Microbial Responses to Light and Time (Society for General Microbiology Symposia, Series Number 56) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521622867 ISBN 13: 9780521622868

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1998

Synopsis

Light and time are key environmental components for the majority of organisms. Biologically, time operates at various scales, ranging from the annual cycle of seasons, to the daily cycle of the sun, to the potentially rapid cycle of cell division. What is apparently fundamental to all organisms is the ability to respond in a manner predictive of time. Time-dependent changes in physiology, morphology, and ecology are responsive to various environmental cues, the most significant of which is light. The ability of organisms to perceive, harvest, and protect themselves from light is also of fundamental importance, leading to a variety of biological responses including phototaxis and photosynthesis. This volume, which concentrates primarily but not exclusively on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms, provides a series of chapters that explore various aspects of the underlying biology of organisms' reactions to light and time. The volume provides a wide-ranging and up-to-date review of this fundamental area of biology, which is currently advancing at a rapid pace.

About this title

Book Description

Light and time are key environmental components for the majority of organisms. In a series of review articles which focus primarily, but not exclusively, on microorganisms, this volume considers how organisms perceive and respond to light, how the clocks which are present in all organisms work, both at a molecular level and in wider biological context, and how light is used for resetting the biological clock.

Review

'... this book is probably of vital importance only to those working in the field. However, the casual reader will find a wealth of interesting 'stories', backed up by persuasive molecular detail obtained from a variety of microbes ... Finally, the book provides fascinating examples of the unity that underlies biological diversity, and as such should appeal to most biologists. Excellent light reading!' Hilary MacQueen, BDSB Newsletter

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521622867
• ISBN 13: 9780521622868
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 334
• Editor: Caddick M. X., Baumberg S., Hodgson D. A., Phillips-Jones M. K.