Bacteria : the benign, the bad, and the beautiful / by Trudy M. Wassenaar ; illustrations, Karoly Farkas ; with photographs by Eshel Ben Jacob.
Publisher:
Wiley-Blackwell,
Copyright Date:
c2012
Description:
ix, 215 p., 16 p. of plates : ill. (some col.) ; 23 cm.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-204) and indexes.
Contents:
The blue planet -- Tree of life: let three live -- How old are they? -- On the move -- Needles -- Dead or alive -- Nobel works -- Bacteria and insects -- Bacterial toxins -- Enzymes -- Genetics and genomics -- Antibiotics and resistance -- Marine microbiology -- Bacteria and oil -- Extreme life -- Record holders -- Bacteria and art -- Fixing the air -- Pest and pestilence -- Our bacteria -- Sensing bacteria -- Bacteria and mankind -- Big questions on small subjects -- Synthetic biology -- Bacteria, the earth, and beyond -- Index of bacterial genera and species.
Summary:
This book introduces bacteria and basic microbiological concepts. Each chapter concentrates on a particular topic and can be read in isolation or as part of the whole. Bacterial scientific names are used and translated when possible. When most people hear the word "bacteria" they think of food poisoning; infections; and acute, debilitating, or fatal diseases. Yet, while E. coli, strep, and other bacterial pathogens certainly cause their share of misery in the world, they are only a tiny portion of a vast universe of microorganisms, the most basic of life forms. Without them, nothing else could live or grow on Planet Earth. This book introduces this diverse, microscopic world and explains the fundamental microbiological concepts needed to explore the life and behavior of bacteria. It discusses the origins and evolution of bacteria ; Some of the fundamental ways in which bacteria have shaped the world ; Bacteria commonly found in the healthy human body ; Antibiotics and the growing problem of resistance ; Marine microbiology, bacterial toxins, and enzymes ; Bacterial genetics and genomics ; Bacteria that survive in extreme environments, such as boiling water. This guide features custom-drawn, black-and-white illustrations and it illuminates its points through real-world examples and stories. It uses a format of topic-by-topic structure, as well as text-box summaries of background science.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.