About the Cover...

The image shows two T4 bacteriophage viruses attaching to, and injecting DNA into, a bacterium. Like alien invaders, they are going to consume the contents of the bacterial cell, using the materials to make hundreds of copies of themselves, finally rupturing open the cell wall of the now dead bacterium, liberating the hundreds of offspring to attack more bacteria. Using bacteriophages (bacteriophage therapy) gets around the problems of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. And, since a given bacteriophage will target and kill only one specific strain of bacterium, the normal bacterial flora will not be disturbed, thus preventing side effects such as diarrhea and vaginal yeast infections.

Jackie black is an expert in bacteriophage therapy. For more information on this fascinating topic, view her lecture on the student website(www.wiley.com/college/black).

Microbiology: Principles and Explorations has been a best-selling textbook for several editions due to the author's engaging writing style where her passion for the subject shines through the narrative. The text's student-friendly approach provides readers with an excellent introduction to the study of Microbiology. This text is appropriate for non-major and mixed major microbiology courses, allied health, agriculture and food sciences courses too.

Jacquelyn  Blackreceived her B.A., B.S., M.S. from the University of Chicago and her Ph.D. from Catholic University of America. She has been teaching microbiology to undergraduates since 1970. She is a member of the American Society for Microbiology, and she has received grants for conducting teacher-training programs.

In May 0f 2000, the Washington Academy of Sciences gave Jackie the Leo Schubert Award for Excellence in Teaching of Science in College. This award is given for exceptional teaching and writing in the field of microbiology, with particular emphasis on the teaching o undergraduate students.

In addition to her extensive teaching experience, Dr. Black has engaged in fieldwork and studies throughout the globe. Her travels have taken her from the interior of Iceland to Belgium, Germany, Lappland, China, South America, Portugal, the barrier reef of Belize, and most recently to over a dozen universities in Russia.

Dr. Black describes herself as an "incorrigible snoop," interested in all the various aspects and applications of microbiology. this natural curiosity, coupled with her classroom and laboratory experience, makes her uniquely qualified to author an introductory microbiology textbook. This book conveys her sense of excitement for microbiology and offers the most current information on developments and applications within this field.

Chapter 1. Scope And History Of Microbiology.

Why Study Microbiology?

Scope of Microbiology.

The Microbes.

The Microbiologists.

Historical Roots.

The Germ Theory of Disease.

Early Studies.

Pasteur's Further Contributions.

Koch's Contributions.

Work Toward Controlling Infections.

Emergence of Special Fields of Microbiology.

Immunology.

Virology.

Chemotherapy.

Genetics and Molecular Biology.

Tomorrow's History.

Genomics.

Retracing Our Steps.

Terminology Check.

Clinical Case Study.

Critical Thinking Questions.

Self-Quiz.

Explorations on the Web.

Chapter 2. Fundamentals Of Chemistry.

Why Study Chemistry?

Chemical Building Blocks and Chemical Bonds.

Chemical Building Blocks.

The Structure of Atoms.

Chemical Bonds.

Chemical Reactions.

Water and Solutions.

Water.

Solutions and Colloids.

Acids, Bases, and pH.

Complex Organic Molecules.

Carbohydrates.

Lipids.

Proteins.

Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids.

Retracing Our Steps.

Terminology Check.

Clinical Case Study.

Critical Thinking Questions.

Self-Quiz.

Explorations on the Web.

Chapter 3. Microscopy And Staining.

Historical Microscopy.

Principles of Microscopy.

Metric Units.

Properties of Light: Wavelength and Resolution.

Properties of Light: Light and Objects.

Light Microscopy.

The Compound Light Microscope.

Dark-Field Microscopy.

Phase-Contrast Microscopy.

Nomarski (Differential Interface Contrast).

Microscopy.

Fluorescence Microscopy.

Confocal Microscopy.

Digital Microscopy.

Electron Microscopy.

Transmission Electron Microscopy.

Scanning Electron Microscopy.

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy.

Techniques of Light Microscopy.

Preparation of Specimens for the Light.

Microscope.

Principles of Staining.

Retracing Our Steps.

Terminology Check.

Clinical Case Study.

Critical Thinking Questions.

Self-Quiz.

Explorations on the Web.

Chapter 4. Characteristics Of Prokaryotic And Eukaryotic Cells.

Basic Cell Types.

Prokaryotic Cells.

Size, Shape, and Arrangement.

An Overview of Structure.

The Cell Wall.

The Cell Membrane.

Internal Structure.

External Structure.

Eukaryotic Cells.

An Overview of Structure.

The Plasma Membrane.

Internal Structure.

External Structure.

Evolution by Endosymbiosis.

The Movement by Substances Across Membranes.

Simple Diffusion.

Facilitated Diffusion.

Osmosis.

Active Transport.

Endocytosis and Exocytosis.

Retracing Our Steps.

Terminology Check.

Clinical Case Study.

Critical Thinking Questions.

Self-Quiz.

Explorations on the Web.

Chapter 5. Essential Concepts Of Metabolism.

Metabolism:An Overview.

Enzymes.

Properties of Enzymes.

Properties of Coenzymes and Cofactors.

Enzyme Inhibition.

Factors That Affect Enzyme Reactions.

Anaerobic Metabolism: Glycolysis and Fermentation.

Glycolysis.

Alternatives to Glycolysis.

Fermentation.

Aerobic Metabolism: Respiration.

The Krebs Cycle.

Electron Transport and Oxidative Phosphorylation.

The Significance of Energy Capture.

The Metabolism of Fats and Proteins.

Fat Metabolism.

