Includes bibliographical references and index

Introduction to microbiology -- History and scope of microbiology -- Study of microbial structure: microscopy and specimen preparation -- Procaryotic cell structure and function -- Eucaryotic cell structure and function -- Microbial nutrition, growth, and control -- Microbial nutrition -- Microbial growth -- Control of microorganisms by physical and chemical agents -- Microbial metabolism -- Metabolism: energy, enzymes, and regulation -- Metabolism: energy release and conservation -- Metabolism: the use of energy in biosynthesis -- Microbial molecular biology and genetics -- Microbial genetics: gene structure, replication, and expression -- Microbial genetics: regulation of gene expression -- Microbial genetics: mechanisms of genetic variation -- DNA technology and genomics -- Recombinant DNA technology -- Microbial genomics -- Viruses -- Viruses: introduction and general characteristics -- Viruses: viruses of Bacteria and Archaea -- Viruses: eucaryotic viruses and other acellular infectious agents -- Diversity of the microbial world -- Microbial evolution, taxonomy, and diversity -- Archaea -- Bacteria: the deinococci and nonproteobacteria gram negatives -- Bacteria: the proteobacteria -- Bacteria: the low G + C gram positives -- Bacteria: the high G + C gram positivies -- Protists -- Fungi (Eumycota) -- Ecology and symbiosis -- Biochemical cycling and introductory microbial ecology -- Microorganism in marine and freshwater environments -- Microorganisms in terrestrial environments -- Microbial interactions -- Nonspecific (innate) resistance and the immune response -- Nonspecific (innate) host resistance -- Specific (adaptive) immunity -- Microbial diseases and their control -- Pathogenicity of microorganisms -- Antimicrobial chemotherapy -- Clinical microbiology and immunology -- Epidemiology of infectious disease -- Human diseases caused by viruses and prions -- Human diseases caused by bacteria -- Human diseases causedd by fungi and protists -- Food and industrial microbiology -- Microbiology of food -- Applied and industrial microbiology -- Review of the chemistry of biological molecules -- Common metabolic pathways

This edition of 'Microbiology' provides a balanced, comprehensive introduction to all major areas of microbiology. The text is appropriate for students preparing for careers in medicine, dentistry, nursing and allied health, as well as research, teaching and industry