Integrative and Comparative Biology Advance Access originally published online on October 2, 2007
Integrative and Comparative Biology 2007 47(6):896-898; doi:10.1093/icb/icm096
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Book Review |
Microbial Life, Second Edition. James T. Stanley, Robert P. Gunsalus, Stephen Lory, and Jerome J. Perry.
Department of Microbiology
North Carolina State University
Correspondence: E-mail: mark_keen{at}ncsu.edu
Microbial Life, Second Edition. James T. Stanley, Robert P. Gunsalus, Stephen Lory, and Jerome J. Perry.
Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, 2007. 1066 pp., 780 illustrations. ISBN: 978-0-87893-685-4, $139.95.
Microbiology instructors and textbook writers suffer the same dilemma: the need to communicate the breadth and depth of their complex and diverse subject in an easily accessible format. Most upper-division, general microbiology classes are limited to a single semester. It is implicit to present a world of information to Generation Y clearly, accurately, and succinctly.
The second edition of Microbial Life, consisting of 32 chapters grouped into eight parts, is intended as a comprehensive, encyclopedic resource to assist upper-division undergraduates in understanding the microbial world.
All parts and text chapters begin with one or two interesting photomicrographs, called openers. The annotation and attribution for these openers is located in an appendix between the glossary and index sections at the back of the book. Appending the annotation information streamlines the graphic design but undermines pedagogical engagement. An interested student, rather than immediately reading about what has visually caught their attention, must search in the back of the book. Presenting the annotations alongside the visual resource would engage and reinforce student interest.
Quotes begin each chapter. These quotes range from the sublime ("In biology nothing makes sense, except in the light of evolution"—Dobzhansky) to the inane ("A cell is DNA's way of making more DNA"—Author Unknown).
Each chapter ends with a list of Summary Concepts, Review Questions, and Suggested Reading references to aid the student in assimilating the information presented.
Part I (The Scope of Microbiology)—consists of four chapters beginning with the origin of life on Earth and subsequently proceeding through chapters on the History of Microbiology, Fundamental Chemistry, and Bacterial–Archaeal structure and function.
Questions arise after reading Chapter 1. Why spend pages explaining the Urey–Miller experiment? This experiment, more appropriate for a biochemistry textbook, is inexplicably and undeservedly included in almost all microbiology texts. Other than stimulating students’ imaginations, these experiments have contributed little to understanding the origin of life. Why dedicate precious textbook space to mitosis and meiosis? These are concepts normally covered in prerequisite, introductory biology courses.
The remainder of Chapter 1 discusses the evolution of microbes and their co-evolution with Earth geochemistry, ending with an engaging and interesting section on astrobiology.
The remaining three chapters of Part I introduce the fundamental chemistry of the cell, microscopy, and microbial anatomy respectively, providing a solid introduction for any general microbiology course.
Parts II and III (Nutrition, Growth, and Metabolism) contain eight chapters ranging from nutrition through structure–function, biosynthesis, protein secretion, cellular assembly, intermediary metabolism, and bioremediation. These well-organized and thorough chapters could stand alone as the basis for a microbial physiology course. Of particular note are the excellent illustrations of various microbial systems of protein secretion and anaerobic respiration. The discussion of the history of antibiotic research (Box 7.1) would benefit by including the contributions of Florey and Chain to penicillin development and Paul Erhlich's seminal concept of selective toxicity.
Part IV (Genetics and "Basic" Virology) contains four chapters: "Basic" Genetics (should a different modifier be selected by science textbook writers given the use of the terms basic and acidic in chemistry?), Virology, Genetic Exchange, and Microbial Genomics. The information discussed in these chapters is thorough and clear, enhanced by many well-illustrated examples of various recombinant genetic techniques ranging from Agarose Gel Electrophoresis to Microarray Genome Comparison.
Part V (Evolution and Diversity) contains seven chapters ranging from Taxonomy through Eukaryotic Microorganisms. Included are the Archaea, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Photobacteria, and Thermophilic bacteria. Each chapter discussion is augmented with numerous color photomicrographs and illustrations of important concepts derived from research involving these microbial groups as well as defining their inter-relationships.
