Introduces topics in microbiology via engaging biological problems and case studies with a delicate balance between microbes and humans. Also shows how recent changes in that balance may bring about the `emerging infectious diseases' and resistant microorganisms so much in the news today.
Preface. Introduction. PART 1: MICROBIAL WORLDS. 1. Earth: Planet of ther Microbes. 2. Diversity and History of Microorganisms. 3. The Challenge of Cultivating and Identifying Microorganisms. 4. Structural Features of Prokaryotes. 5. Bacterial Genetics I: DNA Replication and Genetic Engineering. 6. Bacterial Genetics II: Transcription, Translation, and Regulation. 7. Bacterial Genetics III: Horizontal Gene Transfer Among Bacteria. 8. Bacterial Energetics. 9. Introduction to Eukaryotic Microorganisms. 10. Viruses of Mammalian Cells. PART II: THE DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN MICROBES AND HUMANS. 11. Microbial Populations of the Human Body. 12. Fortress Human Body: The Nonspecific Defenses. 13. Fortress Human Body: The Specific Defenses. 14. Vaccination. PART III: MICROBES AND HUMANS OUT OF BALANCE: INFECTIOUS DISEASES. 15. Introduction to Infectious Diseases. 16. The Lung, a Vital but Vulnerable Organ. 17. Gastrointestinal Tract Infections. 18. Urogenital Tract Infections. 19. Nosocomial and Iatrogenic Infections. 20. Arthropod Borne Diseases and More Zoonoses. PART IV: MICROBES IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND IN INDUSTRY. 21. Analyzing Microbial Communities. 22. Phototrophic Microbes: Food Source for Planet Earth. 23. Invertebrate Microbe Interactions. 24. Plant Microbe Interactions. 25. Biotechnology. Glossary. Appendix I: Answers to End of Chapter Questions. Appendix II: Resources in Microbiology. Index.
Abigail Salyers, PhD, and Dixie Whitt, PhD, are renowned scientists and educators. The authors first book, Bacterial Pathogenesis: A Molecular Approach (ASM Press, 1994) was widely hailed as landmark text in microbial pathogenesis and has been used at hundreds of colleges and universities around the world. Abigail Salyers served as codirector of the microbial diversity at the Woods Hole Marine Biology Laboratory from 1994 to 1999, and was elected president of the American Society of Microbiology in recognition of her contribution to the fields of microbial pathogenesis, diversity, evolution, and antibiotic resistance. Dixie Whitt has served in numerous capacities on ASM boards throughout her career and as the Chair of the ASM Membership Committee. Both authors have lectured widely on microbiology and have won awards for excellence in teaching at the university of Illinois.