Microbiology

What is microbiology?

Microbiology is the study of microorganisms - specifically, disease-causing microorganisms. Microbiology is responsible for identifying infectious agents in blood, urine, sputum, feces, cerebrospinal fluid, and other body fluids. The infectious agents are then tested for sensitivity to certain antibiotics used to treat infections.

Microbiology uses various techniques to identify microorganisms, including the following:

• chemical, immunological, and genetic tests
• examination under a microscope
• staining

Microorganisms can include the following:

• bacteria
• fungi
• parasites
• viruses

Common microbiology tests:

Tests	Uses
Blood culture	Can diagnose bacterial infections of the blood
Culture and sensitivity of burns and wounds	Can identify disease-causing organisms and test for effectiveness of antibiotics
Sputum culture	Can identify lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia
Stool culture	Can identify parasites that cause disease, such as pinworms
Urine culture	Can identify disease-causing organisms in the kidneys and urinary tract