Microbiology For Dummies E-Book

Jennifer Stearns

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 487

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Microbiology is the study of life itself, down to the smallestparticle Microbiology is a fascinating field that explores life down tothe tiniest level. Did you know that your body contains morebacteria cells than human cells? It's true. Microbes are essentialto our everyday lives, from the food we eat to the very internalsystems that keep us alive. These microbes include bacteria, algae,fungi, viruses, and nematodes. Without microbes, life on Earthwould not survive. It's amazing to think that all life is sodependent on these microscopic creatures, but their impact on ourfuture is even more astonishing. Microbes are the tools that allowus to engineer hardier crops, create better medicines, and fuel ourtechnology in sustainable ways. Microbes may just help us save theworld. Microbiology For Dummies is your guide to understandingthe fundamentals of this enormously-encompassing field. Whetheryour career plans include microbiology or another science or healthspecialty, you need to understand life at the cellular level beforeyou can understand anything on the macro scale. * Explore the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryoticcells * Understand the basics of cell function and metabolism * Discover the differences between pathogenic and symbioticrelationships * Study the mechanisms that keep different organisms active andalive You need to know how cells work, how they get nutrients, and howthey die. You need to know the effects different microbes have ondifferent systems, and how certain microbes are integral toecosystem health. Microbes are literally the foundation of alllife, and they are everywhere. Microbiology For Dummies willhelp you understand them, appreciate them, and use them.

Leseprobe

Microbiology For Dummies®

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2014936394

ISBN 978-1-118-87118-8 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-87126-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-87131-7 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Microbiology For Dummies®

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/microbiology to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Beyond the Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Getting Started with Microbiology

Chapter 1: Microbiology and You

Why Microbiology?

Introducing the Microorganisms

Deconstructing Microbiology

Chapter 2: Microbiology: The Young Science

Before Microbiology: Misconceptions and Superstitions

Discovering Microorganisms

Debunking the myth of spontaneous generation

Improving medicine, from surgery to antibiotics and more

Looking at microbiology outside the human body

The Future of Microbiology

Exciting frontiers

Remaining challenges

Chapter 3: Microbes: They’re Everywhere and They Can Do Everything

Habitat Diversity

Metabolic Diversity

Getting energy

Capturing carbon

Making enzymes

Secondary metabolism

The Intersection of Microbes and Everyone Else

Part II: Balancing the Dynamics of Microbial Life

Chapter 4: Understanding Cell Structure and Function

Seeing the Shapes of Cells

Life on a Minute Scale: Considering the Size of Prokaryotes

The Cell: An Overview

Scaling the Outer Membrane and Cell Walls

Examining the outer membrane

Exploring the cell wall

Other Important Cell Structures

Divining Cell Division

Tackling Transport Systems

Coasting with the current: Passive transport

Upstream paddle: Active transport

Keeping things clean with efflux pumps

Getting Around with Locomotion

Chapter 5: Making Sense of Metabolism

Converting with Enzymes

In Charge of Energy: Oxidation and Reduction

Donating and accepting electrons

Bargaining with energy-rich compounds

Storing energy for later

Breaking Down Catabolism

Digesting glycolysis

Stepping along with respiration and electron carriers

Moving with the proton motive force

Turning the citric acid cycle

Stacking Up with Anabolism

Creating amino acids and nucleic acids

Making sugars and polysaccharides

Putting together fatty acids and lipids

Chapter 6: Getting the Gist of Microbial Genetics

Organizing Genetic Material

DNA: The recipe for life

Perfect plasmids

Doubling down with DNA replication

Assembling the Cellular Machinery

Making messenger RNA

Remembering other types of RNA

Synthesizing protein

Making the Right Amount: Regulation

Turning the tap on and off: DNA regulation

Regulating protein function

Changing the Genetic Code

Slight adjustments

Major rearrangements

Chapter 7: Measuring Microbial Growth

Getting Growth Requirements Right

Physical requirements

Chemical requirements

Culturing microbes in the lab

Observing Microbes

Counting small things

Seeing morphology

Calculating Cell Division and Population Growth

Dividing cells

Following growth phases

Inhibiting Microbial Growth

Physical methods

Disinfectants

Part III: Sorting Out Microbial Diversity

Chapter 8: Appreciating Microbial Ancestry

Where Did Microbes Come From?

Tracing the origins of life

Diversifying early prokaryotes

The impact of prokaryotes on the early earth

Hitching a ride: Endosymbiosis

Understanding Evolution

Studying Evolution

Choosing marker genes

Seeing the direction of gene transfer in prokaryotes

Classifying and Naming Microbes

Climbing the Tree of Life

Chapter 9: Harnessing Energy, Fixing Carbon

Forging Ahead with Autotrophic Processes

Fixing carbon

Using the Energy in Light

Harvesting light: Chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls

Helping photosynthesis out: Carotenoids and phycobilins

Generating oxygen (or not): Oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis

Getting Energy from the Elements: Chemolithotrophy

Harnessing hydrogen

Securing electrons from sulfur

Pumping iron

Oxidizing nitrate and ammonia

Chapter 10: Comparing Respiration and Fermentation

Lifestyles of the Rich and Facultative

Seeing the Big Picture

Digging into Respiration

Spinning the citric acid cycle

Stepping down the electron transport chain

Respiring anaerobically

Figuring Out Fermentation

Chapter 11: Uncovering a Variety of Habitats

Defining a Habitat

Understanding Nutrient Cycles

Carbon cycling

Nitrogen cycling

Sulfur cycling

Phosphorous cycles in the ocean

Microbes Socializing in Communities

Using quorum sensing to communicate

Living in biofilms

Exploring microbial mats

Discovering Microbes in Aquatic and Terrestrial Habitats

Thriving in water

Swarming soils

Getting Along with Plants and Animals

Living with plants

Living with animals

Living with insects

Living with ocean creatures

Tolerating Extreme Locations

Detecting Microbes in Unexpected Places

Part IV: Meeting the Microbes

Chapter 12: Meet the Prokaryotes

Getting to Know the Bacteria

The Gram-negative bacteria: Proteobacteria

More Gram-negative bacteria

The Gram-positive bacteria

Acquainting Yourself with the Archaea

Some like it scalding: Extreme thermophiles

Going beyond acidic: Extreme acidophiles

Super salty: Extreme halophiles

Not terribly extreme Archaea

Chapter 13: Say Hello to the Eukaryotes

Fun with Fungi

Figuring out fungal physiology

Itemizing fungal diversity

Interacting with plant roots

Ask us about the Ascomycetes

Mushrooms: Basidiomycetes

Perusing the Protists

Making us sick: Apicoplexans

Making plants sick: Oomycetes

Chasing amoeba and ciliates

Encountering the algae

Chapter 14: Examining the Vastness of Viruses

Hijacking Cells

Frugal viral structure

Simplifying viral function