Microbiology

Microbiology considers two major groups of microscopic entities: viruses and bacteria. The unit starts by questioning the requirements of life and whether viruses can be considered living.  It considers the structure of bacteriophage T4 before delving into the topics of the lytic and lysogenic cycles. This part of the unit concludes with the effects of viruses on humans and the immune system. The second part of this unit includes the characteristics of bacteria, culturing them, their reproduction and ecological roles. The unit is supported by original artwork and labeled diagrams and contains many questions such as short answer and multiple choice that are linked to their answers for self-testing. It also includes sets of written answer questions to help build one’s understanding of the concepts presented. The unit features an interactive Taxonomic Guide and interactive Glossary with hundreds of contextually explained terms.


Microbiology is extracted from Biology 11 Study Guide, which is the fourth edition of a student study guide written to match the curriculum of British Columbia. The concepts presented are applicable to the biology curricula of other educational jurisdictions as well.