Protein Metabolism.

Other Metabolic Processes.

Photoautotrophy.

Photoheterotrophy.

Chemoautotrophy.

The Uses of Energy.

Biosynthetic Activities.

Membrane Transport and Movement.

Bioluminescence.

Retracing Our Steps.

Terminology Check.

Clinical Case Study.

Critical Thinking Questions.

Self-Quiz.

Explorations on the Web.

Chapter 6. Growth And Culturing Of Bacteria.

Growth and Cell Division.

Microbial Growth Defined.

Cell Division.

Phases of Growth.

Measuring Bacterial Growth.

Factors Affecting Bacterial Growth.

Physical Factors.

Nutritional Factors.

Sporulation.

Other Sporelike Bacterial Structures.

Culturing Bacteria.

Methods of Obtaining Pure Cultures.

Culture Media.

Methods of Perfoming Multiple Diagnostic Tests.

Living, But Nonculturable, Organisms.

Retracing Our Steps.

Terminology Check.

Clinical Case Study.

Critical Thinking Questions.

Self-Quiz.

Explorations on the Web.

Chapter 7. Microbial Genetics.

An Overview of Genetic Processes.

The Basis of Heredity.

Nucleic Acids in Information Storage and Transfer.

DNA Replication.

Protein Synthesis.

Transcription.

Kinds of RNA.

Translation.

The Regulation of Metabolism.

The Significance of Regulatory Mechanisms.

Categories of Regulatory Mechanisms.

Feedback Inhibition.

Enzyme Induction.

Enzyme Repression.

Mutations.

Types of Mutations and Their Effects.

Phenotypic Variation.

Spontaneous and Induced Mutations.

Chemical Mutagens.

Radiation as a Mutagen.

The Repair of DNA Damage.

The Study of Mutations.

The Ames Test.

Retracing Our Steps.

Terminology Check.

Clinical Case Study.

Critical Thinking Questions.

Self-Quiz.

Explorations on the Web.

Chapter 8. Gene Transfer And Genetic Engineering.

The Types and Significance of Gene Transfer.

Transformation.

The Discovery of Transformation.

The Mechanism of Transformation.

The Significance of Transfomation.

Transduction.

The Discovery of Transduction.

The Mechanisms of Transduction.

The Significance of Transduction.

Conjugation.

The Discovery of Conjugation.

The Mechanisms of Conjugation.

The Significance of Conjugation.

Gene Transfer Mechanisms Compared.

Plasmids.

Characteristics of Plasmids.

Resistance Plasmids.

Transposons.

Bacteriocinogens.

Genetic Engineering.

Genetic Fusion.

Protoplast Fusion.

Gene Amplification.

Recombinant DNA Technology.

Hybridomas.

Weighing the Risks and Benefits of Recombinant DNA.

Retracing Our Steps.

Terminology Check.

Clinical Case Study.

Critical Thinking Questions.

Self-Quiz.

Explorations on the Web.

Chapter 9. An Introduction To Taxonomy: The Bacteria.

Taxonomy:The Science of Classification.

Linnaeus, the Father of Taxonomy.

Using a Taxonomic Key.

Problems in Taxonomy.

Developments Since Linnaeus's Time.

The Five-Kingdom Classification System.

Kingdom Monera.

Kingdom Protista.

Kingdom Fungi.

Kingdom Plantae.

Kingdom Animalia.

The Three-Domain Classification System.

The Evolution of Prokaryotic Organisms.

The Tree of Life is Replaced by a Shrub.

The Archaea.

Classification of Viruses.

The Search for Evolutionary Relationships.

Special Methods Needed for Prokaryotes.

Numerical Taxonomy.

Genetic Homology.

Other Techniques.

The Significance of Findings.

Bacterial Taxonomy and Nomenclature.

Criteria for Classifying Bacteria.

The History and Significance of Bergey's Manual.

Problems Associated with Bacterial Taxonomy.

Bacterial Nomenclature.

Bacteria by Section of Bergey's Manual,First Edition.

Bacterial Taxonomy and You.

Retracing Our Steps.

Terminology Check.

Clinical Case Study.

Critical Thinking Questions.

Self-Quiz.

Explorations on the Web.

Chapter 10. Viruses.

General Characteristics of Viruses.

What Are Viruses?

Components of Viruses.

Sizes and Shapes.

Host Range and Specificity of Viruses.

Origins of Viruses.

Classification of Viruses.

RNA Viruses.

DNA Viruses.

Emerging Viruses.

Viral Replication.

General Characteristics of Replication.

Replication of Bacteriophages.

Lysogeny.

Replication of Animal Viruses.

Latent Viral Infections.

Culturing of Animal Viruses.

Development of Culturing Methods.

Types of Cell Cultures.

Viruses and Teratogenesis.

Viruslike Agents: Satellites,Viroids and Prions.

Satellites.

Delta Hepatitis.

Viroids.

Prions.

Viruses and Cancer.

Human Cancer Viruses.

How Cancer Viruses Cause Cancer.

Oncogenes.

Retracing Our Steps.

Terminology Check.

Clinical Case Study.

Critical Thinking Questions.

Self-Quiz.

Explorations on the Web.

Appendices.

A.Metric System Measurements, Conversions, and Math Tools A-1.

B.Classification of Bacteria and Viruses A-3.

C.Word Roots Commonly Encountered in Microbiology A-14.

D.Safety Precautions in the Handling of Clinical Specimens A-17.

E.Metabolic Pathways A-18.

Glossary.

Clinical Case Study Answers.

Critical Thinking Questions Answers.

Self-Quiz Answers.

Index.