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Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

Print Price: $13.50

Format:
Paperback
136 pp.
approximately 23 b/w illustrations, 111 mm x 174 mm

ISBN-13:
9780199681686

Publication date:
December 2014

Imprint: OUP UK


Microbiology: A Very Short Introduction

Nicholas P. Money

Series : Very Short Introductions

In recent decades we have come to realize that the microbial world is hugely diverse, and can be found in the most extreme environments. Fungi, single-celled protists, bacteria, archaea, and the vast array of viruses and sub-viral particles far outnumber plants and animals. Microbes, we now know, play a critical role in ecosystems, in the chemistry of atmosphere and oceans, and within our bodies. The field of microbiology, armed with new techniques from molecular biology, is now one of the most vibrant in the life sciences.

In this Very Short Introduction Nicholas P. Money explores not only the traditional methods of microscopy and laboratory culture but also the modern techniques of genetic detection and DNA sequencing, genomic analysis, and genetic manipulation. In turn he demonstrates how advances in microbiology have had a tremendous impact on the areas of medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Readership : Important for all students of the biological sciences and medicine.

1. Microbial diversity
2. How microbes operate
3. Molecular microbiology
4. Viruses
5. Microbiology of human health and disease
6. Microbial ecology and evolution
7. Microbes in agriculture and biotechnolohy
Further reading
Index

There are no Instructor/Student Resources available at this time.

Nicholas P. Money is Professor of Botany and Western Program Director at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is the author of more than 70 peer-reviewed papers on fungal biology and has authored four books, including, Mr. Bloomfield's Orchard: The Mysterious World of Mushrooms, Molds, and Mycologists (2002), and Mushroom (2011) described by Nature magazine as a "brilliant scientific and cultural exploration" of his research subject.

Viruses: A Very Short Introduction - Dorothy H. Crawford
The Cell: A Very Short Introduction - Terence Allen and Graham Cowling

Special Features

  • Introduces the field of microbiology and its importance within the life sciences.
  • Describes the modern understanding of the vast range of microorganisms and their habitats.
  • Looks at the critical role of microbes in ecosystems, including the human body.
  • Explores the many important applications of microbiology in medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology.
  • Part of the bestselling Very Short Introductions series - over six million copies sold worldwide.