Discuss the importance of microbiology and how it relates to the nursing profession.
(USLO 1.2)
Microbiology, the study of microorganisms, is important especially in the nursing profession.
(Parker, Schneegurt, Thi Tu, Forster, Lister, Allen & Franklund, 2016) It helps nurses
understand microbes how they function and spread. It also helps us understand infection control,
the importance of washing hands, and the prevention of spread of infectious causing germs.
Describe methods used in microbiology such as microscopy and staining techniques
(USLO 1.4)
Microscopy is the using a microscope to view small things that cannot be seen with the naked
eye. There are different kinds of microscopes that serve different purposes, a simple microscope
has one lens and a compound microscope has two sets of lens. Microscopes that use light
include:
Brightfield – produces dark image on bright background
Darkfield – produces image on dark background
Phase contrast microscopy – used to view live specimens, uses refraction
Fluorescence microscopy – uses fluorescence and used to see antibodies
Confocal microscopes
Two-photon microscopes (Parker, Schneegurt, Thi Tu, Forster, Lister, Allen &
Franklund, 2016)
Other microscopes include:
Electron microscopes – uses electron beams
o TEM
o SEM
Staining techniques help enhance certain items and structures on a microbe with dye. (Parker,
Schneegurt, Thi Tu, Forster, Lister, Allen & Franklund, 2016) Types of stains include simple,
differential, and special stains.
Simple stains – use one dye to enhance a structure
Differential stains – more complex, may appear in different colors and include:
o Gram staining
o acid-fast staining
special stains – helps enhance special structures
o endospore staining
o flagella staining
o capsule staining (Microscopy and Staining, 2021)
,Microscopy and Staining. (2021). Retrieved from
https://classroom.galencollege.edu/courses/3232503/files/204316233?
module_item_id=70904038
Parker, N., Schneegurt, M., Thi Tu, A., Forster, B. M., Lister, P., Allen, S., …Franklund, C.
(2106) Microbiology OpenStax at Rice University. Retrieved
from https://Openstax.org/details/books/microbiologyLinks to an external site.
, Prompt 1: Name the organism to which you were assigned for the Microorganism Profile
Assignment and list:
whether it is a bacteria, virus, protozoan, fungus or helminth
one of the diseases/conditions it can cause.
HIV – Human immunodeficiency virus is a virus that can cause and lead to AIDS (acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome. (About HIV/AIDS, 2021)
Prompt 2: Please select 2 of the prompts below to discuss:
Differentiate prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Be sure to include at least 2
similarities and 2 differences. (USLO 2.1)
Prokaryotic cells do not contain a nucleus, are unicellular, 70S ribosome, simple cells that
include bacteria and archaea. (Galen College of Nursing, "Differentiate Prokaryotic and
Eukaryotic Cell Structure")
Eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus, mainly multicellular, membrane bound organelles, 80S
ribosomes, complex cells that include animals, plants, protists, fungi. (Galen College of Nursing,
"Differentiate Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cell Structure")
Both cells contain DNA and ribosomes to make proteins, cytoplasm, and a plasma membrane.
(Galen College of Nursing, "Differentiate Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cell Structure")
Discuss the differences between gram-positive and gram-negative cell walls. Why is
this important information to understand? (USLO 2.2)
Gram-positive cell walls are simplistic and have many layers of peptidoglycan. Staphylyo- and
Streprococcus are included in gram-positive bacteria. (Galen College of Nursing, "Gram
Negative and Gram Positive Cell Walls")
(USLO 1.2)
Microbiology, the study of microorganisms, is important especially in the nursing profession.
(Parker, Schneegurt, Thi Tu, Forster, Lister, Allen & Franklund, 2016) It helps nurses
understand microbes how they function and spread. It also helps us understand infection control,
the importance of washing hands, and the prevention of spread of infectious causing germs.
Describe methods used in microbiology such as microscopy and staining techniques
(USLO 1.4)
Microscopy is the using a microscope to view small things that cannot be seen with the naked
eye. There are different kinds of microscopes that serve different purposes, a simple microscope
has one lens and a compound microscope has two sets of lens. Microscopes that use light
include:
Brightfield – produces dark image on bright background
Darkfield – produces image on dark background
Phase contrast microscopy – used to view live specimens, uses refraction
Fluorescence microscopy – uses fluorescence and used to see antibodies
Confocal microscopes
Two-photon microscopes (Parker, Schneegurt, Thi Tu, Forster, Lister, Allen &
Franklund, 2016)
Other microscopes include:
Electron microscopes – uses electron beams
o TEM
o SEM
Staining techniques help enhance certain items and structures on a microbe with dye. (Parker,
Schneegurt, Thi Tu, Forster, Lister, Allen & Franklund, 2016) Types of stains include simple,
differential, and special stains.
Simple stains – use one dye to enhance a structure
Differential stains – more complex, may appear in different colors and include:
o Gram staining
o acid-fast staining
special stains – helps enhance special structures
o endospore staining
o flagella staining
o capsule staining (Microscopy and Staining, 2021)
,Microscopy and Staining. (2021). Retrieved from
https://classroom.galencollege.edu/courses/3232503/files/204316233?
module_item_id=70904038
Parker, N., Schneegurt, M., Thi Tu, A., Forster, B. M., Lister, P., Allen, S., …Franklund, C.
(2106) Microbiology OpenStax at Rice University. Retrieved
from https://Openstax.org/details/books/microbiologyLinks to an external site.
, Prompt 1: Name the organism to which you were assigned for the Microorganism Profile
Assignment and list:
whether it is a bacteria, virus, protozoan, fungus or helminth
one of the diseases/conditions it can cause.
HIV – Human immunodeficiency virus is a virus that can cause and lead to AIDS (acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome. (About HIV/AIDS, 2021)
Prompt 2: Please select 2 of the prompts below to discuss:
Differentiate prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Be sure to include at least 2
similarities and 2 differences. (USLO 2.1)
Prokaryotic cells do not contain a nucleus, are unicellular, 70S ribosome, simple cells that
include bacteria and archaea. (Galen College of Nursing, "Differentiate Prokaryotic and
Eukaryotic Cell Structure")
Eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus, mainly multicellular, membrane bound organelles, 80S
ribosomes, complex cells that include animals, plants, protists, fungi. (Galen College of Nursing,
"Differentiate Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cell Structure")
Both cells contain DNA and ribosomes to make proteins, cytoplasm, and a plasma membrane.
(Galen College of Nursing, "Differentiate Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cell Structure")
Discuss the differences between gram-positive and gram-negative cell walls. Why is
this important information to understand? (USLO 2.2)
Gram-positive cell walls are simplistic and have many layers of peptidoglycan. Staphylyo- and
Streprococcus are included in gram-positive bacteria. (Galen College of Nursing, "Gram
Negative and Gram Positive Cell Walls")
