Instant Notes in Microbiology

Included Index

THE MICROBIAL WORLD. The microbial world. MICROBIAL METABOLSM. Heterotrophic pathways. Electron transport and oxiadative phosphorylation. Autotrophic metabolism. Biosynthetic pathways. INFORMATION STORAGE AND TRANSFER. Structure and organization of DNA. DNA replication. RNA molecules in the cell. Transcription. Control of gene expression. Structure of proteins. Translation. BACTERIAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION. Bacterial taxonomy. Bacterial cell structure. Bacterial cell envelope. Bacterial cell-wall synthesis. Transport across the membrane. Bacterial movement and chemotaxis. Growth in the laboratory. Bacterial growth and cell cycle. Techniques used to study bacteria. BACTERIAL GENETICS. Mutations. Mutagenesis. Recombination and transposition. DNA repair mechanisms. Plasmids. F plasmids and conjugation. Bacteriophage. Replication of Bacteriophage. Transduction. Transformation. BACTERIA AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT. Bacteria in the environment . Bacteria in industry. Bacterial disease - an overview. Human host defense mechanisms. Entry and colonization of human hosts. Bacterial toxins and human disease. Control of bacterial infection. THE EUKARYOTIC PROTISTAN MICROBES - AN OVERVIEW. Taxonomy. Eukaryotic cell structure. Cell division and ploidy. THE FUNGI AND RELATED PHYLA. Fungal cell structure and growth. Fungal nutrition. Reproduction in fungi. Fungal spore discharge and dispersal. Related phyla: the water and slime molds. Beneficial effects of fungi in their environment. Detrimental effects of fungi in their environment. THE ALGAE. Algal cell structure and growth. Algal nutrition and metabolism. Reproduction in the algae. Beneficial effects of algae. Detrimental effects of algae. THE PROTOZOA. Taxonomy of protozoa. Cellular structure of protozoa. Physiology of protozoa. Unusual metabolic pathways. Reproduction. Beneficial effects of protozoa: symbiotic relationships. Detrimental effects of protozoa: parasitic relationships. THE VIRUSES. Virus structure. Virus taxonomy. Virus proteins. Virus nucleic acids. Cell culture and virus growth. Virus assays. Virus replication. Virus infection. Viruses and the immune system. Virus vaccines. Anitviral chemotherapy. Plant viruses.

Focusing on microbiology, this volume in the "Instant Notes" series provides summarized information on the structure, physiology and taxonomy of bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae and protozoa.