Designed for use by liberal arts majors, this takes an interdisciplinary approach to such topics as the function of microbes in ecological and environmental systems and the use of microbes in industry. Updated to include recent research and current events, this introduces the history of the discipline and then covers the molecules of the cell, DNA, bacteria (the first microbes), viruses, protists, fungi, growth and metabolism, microbial genetics and the control of microbes. It then applies science to human affairs, describing the relationship of microbes to food production and preservation, the uses of microbes in biotechnology as well as in the natural environment and agriculture, the effects of disease and resistance, viral diseases such as AIDS and herpes zoster, and bacterial diseases of humans, including those becoming resistant to antibiotics. The text is well-illustrated without becoming over-decorated and the exercises are very appropriate for the audience. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less