Basic Microbiology

A practical, applications-oriented introduction to microbiology.

Welcome to the wonderful world of microbiology! Yay! So. What is microbiology? If we break the word down it translates to "the study of small life," where the small life refers to microorganisms or microbes. But who are the microbes? And how small are they? Generally microbes can be divided in to two categories: the cellular microbes (or organisms) and the acellular microbes (or agents). In the cellular camp we have the bacteria, the archaea, the fungi, and the protists (a bit of a grab bag composed of algae, protozoa, slime molds, and water molds). Cellular microbes can be either unicellular, where one cell is the entire organism, or multicellular, where hundreds, thousands or even billions of cells can make up the entire organism. In the acellular camp we have the viruses and other infectious agents, such as prions and viroids. In this textbook the focus will be on the bacteria and archaea (traditionally known as the "prokaryotes,") and the viruses and other acellular agents.

This revised, up-dated and expanded edition of Professor Schlegel's well-established textbook provides an excellent introduction to microbiology for a wide range of undergraduate students.

Preface INTRODUCTION HISTORY OF MICROBIOLOGY EVOLUTION OF MICROORGANISM CLASSIFICATION OF MICROORGANISM NOMENCLATURE AND BERGEY'S MANUAL BACTERIA VIRUSES BACTERIAL VIRUSES PLANT VIRUSES THE ANIMAL VIRUSES ARCHAEA MYCOPLASMA PHYTOPLASMA GENERAL ACCOUNT OF CYANOBACTERIA GRAM -ve BACTERIA GRAM +ve BACTERIA EUKARYOTA APPENDIX-1 Prokaryotes Notable for their Environmental Significance APPENDIX-2 Medically Important Chemoorganotrophs APPENDIX-3 Terms Used to Describe Microorganisms According to Their Metabolic Capabilities QUESTIONS Short & Essay Type Questions; Multiple Choice Questions INDEX.

Authored by the lead author of the bestselling Medical Microbiology and written in the same tradition, Basic Medical Microbiology was designed as a straight-forward, practical introduction to this difficult topic. It provides students with a firm foundation in the principles and applications of microbiology, serving as an effective prep tool for examinations and the transition into clinical application. Carefully curated contents focus on the most commonly observed and tested organisms and diseases. Differential diagnosis, organism classification overview, and a list of antimicrobials used to treat infections are provided in the introductory chapter of each organism section, reinforcing the clinical application and relevance. Organized by organism; focuses on the association between an organism and disease. Concise tables and high-quality illustrations offer visual guidance and an easy review of key material. Clinical cases reinforce the clinical significance of each organism. Includes multiple-choice questions to aid in self-assessment and examination preparation.