Book Description
With this Ninth Edition, the âNumber Oneâ best-selling non-majors microbiology text extends its trusted and reliable approach with improved disease chapters that feature efficient new âDisease in Focusâ boxes, a thoroughly revised immunity chapter (17), new options for the Microbiology Place website/CD-Rom, and a new Media Manager instructor presentation package with 30 multi-step animations.
Fundamentals of Microbiology: The Microbial World and You, Chemical Principles, Observing Microorganisms Through a Microscope, Functional Anatomy of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells, Microbial Metabolism, Microbial Growth, The Control of Microbial Growth, Microbial Genetics, Biotechnology and Recombinant DNA. A Survey of the Microbial World: Classification of Microorganisms, The Prokaryotes: Domains Bacteria and Archaea, The Eukaryotes: Fungi, Algae, Protozoa, and Helminths, Viruses, Viroids, and Prions. Interaction Between Microbe and Host: Principles of Disease and Epidemiology, Microbial Mechanisms of Pathogenicity, Innate Immunity: Nonspecific Defenses of the Host, Adaptive Immunity: Specific Defenses of the Host, Practical Applications of Immunology, Disorders Associated with the Immune System, Antimicrobial Drugs. Microorganisms and Human Disease: Microbial Diseases of the Skin and Eyes, Microbial Diseases of the Nervous System, Microbial Diseases of the Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Systems, Microbial Diseases of the Respiratory System, Microbial Diseases of the Digestive System, Microbial Diseases of the Urinary and Reproductive Systems. Environmental and Applied Microbiology: Environmental Microbiology, Applied and Industrial Microbiology.
For all readers interested in microbiology concepts and applications.
Customer Reviews:
I miss it.......2007-06-06
This was the required text for the microbiology class I took. I found this book to be very informative and helpful. The class was an introduction to microiology and this book was perfect for it! And I'm sure that, had this book been that bad, the instructor would never have selevte it for the course. My only regret is that I sold it back to the campus bookstore at the end of the semester; I wish I still had this to go back to and look up the information.
Customer Reviews:
Just as advertised .......2007-01-05
I not only received my book in a timely manner but also in great condition just as advertised. I'll keep this supplier in my favorites list for future purchases.
Amazon.com
Inheriting the mantle of revolutionary biologist from Darwin, Watson, and Crick, Richard Dawkins forced an enormous change in the way we see ourselves and the world with the publication of The Selfish Gene. Suppose, instead of thinking about organisms using genes to reproduce themselves, as we had since Mendel's work was rediscovered, we turn it around and imagine that "our" genes build and maintain us in order to make more genes. That simple reversal seems to answer many puzzlers which had stumped scientists for years, and we haven't thought of evolution in the same way since.
Why are there miles and miles of "unused" DNA within each of our bodies? Why should a bee give up its own chance to reproduce to help raise her sisters and brothers? With a prophet's clarity, Dawkins told us the answers from the perspective of molecules competing for limited space and resources to produce more of their own kind. Drawing fascinating examples from every field of biology, he paved the way for a serious re-evaluation of evolution. He also introduced the concept of self-reproducing ideas, or memes, which (seemingly) use humans exclusively for their propagation. If we are puppets, he says, at least we can try to understand our strings. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
The million copy international bestseller, critically acclaimed and translated into over 25 languages. This 30th anniversary edition includes a new introduction from the author as well as the original prefaces and foreword, and extracts from early reviews. As relevant and influential today as when it was first published, The Selfish Gene has become a classic exposition of evolutionary thought. Professor Dawkins articulates a gene's eye view of evolution - a view giving centre stage to these persistent units of information, and in which organisms can be seen as vehicles for their replication. This imaginative, powerful, and stylistically brilliant work not only brought the insights of Neo-Darwinism to a wide audience, but galvanized the biology community, generating much debate and stimulating whole new areas of research.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent overview of evolution.......2007-10-08
Scholars pro-evolution can generally be divided into 1) those who believe in evolution at the group level (ie: The reason lions behave in a particular way is because they want to survive as a species) or 2) those who believe in evolution at an individual level (ie: The reason a particular bird behaves in a particular way is because he wants to survive as an individual bird). Dawkins' views are closer to the latter. In fact, he takes it a step further and argues for evolution at the gene level. I think he makes a very convincing case for his views. Of course nothing is certain (except uncertainty perhaps) so he does not prove his theory definitively.
