Microbiology: Diversity, Disease, and the Environment is an exciting new introductory level Microbiology text will serve the needs of lecturers and students in a wide variety of life science, health science, and applied science programs.



The recurrent theme in this text is the delicate balance between microbes and humans, and how recent changes in that balance may bring about changes that have adverse effects, such as emerging infectious diseases and micro-organisms resistant to antibiotics. The text does not, however, focus exclusively on microbes as causal agents, but also portrays them as life-givers responsible for the earth's ability to support higher forms of life. This new text will enable instructors to cover all the essential topics of classic and contemporary microbiology in a standard one-term course and will enthuse your students as they learn about the beauty and diversity, as well as the dangers, of the microbial world in which they live.





Each chapter contains study outlines and thought- provoking questions to help students master both the daunting vocabulary and key concepts of the field.

A list of useful websites is listed at the end of each chapter.

Focus boxes in all chapters recount fascinating historical highlights and point out provocative public policy issues.

A complete glossary is provided in the back of the book.

All of the art figures in the book are available to instructors in PowerPoint and a complete test bank with over 300 multiple-choice test questions is also provided on the Instructor's Digital Resource that will be available free in CD-ROM format to all adopters.

A website for the book will contain coverage of breakthroughs and updates to keep the book current. This website links to the important microbiology websites. For more information please check out the following website www.fitzscipress.com.