Microbes and Man

ISBN-13: 9780521665797 / Angielski / Miękka / 2000 / 388 str.

John Postgate

Opis

Microbes are everywhere. Normally invisible, they are abundant in the air we breathe, in soil, in water, on our skin and hair, in our mouths and intestines, and on and in the food we eat. They make the soil fertile; they clean up the environment; they change, often improve, our food; some protect us from less desirable microbes. Yet most people are scarcely aware that they exist--except when they become ill. Microbes, as "germs," are widely regarded as nasty--unpopular because a few can cause disease and a few can spoil food. Yet collectively microbes present a fascinating world of miniscule creatures, who together encompass all the processes of which terrestrial life is capable: creatures who have profound effects on our lives and surroundings. Extensively updated to include such topics as CJD, genetic manipulation, and gene therapy, this edition describes the extraordinary impact that the microbial community has on our everyday lives in an accessible and easy to read style.

Recenzje

'This book is highly enjoyable, as it is readable, thought-provoking and at times quietly amusing.' Educational Media

Spis treści

Preface; 1. Man and microbes; 2. Microbiology; 3. Microbes in society; 4. Interlude: how to handle microbes; 5. Microbes in nutrition; 6. Microbes in production; 7. Deterioration, decay and pollution; 8. Disposal and cleaning-up; 9. Second interlude: microbiologists and Man; 10. Microbes in evolution; 11. Microbes in the future.