Human microbiology

Series editor’s preface viii Introduction ix PART I INTRODUCTION TO MICRO-ORGANISMS 1 1 Bacterial structure and function 3 1.1 Bacterial size 4 1.2 Bacterial structures 7 1.3 Bacterial movement 22 1.4 Bacterial genetics 25 1.5 Bacterial variation 28 1.6 Regulation of gene expression 35 Summary 36 Further reading 36 Review questions 36 2 Bacterial growth 37 2.1 Growth: the mathematics explained 37 2.2 The growth curve: growth in batch culture 46 2.3 Adapting to new conditions: changes in growth rates 48 2.4 The physicochemical parameters that influence bacterial growth 50 2.5 Measurement of bacterial growth 56 2.6 Culturing bacteria in vitro 63 2.7 Fuelling growth: bacterial metabolism 66 2.8 Regulation of metabolism 72 2.9 Growth in vivo 75 Summary 77 Further reading 78 References 78 Review questions 78 3 Viruses 79 3.1 Viruses, bacteriophages, viroids 79 3.2 Viral structure 80 3.3 Viral classification 86 3.4 Viral replication 86 3.5 Viral nucleic acid determines replication strategy 89 Page vi 3.6 Propagation of viruses 95 3.7 Detecting viruses 97 3.8 Other means of detecting viruses 100 Summary 101 Recommended reading 102 Review questions 102 4 Fungi 103 4.1 Fungi: moulds and yeasts 103 4.2 Fungal structure and function 106 4.3 Fungal growth and metabolism 109 4.4 Fungal genetics 111 4.5 Fungal classification 115 Summary 118 Recommended reading 118 Review questions 118 5 Microbial death 119 5.1 Introduction 119 5.2 Killing is exponential 120 5.3 Sterilisation 125 5.4 Disinfection 129 5.5 Tests of disinfectant efficacy 132 5.6 Antibiotics 132 5.7 Antibiotic targets 135 Summary 145 Recommended reading 145 Review questions 145 6 Microbial taxonomy 146 6.1 Systematics or taxonomy? 146 6.2 Classification 148 6.3 Characterisation/identification 152 6.4 Nomenclature 153 6.5 Numerical taxonomy 154 6.6 Typing 156 Summary 159 Recommended reading 159 Review questions 160 PART II MICROBIAL INFECTIONS OF HUMANS 161 7 Types of association 163 7.1 Interactions between organisms 163 7.2 The terms 167 7.3 A little more on parasitism 168 7.4 Human infections 169 7.5 Varieties in types of infection 170 7.6 Mode of transmission 173 7.7 Zoonoses 175 7.8 The normal flora 178 7.9 Nosocomial infections 182 7.10 Why are microbial pathogens damaging to the host? 184 Summary 186 Recommended reading 186 Review questions 186