Microbiology

Want to learn about microbes? Fun and safe experiment for growing fungi and bacteria using home made potato sucrose gel (recipe included).

Social amoebas are also known as cellular slime molds and dictyostelids. They start life as separate ameboid cells but join to form a multicellular slug when food is scarce. The slug has some very interesting abilities.

This article offers an introduction to various members of the kingdom Protista. Colorful photos and videos are included. Designed for students or anyone wanting to learn more.

Researches have discovered evidence showing that complex life may have first evolved in lakes, rather than in oceans as was previously believed.

A growth or a culture medium is composed of different nutrients that are essential for microbial growth—here are some that are used in microbiological laboratories.

Prions are misfolded proteins that form inside the body or enter the body from the outside. They alter other proteins and cause serious diseases, including CJD.

Cancer is an emotive word, but what is it? What causes a normal, somatic cell to turn cancerous? What are our defences against this foe, and are they all useless? Find answers to these questions and some excellent sources to start your own research.

Immunology is the complex study of the immune system and its associated functions. Immunity is how the body attempts to prevent disease. This article will briefly discuss the types of immunity, vaccines, problems with the immune system, and more.

Take a closer look at microscopy! Learn the differences between an electron and light microscope, know your resolution from your magnificaiton and learn how to correctly use a microscope.

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a bacterium found on skin and mucous membranes. It's often harmless, but some strains have become resistant to antibiotics and are potentially dangerous.

Bacteria naturally develop resistance to antibiotics, and the unnecessary use of antibiotics in meat production and the treatment of human disease is accelerating this process.

Bacteria have some amazing abilities. They can live in extreme habitats, produce light, communicate with each other, and act as predators and magnets.

Saprolegnia and Phytophthora are important examples of oomycetes or water molds. Some species of Saprolegnia can infect and kill fish. One species of Phytophthora causes late blight in potatoes. This disease was responsible for the devastating nineteenth-century potato famine in Ireland.

People worry that deadly viruses like Ebola could turn into airborne forms that could cause a worldwide epidemic. But there are reasons to think it is unlikely.

True plants are currently seen as non-animal organisms that make up the kingdom Plantae. However, there are organisms—like cyanobacteria—that belong to other kingdoms but have plant-like characteristics.

Guide to the different tests you can perform on unknown bacteria to identify it. These methods are really important in many fields when you are faced with an unknown sickness or contamination.

An amoeba is a one-celled creature with interesting features. Amoeboid organisms live in the environment and in our body. Some are harmless, but others cause disease.

Bacteria in the genus Yersinia have major effects on our lives. One species causes bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. Others cause foodborne illness. One may eventually help to treat cancer.

Planarians are interesting flatworms with an amazing ability to regenerate. Scientists are investigating the capabilities of the animals in the hope of applying their discoveries to human biology.

Antibiotics interfere with vital activities in bacteria by various methods. Unfortunately, microbes are becoming resistant to the drugs. Arylomycins may be helpful.

While both cause infection and disease, viruses and bacteria are entirely different! Read all about them and more here.

Investigative skills play an important part in learning practical biology. Experiments are important in the scientific method. This article teaches good experimental design for young biologists.

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria that cause disease is a serious problem. Soil contains many bacteria, some of which may help us by making new antibiotics.

Plasmodium vivax is sometimes considered to be a less serious cause of malaria than Plasmodium falciparum. P. vivax can be deadly, however. It becomes dormant in the liver and later becomes active again. The reactivation may cause a relapse, or the return of symptoms.

Chemosynthetic bacteria are organisms whose primary source of energy comes from the chemical reactions of inorganic molecules.

Acanthamoeba is a microscopic, single-celled organism that can infect the cornea of the eye. It causes a disorder called Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is most common in contact lens users.

The world's ecosystems are underpinned by a complex community of single-celled organisms. fundamental to the healthy functioning of both aquatic and terrestrial food webs.