Part VI (Ecology) consists of three chapters: Chapter 24 (Microbial Ecology) provides practical information on isolating microbes from the environment as well as a thorough overview of the global biogeochemical cycles driven by microbes. Interestingly, this chapter includes an explanation of the successive, bacterial colonization of newborn mouse gut, demonstrating the broad scope of microbial ecology. Chapter 25 (Beneficial Microbial Symbioses) is well-organized and replete with numerous examples of microbial associations with plants, insects, birds, fish, cattle, and squid. Chapter 26 (Human Host–Microbe Interaction) provides a smooth transition from the discussion of symbioses toward an introduction to immunology.
Part VII (Immunology and Medical Microbiology) contains four chapters: Immunology, Microbial Diseases of Humans, Viral Diseases of Humans, and Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology.
Chapter 27 (Immunology) presents thorough descriptions of the roles of barrier, innate, and acquired immunity.
Chapters 28 and 29 (Microbial Diseases of Humans, Viral Diseases of Humans) divide infectious diseases based on cause rather than mode of transmission. This leads to subsequent confusion concerning the transmission of some of the diseases presented.
Chapter 28 (p 927) describes trachoma as a conjunctivitis transmitted to newborns via an infected mother. Trachoma in the developing world is primarily transmitted between adults via fly vectors and blindness results from corneal scarring by the eyelashes due to inflammed eyelid tissue infected by Chlamydia trachomatis.
In Table 29.6, rabies is categorized as a vector-borne disease with its "vector" being domestic dogs and cats. However, rabies is not categorized as a vector-borne disease by the Centers for Disease Control.
Chapter 29 would also benefit by comparing the qualities of Sabin's attenuated poliovirus vaccine (a powerful tool for eradicating poliomyelitis in the developing world) with Salk's killed poliovirus vaccine (currently recommended by the CDC for use in the USA).
In Table 30.1 of Chapter 30 (Epidemiology and Medical Microbiology), the reservoir for legionellosis, identified as "aquatic environment", might be more accurately described as aquatic protozoa. In this same table, vector-borne diseases are differentiated from louse-borne diseases. If domestic animals are considered vectors for rabies transmission, why aren't; lice considered vectors for typhus transmission?
The inconsistent distinctions of reservoirs and modes of transmission will confuse students attempting to assimilate this epidemiological information.
The remainder of this chapter presents methods used by clinical microbiologists for detection of pathogens. This section inconsistently mentions one commercially available automated detection system by name, while introducing other technologies, like nucleic acid amplification, without mentioning specific commercial products. Section 30.10 entitled Antibiotic "Sensitivity" would benefit from a title more consistent with its content, Antibiotic Susceptibility.
Part VIII (Applied Microbiology) consists of two chapters: Chapter 31 (Industrial Microbiology) contains a timely section on the commercial production of ethanol. Notable are calculations demonstrating the relatively meager yield of energy from ethanol fermentation after the costs of energy production are considered. An explanation of alternative fermentations, like ABE synthesis, yielding higher energy compounds like butanol would provide an informative conclusion to this examination of microbe-generated fuels.
Chapter 31 would also benefit from an update on the microbial production of recombinant human insulin. After initial cloning and expression in Escherichia coli, commercial production of insulin subsequently moved to Sacchromyces cerevisiae, where LPS-free, secreted, insulin polypeptides preclude the need for time-consuming cellular disruption, and expensive multistep purification.
Chapter 32 (Applied Environmental Microbiology) would benefit from referencing the natural genetic engineer Agrobacterium tumefaciens, described in detail in Chapter 16, to create pesticide-resistant, genetically modified plants.
This chapter would also benefit by referencing the excellent information in Chapter 12 (Roles of Microbes in Biodegradation). The discussion of different bioremediation methodologies would benefit from a summary table or a comprehensive illustration.
Online instructor resources accompanying this text include a complete set of figures and tables used in the text in PowerPoint format along with an Instructor's Manual with chapter-by-chapter summaries. Each summary contains a list of Internet links, a bank of multiple-choice, true–false, essay/short answer questions, with answers, and a list of key terms.
Online student resources provided by the publisher include animated tutorials and chapter-by-chapter online self-quizzes.
Microbial Life is an encyclopedic resource for the general microbiology student with many features to recommend it, including colorful, intricate illustrations, excellent photomicrographs and well-constructed thorough chapters on microbial structure, assembly, metabolism, bioremediation, genetics, virology, ecology, diversity, symbiosis, evolution, and immunology.
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