The book can be hard to read at times and may be a bit slow for those with no background in biology or science. Nevertheless I think anyone with patience can read, enjoy and learn from this important book.
No matter what your views this is a very educational and important book. Highly recommended.
Fancifully Dark.......2007-09-21
In his play "Suddenly, Last Summer," Tennessee Williams writes of a young man who, on vacation at the seashore, watches newly hatched baby turtles struggling down to the safety of the water. Only a small percentage get there, though, because the gulls overhead scoop them up and eat them faster than they can crawl. The young man, observing this and already under great psychic tension, tells his cousin that now "I have seen God!" Later on, we realize the man is morally insane, and that perhaps this was the turning point; his descent into insanity.
Whether Williams himself thought of God the same way, I don't know. But certainly the example of the turtles and gulls had been chosen, out of thousands of other such biological observations, because the young man chose to find God - or truth - in it. He could, if he had been in a sunnier mood, chosen to look at nesting robins or a mare and her colt.
In "The Selfish Gene," Dr. Dawkins argues against the idea of altruism in nature: mothers take care of their young because they love them, etc. Dawkins says they do it because it's in their genes. But he takes it one step further: he says it's the genes themselves that are struggling to survive - not the whole animal. The analogy of genes "using" animal bodies for their own "selfish" ends, as if we were robots and the genes our drivers, is made over and over again.
Of course, Dawkins realizes this is not correct. Darwinism asserts that biological life came into existence blindly: cells and animals came (and continue to come) into being, not because they chose to, but because of natural selection. And the ones who survive do so because of serendipity.
This is a very hard concept, of course, to understand. I remember Sister Pauline laboring to explain to us girls in junior biology class that the white butterflies didn't decide to turn black; they turned black over generations, due to natural selection. She had a hard time of it. (Catholics are "allowed" to choose between a literal or analogous interpretation of the Bible, so she was not breaking any official rules!)
In other words, a "selfish" gene (or animal) makes no more sense in Darwinistic terms than an "altruistic" one.
Dawkins explicitly states this on page 196. But he uses the selfish gene analogy so many more times - hundreds of times - that, just from the sheer repetitiveness of the theme, it may sink in too deeply (and do some psychic damage) to people who are not currently living on the sunny side of the street, so to speak.
For those people, like the gentleman who wrote the touching review of how this book contributed to fits of depression, I'd say: This point of view has no more legitimacy than the altrustic point of view.
An additional (and, I think, unnecessary) weight on the sensitive reader's soul is the aspersions that Dr. Dawkins, an aggressive atheist, throws on the concept of God - limited mainly, I think, to his chapter on memes (he saves most of his vituperation on this issue for another book, "The God Delusion").
On that score, I'd say: please realize that scientists don't know everything. People in different professions develop different mental prejudices: lawyers think like lawyers, engineers like engineers, etc. And scientists, for whom scientific method is everything, tend to think that anything that's not measurable therefore doesn't exist. This is a logical fallacy. They also tend to think they are so intelligent, and the world outside science is so simple, that they can read a few survey books on religion, philosophy, or history and know all there is to know about the field. This leads them to made irresponsible, blanket statements, completely unaware of how little they know.
On page 201, he winds up a chapter by saying all is not gloomy; humans can still strive towards altruism; that "[w]e, alone on earth, can rebel against the tyranny of the selfish replicators." Then, in a long footnote, he writes that some of his colleagues disapproved of this passionate summation. "In some cases, the criticism came from doctrinaire sociobiologists jealously protective of genetic influence...." and in others, from "high priests of the left jealously protective of a favorite demonological icon!" (His exclamation point.) These latter, apparently, were objecting that he on the one hand implied a belief in free will while on the other hand talking like a genetic determinist. He objects to this, saying, if I understand it, that he's both, and ends the argument by saying, "We, that is our brains, are separate and independent enough from our genes to rebel against them. ...[W]e do so in a small way every time we use contraception."
