Bacteria The Benign, the Bad, and the Beautiful

About this book

This book introduces bacteria and basic microbiological concepts to readers without previous background in the subject. Each chapter explores a particular self-contained topic and wherever possible points are illustrated through real-world examples and short stories. Chapters cover topics ranging from marine microbiology to bacterial toxins, enzymes, and the future role of bacteria in our world. Although bacterial scientific names are used and translated when possible, in general scientific jargon is avoided in order to make the material as accessible as possible for the lay reader.

Contents

Preface
Note to the reader

Chapter 1. The Blue Planet
Chapter 2. Tree of Life: Let Three Live
Chapter 3. How Old Are They
Chapter 4. On the Move
Chapter 5. Needles
Chapter 6. Dead or Alive
Chapter 7. Nobel Works
Chapter 8. Bacteria and Insects
Chapter 9. Bacterial Toxins
Chapter 10. Enzymes
Chapter 11. Genetics and Genomics
Chapter 12. Antibiotics and Resistance
Chapter 13. Marine Microbiology
Chapter 14. Bacteria and Oil
Chapter 15. Extreme Life
Chapter 16. Records Holders
Chapter 17. Bacteria and Art
Chapter 18. Fixing the Air
Chapter 19. Pest and Pestilence
Chapter 20. Our Bacteria
Chapter 21. Sensing Bacteria
Chapter 22. Bacteria and Mankind
Chapter 23. Big Questions on Small Subjects
Chapter 24. Synthetic Biology
Chapter 25. Bacteria, the Earth, and Beyond

Glossary
Index of bacterial names
Bibliography

Customer Reviews