteria are, check our exhibit on bacteria first.

In order to study their properties, bacteria are grown in a laboratory under carefully controled conditions using a number of well defined growth media. The work is done under otherwise sterile conditions. Without such precautions unwanted bacteria will grow everywhere, including on our media. All equipment is made sterile by heat or irradiation. Learn more about sterilization procedures and their uses. One way to prevent growth of bacteria is pasteurization. This relatively gentile heat treatment is often applied to foods and drinks. The procedure is named after its inventor, Louis Pasteur, who was one of the founders of modern bacteriology.

Bacteriology is studied in a laboratory. But it is possible to do a few do-it-yourself experiments without much requirements. Have fun isolating bacteria from Limburger cheese. Here you can find more suggestions for experiments, or use our list of educational resources to convince your teacher to include these experiments in classes. Have fun!

Bacteriology is a subdivision of microbiology. Other micro-organisms studied in microbiology are yeast, molds, and viruses. Our museum deals exclusively with bacteria. Check which micro-organisms are not included. Applied bacteriology is a branche of bacteriology with interest in industrial use of bacteria. This subject is so diverse that it is covered in a different exhibit: applied bacteriology. There are a number of courses on microbiology and bacteriology available on the Web:

• The bacterial world in a drop of water
• Our advanced bacteriology exhibit contains more links to on-line courses and tutorials at an advanced level.

The classification of bacteria in families, sub-families and superfamilies is called bacterial systematics, or taxonomy. Bacterial systematics is nicely explained at this site. Classification and phylogeny are explained in more detail here (Source: UW-Madison).

Last Updated on Sunday, 25 January 2009