Now, I don't pretend to have a handle on the philosophical and sociobiological arguments regarding whether or not humans have free will, or even what exactly free will is. But in the above I don't see that Dr. Dawkins really does, either: he treats it far too simply.
In sum, read the book, but don't let it get you down. After all, if the village priest doesn't have the right to bully people intellectually, than neither does the research scientist.
Mandatory reading for students/interested persons.......2007-09-17
This is an excellent primer to biological evolution and could also be a valuable co-text with a standard high school biology course. Written in British english, it is quite understandable though more academic than casual.
Dawkins' use of the 'gene's eye view' of the world permeates the text. It is very easy to follow. A great book to rebut any creationist's
viewpoint. This was Dawkins' first book in the field. It will not disappoint or talk down to you.
Enjoy.
a mixed bag.......2007-09-09
Parts of the book were utterly fascinating to me, such as the groundbreaking idea of the "meme" as a unit of cultural transmission. But the argument that species are survival machines for our "immortal genes" seems seriously flawed.
First and foremost in my mind, it is hard for me to swallow that organisms practice altruism because the gene or genes that are responsible for this altruism have a probability of existing in the recipient of the altruism, the probability increasing with the closeness of familial relatedness. How, then, to explain altruism beyond the family, or even beyond the species? The author mentions that there is at least one well-documented case of a dolphin rescuing a drowning human being. In the book this was suggested to be a mistake. One of Earth's most intelligent animals has a gene for rescuing long, narrow objects and cannot tell the difference between a human and its own species. I got doubtful when contradictory evidence was explained as a mistake. And what about organisms' adopting children originating from other parents? Always a mistake? Highly expensive practice for when the real deal arises?
I do not understand why there must be *a* unit of natural selection. Can't there be more than one, sometimes at odds with each other, sometimes in tandem? I do believe genes are selected over other genes, but I believe groups can be selected over other groups, too. Perhaps other units, both larger and smaller than genes (Why not the selfish base pair?), are also naturally selected.
Finally, especially considering recent discoveries in genomics that have downsized the number of estimated human genes, there cannot be one gene behind any behavioral trait you can think of, a gene for being nice to your cousin, for example. I get that a gene can have many functions and can have a net effect of being nice to your cousin, and in its absence you would be less nice to your cousin, but this makes for a complicated web which would get torn apart as succeeding generations inherit just part of the web. The influences of biology, environment, and history get harder to ignore.
a new way to look at the world.......2007-08-29
Dawkins challenges us to look at old ideas (Darwinian) in a new light. At times I found his mathematical calculations tedious to follow, however when I bothered to think them through, they did make sense. I esepcially enjoyed the chapter on game theory because it helped to explain why humans do not usually behave in blatantly exploitive ways in spite of our "selfish genes". I recommend the book to anyone who wonders how the world works.
Book Description
Thorough and accessible, this book presents the design principles of biological systems, and highlights the recurring circuit elements that make up biological networks. It provides a simple mathematical framework which can be used to understand and even design biological circuits. The text avoids specialist terms, focusing instead on several well-studied biological systems that concisely demonstrate key principles. An Introduction to Systems Biology: Design Principles of Biological Circuits builds a solid foundation for the intuitive understanding of general principles. It encourages the reader to ask why a system is designed in a particular way and then proceeds to answer with simplified models.
Customer Reviews:
Clear, rigorous, fascinating.......2007-01-20
I'm a Ph.D. student in biophysics. This is the best treatment of systems biology that I've encountered. It treats both the math and the biology with clarity, rigor, and respect. It simplifies without dumbing down. It's beautifully written. If you doubt that systems biology is a real scientific discipline, this book will change your mind.
