Microbe

Brings the excitement, breadth, and power of the modern microbial sciences to the next generation of students and scientists.

This new edition of Microbe is an eloquent and highly readable introduction to microbiology that will engage and excite science majors and pre-health professionals. The authors, all prominent scientists, have carefully crafted this lively narrative to bring key microbiology concepts to life and promote a lifelong passion for the microbial sciences.

Far more than a comprehensive reference book, Microbe is replete with case studies, ranging from sauerkraut fermentation to the cholera outbreak in Haiti, that illustrate the impact of key microbiology concepts on real-world scenarios. To further engage students and deepen their understanding of both the principles and practice of science, each chapter includes multiple active learning exercises that encourage students to demonstrate their understanding and application of concepts, as well as video, spoken, and written resources. Questions are posed throughout the book to introduce the next key concept and to prompt students to actively participate in the learning experience.

An equally valuable tool for instructors who teach a traditional lecture format and those who emphasize active learning in their classroom, Microbe integrates key concepts, learning outcomes, and fundamental statements directly from the ASM Recommended Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Microbiology Education.

Preface

About the Authors

Part I Fundamentals of Microbial Life

1 A Microbial Planet

2 Prokaryotic Cell Exterior: Envelopes and Appendages

3 Prokaryotic Cell Interior

4 Microbial cell Growth and Division

5 Microbial Metabolism

6 Bioenergetics of Fueling

7 Synthesis of Building Blocks

8 Building Macromolecules

9 Building the Cell Envelope

10 Inheritance and Information Flow

11 Coordination of Cell Processes

12 Succeeding in the Environment

13 Differentiation and Development

Part II Microbial Diversity

14 Bacteria and Archaea

15 The Fungi

16 Protists

17 The Viruses

18 Viral Latency

Part III Microbial Ecology

19 Microbial Communities

20 Cycles of Elements

21 Microbial Interactions

Part IV Microbial Pat hogenesis

22 Infection: The Vertebrate Host

23 Opportunistic Infections by Microbiota: MRSA

24 Intracellular Pathogens: Listeria and Mycobacterium

25 Herpes: An Ancient Human Virus Prevails

26 Toxins and Epidemic Cholera: Phage Giveth, and Phage Taketh Away

27 Zoonoses: How Plague Emerged from a Foodborne Illness

Part V Putting Microbes to Work

28 A Past, a Present, and a Future with Microbes

Coda

Glossary

Index