Microbiology-I

Do you have a microscope and want to learn how to use it, but don't know how? If so, this is the right place to figure out what microbes are, where to find them, and how to use a microscope to look at them.

• Platform: PC, Windows

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Let's figure out together who the microbes are, how to use a microscope to examine them, and where to look for microbes to explore (if suddenly they have not yet been found). At the same time, we will learn about the history of microbiology.

For classes, you will need:

• A microscope of any brand, but necessarily with an immersion lens.
• A microscope slide (top) and a cover slip (bottom)
• Plastic pipettes
• Immersion oil
• Optics cleaning fluid
• Utility knife, cork bark, silicone beads
• Dyes: methylene blue (sold in pet stores as a conditioner for an aquarium), a set of reagents for Gram stain (available at specialized reagent stores), and food colors. To stain bacteria, according to Gram, you will also need 96% alcohol.
• It is advisable to have an alcohol burner, but you can use a lighter if you don't have one.
• Other stuff: toothpicks, napkins (or filter paper), box cutter

Сurriculum

1. Who Lives in the Microworld
   The world around us is not always as simple as it seems. Many things cannot be seen with the naked eye. Countless microorganisms live all around us. In this lesson, we will explore what they are and where they can be found.
   Video lesson on YouTube
   
2. How to Look Under a Microscope
   In this lesson, we explore how to use a microscope: how to prepare it, what to place on the stage, how to adjust it, where to focus, and how to take photos of what you see. We also discuss which objects can be observed under a microscope and which cannot.
   
3. Working Principles and Functionalities of Microscopes
   This lesson explores how different microscopes are used for different purposes. Some are suitable for observing surface details, while others are designed to study very thin samples, and instruments that reveal molecular structure do not produce images that resemble ordinary photographs.
   
4. Is Spontaneous Generation Possible?
   For a long time, people believed that living organisms could appear spontaneously. Experiments later showed that life comes only from existing life, but this idea was not immediately accepted. This lesson explains how scientific evidence changed earlier beliefs about the origin of living organisms.
   
5. Who First Saw Microbes 
   Who was the first to observe microorganisms? The answer is not as simple as it may seem, and it was not Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, as many people assume. This lesson examines what was discovered before his observations and why his work changed our understanding of the microscopic world.
   
6. Microbial Art
   Microorganisms can be stunningly beautiful. They can form intricate frosty patterns on windows, illuminate the night with their glow, and even in the simplest mold, reveal the perfection of the natural world. Would you like to witness their beauty too?
7. Louis Pasteur is a Microbiological Hero
   In our time, so many inventions have been made that creating even one more is an achievement. However, Louis Pasteur lived during the golden age of discovery and innovation, and he was an incredibly talented individual. Grab your pens and notebooks and start listing all the remarkable things he discovered!
   
8. Staining and Slicing
   Transparent objects or those matching the background color are easier to study under a microscope after staining. In this lesson, students will learn to stain bacteria using methylene blue and practice using an immersion lens. Additionally, they’ll explore creative approaches to staining different objects and discover what to do if they want a vibrant multi-colored image under the microscope without the effort of staining.
9. The Cell Is the Basic Unit of Life
   This lesson explores what monasteries and cells have in common, why parts of the human body cannot function independently, while in organisms such as Volvox they can, and how a cell is structured inside.
   Cell Theory Timeline Animation on YouTube
   
10. Microbes That Clean the Planet
11. Molds
    Sometimes it happens that you bought grapes, for example, or maybe cucumbers. Or bread. Anything, any food that has a little moisture in it. And this food, after a while, goes bad. You can't eat. It is covered with a cute fluff, which may look pretty (at least if you look through the eyes of a microbiologist), but irrevocably spoils the food.
    We usually call this fluff "mold." In science, it is called a "microscopic fungus."
    Today, I will tell you why it grows on food and how it differs from large mushrooms (the difference is not as big as one might think). I will also teach you how to identify molds that are more common at home.
12. The World in a Drop of Water
    Forgive me, I couldn’t resist the somewhat clichéd name "The World in a Drop of Water." It’s a title that appears quite often, but does a single drop truly contain an entire world? The answer might be a bit disappointing. If you’re hoping to witness a bustling city of microscopic creatures living captivating lives, a drop of seawater won’t quite deliver. It holds countless viruses and bacteria, but none of them wave their paws or roll their eyes, since they lack both. As for multicellular organisms, many simply won’t fit within such a tiny volume. You might find a Daphnia in a single drop, but calling it a whole world would be a stretch. There’s just not enough room.
    So why stop at just one drop? Let’s explore ten. Or a hundred. Maybe even a bucket. Let’s dive in and see what marvels drift within.
13. Who Lives on the Human Body?
    The answer is simple: there are an extraordinary number of bacteria. But that’s not a cause for concern. Most of the bacteria that live with us are harmless and pose no threat. We are like a cozy, walking canteen for them—they thrive on our warmth and the steady supply of nourishment we provide. They’re simply delighted that we’re alive and well, ensuring their food and comfort keep coming.
    So, don’t fret—take a closer look at these tiny companions riding along with us.
    
14. The Structure of Prokaryotic Cells
    Bacteria are much simpler in structure than one might expect. Under the microscope, they often appear as tiny dots and short lines, yet they have distinct and recognizable shapes. This lesson explores how bacterial shapes can be identified and how a bacterial cell is organized.
    What Are Bacteria, How They Differ from Archaea and Eukaryotes, and Their Role in Our Lives on YouTube
    
15. How do Bacteria Differ From Us?
    It might seem like such a straightforward question. Here we are, and there are the bacteria. At first glance, it’s hard to imagine anything we have in common—the differences are undeniable. But the microcosm often defies expectations. In this hidden world, things may not be as they appear.
16. Morphotypes of Bacterial Colonies
    As we already know, bacteria are incredibly small, so small that a single bacterium is invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen with a microscope. However, they possess an extraordinary ability to reproduce at an astonishing rate. Where there was just one bacterium yesterday, there might be millions today—and that’s when they become visible to us.
    Interestingly, this phenomenon can even appear quite charming. See for yourself!
17. Microbes - Our Little Helpers
    Some microorganisms live independently and are called free-living. Others obtain resources from other organisms without providing any benefit; these are called parasites. This lesson explores mutualistic microorganisms, which live in cooperation with other organisms and provide mutual benefits.
18. Viruses Are Harmful Substances
    Your text is already fascinating and well-structured! Here's a refined version for enhanced clarity and flow:
    In 1885, Louis Pasteur developed the rabies vaccine—remarkably, without knowing the exact cause of rabies! It’s no surprise that the pathogen was so elusive. At the time, Pasteur was familiar with microscopic fungi (yeast) and bacteria, both of which are much larger than viruses and visible under a transmission light microscope. Viruses, however, remained invisible.
    How did scientists eventually manage to detect these hidden entities? That’s what we’ll uncover in today’s lesson.
19. What Is Immunity?
    Immunity is the body's defense mechanism, designed to identify, destroy, and eliminate anything foreign that poses a threat. Without it, people would constantly fall ill and likely wouldn't live to old age.
    In this lesson, we’ll explore the fascinating mechanisms of how immunity functions.
    
20. Caution, Microbes!
    Microbes are invisible to the naked eye, yet they are omnipresent, surrounding us and waiting for the right moment to invade our bodies. But how can we combat something that we cannot see? The game "Caution, Microbes" will reveal the answers!