Microbes and Man

Microbes are everywhere. Normally invisible, they are abundant in the air we breathe, in soil, in water, on our skin and hair, in our mouths and intestines, and on and in the food we eat. They make the soil fertile; they clean up the environment; they change, often improve, our food; some protect us from less desirable microbes. Yet most people are scarcely aware that they exist--except when they become ill. Microbes, as "germs", are widely regarded as nasty--unpopular because a few can cause disease and a few can spoil food. Yet collectively microbes present a fascinating world of miniscule creatures, who together encompass all the processes of which terrestrial life is capable: creatures who have profound effects on our lives and surroundings. Extensively updated to include such topics as CJD, genetic manipulation, and gene therapy, this edition describes the extraordinary impact that the microbial community has on our everyday lives in an accessible and easy to read style.

This classic introduction to the fascinating world of microbes has now been extensively updated to include such topical issues as BSE, food poisoning, genetic engineering and gene therapy. It deals with the ways in which microbes affect peoples' lives in everyday matters, such as in disease, health, hygiene and nutrition, and also discusses their part in socio-economic areas such as agriculture, biotechnology, genetic engineering and the stability of the environment. This popular account will appeal to students of microbiology as well as to the general reader.