Building Mathematical Models of Cells.......2006-09-25
The history of science over the past few centuries is to become ever more specialized. The physicists, becomming ever more concerned with the very large (stars, galaxies, the cosmos) or the very tiny (first atoms, then atomic components, now sub-components. The biologists on the other hand were studying much larger things, such as the cells that make up life. Both sciences developed techniques to facilitate their study.
In recent years, researchers have discovered that sometimes these specialized techniques can be used to develop greater insight into what is happening in other sciences.
In this book, Dr. Alon uses his training in physics to examine certain aspects of biology and to use the terminology and mathematics to describe the way these biological networks work.
The goal of the book is to begin the formulation of general laws that apply to biological networks. This is done by providing a mathematical framework in which some of the design principles of biological systems can help to understand biological networks. In looking at the results, an underlying simplicity not seen before appears in biological systems.
Great Job.......2006-09-09
A superb intro to the field. The math is moderate and helpful. Network concepts and their ties to examples and theory are clearly and succinctly presented. This is a textbook but reads easily like a book. Covers key elements while connecting them by at least mention to up-to-date further research. The basics and the grandeur of systems biology. I am trying to remember now anything on the negative side and cannot.
Book Description
With every new edition, the No. 1 best-selling non-majors microbiology book wins over readers with its careful balance of concepts and applications, art that teaches, and its straightforward presentation of complex topics. For Microbiology: An Introduction, Eighth Edition, this successful formula has been refined with hundreds of research and disease updates, updated morbidity data, and an enhanced Mircobiology Place Website and CD-ROM.
For college instructors, students, or anyone interested in microbiology.
Customer Reviews:
recieved in great time but no cd rom.......2007-01-05
recieved quickly but no cd rom was attached I may have missed it in the description though but I don't believe it stated no cd
Microbiology text, It helped me........2006-06-22
I like this book. Microbiology is very fascinating to me. Parasites, etc are particularly interesting. If you are assigned this book for your Microbiology class, my advice is to read it and know the information. This book was very helpful.
I also used a study guide "Microbiology Study Guide Questions and Answers by Patrick Leonardi. This book has awesome questions for studying during the semester and really gets you ready for the exams.
A lot of information....disorganized.......2006-04-03
I taught a basic undergraduate microbiology class using this text book. The students were mostly pre-nursing so we had a clinical focus. My main problem with the text is it is trying to be all things to all people. It tries to present too much information that is scattered all over the text. Frequently, within chapters, students have to jump back and forth to material presented in other chapters and it simply becomes information overload. In addition, some of the study question, especially the clinically oriented ones, ask the students about areas that haven't been adequately covered in the text or assume knowledge that they don't have as yet. Finally, beware the Powerpoint slide presentations. These are also full of errors and need pretty extensive editing.
Great Service!.......2006-03-13
I ordered this book on a Friday for a class that started the following Monday and it was here first thing Monday morning. The book is in excellent condition. I would use this seller again!
Not enough information.......2006-03-10
I believe that the best way to learn science is to fully understand all the concepts. That way, it is easier to remember details and to apply your knowledge. For some reason, less advanced science courses focus on covering the same breadth of information less in-depth, rather than handling fewer topics and putting more effort into understanding. This book follows that trend. While some issues are explained, much more is left up to the reader to simply memorize. Not an ideal textbook, but sufficient.
Book Description
Batzing's MICROBIOLOGY: AN INTRODUCTION offers a new approach in introductory microbiology, with an emphasis on teaching effectively the important concepts of the course without a strict focus on memorization. Pedagogical material, such as concept maps and flow diagrams, is carefully integrated throughout to enhance understanding and gives students a visual representation of difficult topics. The final portion of the text follows a portal of entry, or route of transmission organization, with material presented around the method by which microbes enter the host's body.
Book Description
Introduction to Protein Structure gives an up-to-date account of the principles of protein structure, with examples of key proteins in their biological context generously illustrated in full color to illuminate the structural principles described in the text. The first few chapters introduces the general principles of protein structure both for novices and for non-specialists needing a primer. Subsequent chapters use specific examples of proteins to show how they fulfil a wide variety of biological functions. The book ends with chapters on the experimental approach to determining and predicting protein structure, as well as engineering new proteins to modify their functions.
