Microbiology: Concepts and Applications

This introductory text provides balanced converage of the various aspects of microbiology. Basic information, major concepts and important principles are emphasized rather than extensive, inappropriate detail. It also presents applications relevant to a broad spectrum of fields, including medicine, genetic engineering, environmental engineering, and food microbiology. Illustrated with micrographs and line drawings, it covers recent information on important developments in microbiology and immunology, while also providing a substantive introduction to molecular biology. Features include chapter-opening objectives and overview, chapter summary, discover boxes, key terms, review and discussion questions and comprehensive end-of-chapter review guides functioning as an inbuilt study guide. Offering coverage of all microorganisms, with treatment of procaryotes, eukaryotes, and viruses, this text explains and illustrates their metabolism and describes their functions in normal life and diseas