Extremely small organisms that live in nature and cannot be seen macroscopically are collectively called microorganisms. Microorganisms include bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. The indigenous microbiota, approximately 10¹⁴ of which are said to be present in human body, moderately stimulates the immune system and promotes immune maturation, thereby inhibiting invasion and growth of foreign-derived microorganisms.
In bacteriology, in addition to this indigenous microbiota, students will learn about pathogenic microorganisms that cause infections in humans and animals. And also, students will learn the mechanism of onset of infectious diseases caused by microorganisms, from both perspectives of infectology and immunology. We will explain the mechanism of immunity and allergy as the protection against infection with pathogenic microorganisms at the cellular/molecular levels, while checking the level of understanding of students as needed during the course.
The aim of the class is to improve understanding of bacterial infections, such as dental caries and periodontal diseases, which are unique to dentistry. In recent years, systemic diseases and systemic infections related to oral bacteria and periodontal bacteria have been reported, and by giving a detailed lecture on the mechanism of onset of these diseases, we will strive to nurture healthcare professionals who understand the systemic health status from oral health conditions.
Our another objective is to develop methods and capabilities to solve problems through self-learning and mutual learning according to their levels of basic knowledge. Since it is important that students voluntarily learn the knowledge of infectious diseases that they need to know as dentists, we will employ educational methods other than one-way lectures.
Our laboratory is always open to students, while we provide rigorous supervision for handling pathogenic microorganisms. Students are encouraged to learn a lot about microbiology through lectures, practical training, and student research, and welcomed to visit our laboratory at any time.