Customer Reviews:
Great for undergrads and graduate students.......2007-03-08
This book is very good at explaining the basics of proteins and their structure. Any student who plans on doing any sort of protein research should consider this a must have for their library.
The pictures are colorful and contain valuable easy to understand information. But the information shown is not over-crowded as some texts tend to do. The authors did not try to put too much information into one picture, but split the information between a number of illistrations.
The sections on protein folds, and motifs are a must for any one dealing with any kind of protein-protein, or protein-dna binding interaction. This will help scientists who will be using proteomic information to determine the structure and probable function of their protein when a crystal or NMR structure is not avaiable.
Great book for any biologist, biochemist, or physical chemist.
Excellent introductory text on Proteins.......2006-02-03
This is a great introductory text on protein science. It starts off with the basic chemistry of amino acids and polypeptides and goes from there into higher order structural organization of many proteins of many families. Reading this book allows one to think about protein function being a direct result of what the structure imposes. Although this is not a protein chemistry book, it's a great place to start appreciating how proteins do what they do following some elegant design principles.
The book gives interesting structural examples on how transcription factors use their DNA binding sites to recognize specific genomic sequences. Also, the story of how the voltage gated potassium channel can be orders of magnitude more selective for potassium over sodium is presented clearly. Overall, this book is necessary for any biologist doing protein related work, or anyone who wishes to gain more insight into how these tiny "machines of life" operate.
Basics of Protein Structure - Great for revision!.......2005-11-24
I used this book a lot for one of my undergraduate courses three years back. It's excellent at explaining the fundamentals of protein structure, it's written very clearly and the diagrams are easy to understand and appropriate. I found it particularly useful when studying immunology, the explanation of immunoglobulin structure, splicing, and mechanism of action was better than some of the other textbooks I used from the library. I finally bought a copy as reference and to aid revision of some basics while applying for research associate positions within the biochemistry field.
Indispensible for those interested to learn the essentials of protein structure.......2005-11-24
This book is one of the best books that addresses the topic of protein structure. The book answers nearly all the questions that anybody interested to know about protein structure. Meanwhile, the authers provided clear examples about how elucidating a protein structure can hint for its function(example, B-lactoglobulin structure similarity to retinol binding proteins hints for its function as retinol binding protein in the mammals intestine). Besides, the organization of the book chapters made it so easy to read. Above all, the versatile illustrative examples and figures that the authers used make reading this book is really enjoyable for people have the basic background in biochemistry or those who are interested to building skills in biochemistry as well. The chapeters describing prediction of protein structure and methods to determine the protein structrue are really so valuable as a basic introduction about these broad topics. With basic biochemistry skills, this book will be so enjoyable.
Nice experience with Amazon shopping.......2005-08-02
I tried to find some books in our university libraries and bookstores but failed, unexpectedly I found several in Amazon! Really amazing!
Book Description
This clear and accessible textbook introduces students to the brain's remarkable capacity for memory. It begins with a history of thinking and research on the biological bases of memory, highlighting discoveries about the brain made in a "Golden Era" of neuroscience around the turn of the 20th century. This is followed by presentation of our current understanding of the neurobiology of memory, organized into sections corresponding to the book's four major themes. The first is Connection, and it considers how memory is based on alterations in the communication between nerve cells. Research on the physiology and biochemistry of neurons has revealed a cascade of molecular events and structural changes that enhance or weaken the connectivity of nerve cells in support of memory. The second theme is Cognition, which considers the psychological structure of memory. Early work on this topic involved controversy over the basic cognitive processes that underlie memory, and modern research has shown that these characterizations reflect distinctions among qualitatively different forms of memory. The third theme is Compartmentalization, the notion that the different forms of memory are accomplished by distinct brain systems. Recent research has revealed parallel memory systems that separately mediate our ability for conscious recollection, our capacity to acquire skills and habits, and our acquisition of emotional attachments and aversions. The fourth theme is Consolidation, the process by which memories are transformed from a labile trace into a permanent store. Scientists have shown that there are two distinct stages in memory consolidation, one involving cellular mechanisms that underlie a fixation of changes in the neuronal connection strengths and the other involving a reorganization and restruction of the circuits that store and retrieve memories. The book assumes little background knowledge from biology or psychology, and is intended as a text for use in undergraduate courses on memory and cognitive science, and for early graduate students in neuroscience, cognitive science, or biology. It encapsulates the major concepts in the field, and makes this area of research accessible to students who pursue a variety of related disciplines.
