Microbiology in Action (Studies in Biology)

Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 14
1.1 What habitats are provided by soil?......Page 18
1.2 How are microbes involved in nutrient cycling?......Page 23
1.2.2 How is nitrogen cycled?......Page 25
1.2.3 How is sulphur cycled?......Page 30
2.1 What are mycorrhizas?......Page 33
2.2 What symbioses do cyanobacteria form?......Page 36
2.3 What symbioses do other nitrogen-fixing bacteria form?......Page 38
2.4 From what infections do plants suffer?......Page 39
2.4.1 What plant diseases are caused by fungi?......Page 40
2.4.2 What plant diseases are caused by bacteria?......Page 45
2.4.3 What plant diseases are caused by viruses?......Page 46
2.5 How are microbes used to control agricultural pests?......Page 49
3.1.1 Cholera......Page 53
3.1.2 Enteric fever......Page 55
3.1.3 Bacilliary dysentery......Page 56
3.1.4 Water-borne campylobacter infections......Page 57
3.1.5 Water-borne virus infections......Page 58
3.1.6 Water-borne protozoal diseases......Page 59
3.2 How is water examined to ensure that it is safe to drink?......Page 61
3.3 How is water purified to ensure that it is safe to drink?......Page 64
3.4 How is sewage treated to make it safe?......Page 67
4 Microbial products......Page 71
4.1 How did microbes contribute to the First World War effort?......Page 72
4.2 What role do microbes play in the oil industry and in mining?......Page 73
4.3 How are microbial enzymes exploited?......Page 78
4.4 How do microbes help in the diagnosis of disease and related applications?......Page 80
4.5 How do microbes contribute to the pharmaceutical industry?......Page 83
4.6 How do microbes contribute to food technology?......Page 87
5.2 How are fungi used as food?......Page 90
5.3 How are microbes involved in bread and alcohol production?......Page 93
5.4.1 Sauerkraut......Page 96
5.4.2 Dill pickles......Page 97
5.4.5 Silage production......Page 98
5.4.6 Fermented dairy products......Page 99
5.5.1 How do microbes cause food spoilage?......Page 103
5.5.2 How can food be preserved?......Page 105
5.6 What causes food poisoning?......Page 112
5.6.1 Chemical contamination of food......Page 113
5.6.2 Food poisoning associated with consumption of animal tissues......Page 114
5.6.3 Food poisoning associated with the consumption of plant material......Page 115
5.6.4 What are food-borne infections?......Page 116
5.6.6 What is bacterial intoxication?......Page 118
5.6.7 What food poisoning is associated with bacterial infection?......Page 123
5.6.8 What is the role of fungal toxins in food poisoning?......Page 130
5.6.9 What viruses cause food-borne illness?......Page 133
5.6.10 What are the pre-disposing factors in food poisoning incidents?......Page 134
6.1 What constitutes the resident and transient flora of humans?......Page 136
6.2 What constitutes the commensal flora of the human skin?......Page 138
6.3 What constitutes the commensal flora of the human alimentary tract?......Page 139
6.4 What constitutes the commensal flora of the human upper respiratory tract?......Page 141
6.6 What is the role of the human commensal flora?......Page 142
6.7 What factors affect the human commensal flora?......Page 144
6.8 Do viruses form part of the human commensal flora?......Page 145
7.1 How do microbes cause disease and how do we defend ourselves from infection?......Page 147
7.2 What are urinary tract infections?......Page 156
7.2.1 What causes urinary tract infections?......Page 157
7.2.3 How may the diagnostic laboratory assist in the diagnosis of urinary tract infections?......Page 160
7.3 What causes sexually transmissible diseases?......Page 163
7.3.1 Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)......Page 165
7.3.2 Syphilis......Page 169
7.3.3 Gonorrhoea......Page 173
7.3.4 Non-specific urethritis and other bacterial infections......Page 175
7.3.6 Trichomoniasis......Page 177
7.3.8 Genital warts......Page 178
7.4 What causes infections of the central nervous system?......Page 179
7.4.1 What causes meningitis?......Page 180
7.4.2 What causes encephalitis?......Page 186
7.4.3 What is rabies?......Page 188
7.4.5 What are poliomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome?......Page 189
7.4.6 What are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies?......Page 191
7.4.8 What is tetanus and how is it related to botulism?......Page 193
7.5 What causes infections of the circulatory system?......Page 194
7.5.2 What is plague?......Page 195
7.5.4 What are the symptoms and consequences of septicaemia?......Page 197
7.5.5 How is septicaemia diagnosed in the diagnostic microbiology laboratory?......Page 200
7.5.6 What is endocarditis and how does it develop?......Page 202
7.6.2 What causes dental caries?......Page 204
7.6.4 What is actinomycosis?......Page 206
7.6.7 What are upper respiratory tract infections?......Page 207
7.6.8 What causes sore throats and glandular fever?......Page 208
7.6.9 What causes tonsillitis?......Page 209
7.6.10 What is mumps?......Page 210
7.6.11 What is diphtheria?......Page 211
7.6.12 What is acute epiglottitis?......Page 212
7.6.13 What causes middle ear infections?......Page 213
7.6.16 What causes pneumonia?......Page 214
7.6.17 What is Legionnaire’s disease?......Page 218
7.6.18 What is tuberculosis?......Page 219
7.6.19 What causes whooping cough?......Page 221
7.6.20 What is aspergillosis?......Page 222
7.7.1 What is pseudomembranous colitis?......Page 223
7.7.2 How are faecal samples examined for pathogens?......Page 224
7.7.3 What viruses are associated with gastroenteritis?......Page 226
7.7.4 What causes hepatitis?......Page 227
7.7.5 What is peritonitis?......Page 229
7.8.1 What bacteria cause skin and muscle infections?......Page 230
7.8.2 What viruses cause skin lesions?......Page 236
7.8.3 What causes eye infections?......Page 238
7.8.4 What animal-associated pathogens cause soft tissue infections?......Page 239
7.8.5 What infections affect bone and joints?......Page 243
7.9 What causes perinatal infections?......Page 244
7.10 What infections do fungi cause?......Page 247
7.10.1 How are mycoses diagnosed in the laboratory?......Page 251
7.11 How do we recognise clinically important bacteria?......Page 254
7.11.1 Gram-positive cocci......Page 257
7.11.2 Gram-positive bacilli......Page 260
7.11.5 Gram-negative bacilli......Page 262
8 Chemotherapy and antibiotic resistance......Page 266
8.1.2 Cycloserine......Page 268
8.1.5 Beta-lactams......Page 269
8.3.1 Sulphonamides and trimethoprim......Page 271
8.4 Which antibacterial agents are inhibitors of RNA metabolism?......Page 272
8.5.3 Chloramphenicol......Page 273
8.5.5 Fusidic acid......Page 274
8.6.1 Polyene antibiotics......Page 275
8.6.3 Griseofulvin......Page 276
8.7 What drugs can be used to treat virus infections?......Page 277
8.7.2 Amantidine......Page 278
8.8 What causes antibiotic resistance in bacteria?......Page 279
Further reading......Page 284
Glossary......Page 286
A......Page 298
C......Page 299
E......Page 300
H......Page 301
L......Page 302
O......Page 303
R......Page 304
S......Page 305
V......Page 306
Z......Page 307