microbiology

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The branch of science that studies living things too small to be seen without a microscope, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

   Grammar: Uncountable: no plural, and it takes a singular verb: Microbiology is...

   Patterns

   • study microbiology
   • a degree in microbiology
   • microbiology of something

   She studied microbiology at university and now works in a hospital lab.

   Microbiology has helped us understand how infections spread.

   The course covers the microbiology of food safety.

2. 2noununcountablespecialist

   The microorganisms of a particular place or system, studied as a subject.

   Grammar: Uncountable; often used with of: the microbiology of the gut.

   Patterns

   • the microbiology of something

   The microbiology of the human gut is a fast-growing research area.

   They published a report on the microbiology of local water supplies.

Common combinations

study microbiology

He plans to study microbiology after finishing high school.

a degree in microbiology

A degree in microbiology can lead to work in public health.

clinical microbiology

Clinical microbiology helps doctors identify the cause of an infection.

food microbiology

Food microbiology is important for keeping products safe to eat.

Synonyms and how they differ

bacteriology

Bacteriology studies only bacteria, while microbiology covers all microscopic life forms.

virology

Virology is limited to viruses, so it is narrower than microbiology.

Word family

microbiologist noun

A scientist who works in microbiology.

microbiological adjective

Relating to microbiology: microbiological testing.

microbe noun

A tiny living thing studied in microbiology.

Commonly confused: microbiology or microbiology?

Practice

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