Book Description
An Introduction to Human Molecular Genetics
Second Edition
Jack J. Pasternak
The Second Edition of this internationally acclaimed text expands its coverage of the molecular genetics of inherited human diseases with the latest research findings and discoveries. Using a unique, systems-based approach, the text offers readers a thorough explanation of the gene discovery process and how defective genes are linked to inherited disease states in major organ and tissue systems. All the latest developments in functional genomics, proteomics, and microarray technology have been thoroughly incorporated into the text.
The first part of the text introduces readers to the fundamentals of cytogenetics and Mendelian genetics. Next, techniques and strategies for gene manipulation, mapping, and isolation are examined. Readers will particularly appreciate the text's exceptionally thorough and clear explanation of genetic mapping. The final part features unique coverage of the molecular genetics of distinct biological systems, covering muscle, neurological, eye, cancer, and mitochondrial disorders. Throughout the text, helpful figures and diagrams illustrate and clarify complex material.
Readers familiar with the first edition will recognize the text's same lucid and engaging style, and will find a wealth of new and expanded material that brings them fully up to date with a current understanding of the field, including:
* New chapters on complex genetic disorders, genomic imprinting, and human population genetics
* Expanded and fully revised section on clinical genetics, covering diagnostic testing, molecular screening, and various treatments
This text is targeted at upper-level undergraduate students, graduate students, and medical students. It is also an excellent reference for researchers and physicians who need a clinically relevant reference for the molecular genetics of inherited human diseases.
Book Description
This new textbook studies the exploitation of microorganisms, particularly bacteria and yeast, in industrial processes. These vary from the manufacture of food and beverages to the production of pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics and vaccines, and the treatment of both domestic and industrial effluent.Assuming only a basic knowledge of biochemistry and microbiology, the authors provide an accessible account of the subject for undergraduate and graduate students studying industrial microbiology, applied microbiology or industrial biotechnology as part of a range of courses in applied biology, microbiology, biotechnology, food science or chemical engineering. The book incorporates a brief overview of microbial structure, physiology and biochemistry before examining all aspects of bioprocessing, followed by a comprehensive coverage of current industrial processes and their products.
Customer Reviews:
Great up-to-date source.......2005-09-11
A must have for all on the field of Industrial microbiology. If you work under environmental microbiology is a great reference.
Books:
- Microbiology: Principles and Explorations
- Microbiology: Principles and Explorations
- Molecular Biology of the Cell, Fourth Edition
- Molecular Cell Biology
- Molecular Imaging: Principles And Applications In Biomedical Research
- Mouse Development: Patterning, Morphogenesis, and Organogenesis
- Neuropsychological Assessment
- Occupancy Estimation and Modeling: Inferring Patterns and Dynamics of Species Occurrence
- One Planet: A Celebration of Biodiversity
- Origin of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity, and the Radical Remaking of Economics
Books Index
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General
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
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| Books
Laboratory Experiments in Microbiology (8th Edition)
Microbiology: A Laboratory Manual (7th Edition)
Benson's Microbiological Applications: Laboratory Manual in General Microbiology, Short Version
A Photographic Atlas for the Microbiology Laboratory
Microbiology: Laboratory Theory and Application
Microbiology: An Introduction
Current Issues in Microbiology: The Artistry of Microorganisms (Scientific American (Rosen))
