MICROBIOLOGY

Taxonomy                                                                                                    

Microbial evolution, systematic and taxonomy-Evolution of earth and earliest life forms; primitive organisms, their metabolic strategies and molecular coding; approaches to bacterial taxonomy, DNA-DNA and DNA-RNA hybridization, G+C content determination, ribotyping, Ribosomal RNA sequencing; Characteristics of primary domains, Taxonomy, Nomenclature and Bergey's Manual. Culture collection, maintenance and preservation of microorganisms.

    Cell wall composition and synthesis. Flagella, Cilia and motility. Cell inclusions like Glycogen granules, Volutin granules, Carboxysomes etc, Endospores, Slime sheet and capsule.

Microbial Growth-The definition of growth, mathematical expression of growth, growth curve, measurement of growth and growth yields, Synchronous growth, Continuous, Batch and Fed Batch Culture; Growth as affected by environmental factors like temperature, acidity, alkalinity, water availability and oxygen; nutritional classification of microorganisms                                      

Bacteria: Photosynthetic bactyeria (cyanobacteria, purple & green bacteria)

budding bacteria, Spirochaetes,  Sheathed bacteria, Endospore forming rods and cocci, Mycobacteria, Rickettsias, Chlamydias and Mycoplasma, Actinomycetes.

Structure of archebacteria and eukaryotic cells.

 Archaea: Archaea as earliest life forms; Halophiles, Methanogens; Hyperthermophilic archaea and Thermo plasma,

Eukarya: Algae, Fungi, Slime molds and Protozoa.

Chemolithotrophy; Hydrogen, Iron, Nitrate and oxidizing bacteria; Nitrate and sulfate reduction; Syntrophy; Role of anoxic decomposition; Nitrogen fixation

Normal micro flora of skin, oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract. Anaerobic ecosystem- Rumen microbiology.

 Entry of pathogens into the host; colonization and factors predisposing to infections; types of toxins (Exotoxin, Endotoxin and Enterotoxin) and their structure; mode of actions; virulence and pathogenesis

Disease reservoirs; Epidemiological terminologies; infectious disease transmission;

Emerging and resurgent infectious diseases (Tuberculosis chicken pox, AIDS, hepatitis

Malaria)

Chemotherapy and Antimicrobial agents; Sulfa drugs; Antibiotics; Pencillins and Cephalosporins; Broad-Spectrum antibiotics; Antibiotics from prokaryotes; Antifungal antibiotics; Mode of action; Resistance to antibiotics.