Author: Sebastian G.B. Amyes
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0199578761
Size: 56.38 MB
Format: PDF
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In this Very Short Introduction, Sebastian Amyes explores the nature of bacteria. As a fundamental branch of life, they inhabit every part of the Earth's surface. Amyes examines their origin and evolution, bacteria in the environment, and bacteria and disease, to demonstrate the fundamental role they play in our existence.
Language: en
Pages: 152
Pages: 152
In this Very Short Introduction, Sebastian Amyes explores the nature of bacteria. As a fundamental branch of life, they inhabit every part of the Earth's surface. Amyes examines their origin and evolution, bacteria in the environment, and bacteria and disease, to demonstrate the fundamental role they play in our existence.
Language: en
Pages: 122
Pages: 122
Describes the expansions of microbiology; it's methods, from traditional microscopy and laboratory culture to the latest genomic analysis.
Language: en
Pages: 158
Pages: 158
Viruses are big news. From pandemics such as HIV, swine flu, and SARS, we are constantly being bombarded with information about new lethal infections. In this Very Short Introduction, Dorothy Crawford demonstrates from their discovery and the unravelling of their intricate structures, how clever these entities really are.
Language: en
Pages: 156
Pages: 156
Discusses the discovery of viruses, analyzes the threat of viral infections, and considers ways to prevent the emergence of new and devastating viruses.
Language: de
Pages: 570
Pages: 570
Die Entwicklungsbiologie ist ein HerzstA1/4ck der gesamten Biologie. Mit der Anwendung moderner zell- und molekularbiologischer Techniken und Erkenntnisse hat dieses Fach in den letzten Jahren einen enormen Aufschwung und eine wahre Explosion des Wissens erlebt. Dieses neue Lehrbuch vermittelt vor allem die Grundprinzipien und SchlA1/4sselkonzepte, die die Entwicklungsbiologie einen. Dabei gehen die Autoren davon aus, daA entwicklungsbiologische Prozesse am besten zu verstehen sind, wenn man erlAutert, wie Gene das Verhalten von Zellen beeinflussen. Genetik und Zellbiologie nehmen daher in diesem Buch breiten Raum ein. Zahlreiche didaktisch durchdachte vierfarbige Graphiken und farbige Photographien sowie viele Zusammenfassungen und Aoebersichtsdiagramme erleichtern es dem Leser, die grundlegenden Konzepte und komplizierten Prozesse der Entwicklung nachzuvollziehen und zu verstehen. Der Schwerpunkt des Buches liegt auf den Wirbeltieren und der Taufliege, aber auch Wirbellose wie FadenwA1/4rmer und Seegurken werden behandelt. Wichtig ist die Integration der Entwicklungsbiologie von Pflanzen, die in anderen LehrbA1/4chern oft fehlt. Weitere zentrale Themen und Fragestellungen werden in der zweiten HAlfte des Buches vorgestellt und erlAutert: etwa die Morphogenese im frA1/4hen Embryonalstadium, die Prozesse der Zelldifferenzierung und der Organbildung, die Entwicklung des Nervensystems und der Keimzellen, Regeneration, Wachstum und Altern sowie die heute intensiv erforschten Beziehungen zwischen Entwicklung und Evolution. Ein Glossar rundet das
Language: en
Pages: 216
Pages: 216
The oceans are our planet's most distinctive and imposing natural habitat. They cover 71 percent of its surface; support a remarkably diverse and exquisitely adapted array of life forms, from microscopic viruses, bacteria, and plankton to the largest existing animals; and possess many of Earth's most significant, intriguing, and inaccessible ecosystems. In an era in which humans are significantly altering the global environment, the oceans are undergoing rapid and profound changes. The study of marine biology is thus taking on added importance and urgency as people struggle to understand and manage these changes to protect our marine ecosystems. Healthy oceans produce half of the oxygen we breathe; stabilize our climate; create ecosystems that protect our coasts from storms; provide us with abundant food; and host diverse organisms that provide us with natural products for medicine and biotechnology. In this Very Short Introduction, marine biologist Philip Mladenov provides an accessible and up-to-date overview of marine biology, offering a tour of marine life and marine processes that ranges from the unimaginably abundant microscopic organisms that drive the oceans' food web to the apex predators that we exploit for food; from polar ocean ecosystems to tropical coral reefs; and from the luxurious kelp
Language: en
Pages: 144
Pages: 144
As doctors and biologists have learned, to their dismay, infectious disease is a moving target: new diseases emerge every year, old diseases evolve into new forms, and ecological and socioeconomic upheavals change the transmission pathways by which disease spread. By taking an approach focused on the general evolutionary and ecological dynamics of disease, this Very Short Introduction provides a general conceptual framework for thinking about disease. Ecology and evolution provide the keys to answering the "where", "why", "how", and "what" questions about any particular infectious disease: where did it come from? How is it transmitted from one person to another, and why are some individuals more susceptible than others? What biochemical, ecological, and evolutionary strategies can be used to combat the disease? Is it more effective to block transmission at the population level, or to block infection at the individual level? Through a series of case studies, Benjamin Bolker and Marta L. Wayne introduce the major ideas of infectious disease in a clear and thoughtful way, emphasizing the general principles of infection, the management of outbreaks, and the evolutionary and ecological approaches that are now central to much research about infectious disease. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series
Language: en
Pages: 145
Pages: 145
Introduces cells, discussing their structure, life cycle, and what they can do.
Language: en
Pages: 144
Pages: 144
The twentieth century saw a remarkable upsurge of research on drugs, with major advances in the treatment of bacterial and viral infections, heart disease, stomach ulcers, cancer, and metal illnesses. These, along with the introduction of the oral contraceptive, have altered all of our lives. There has also been an increase in the recreational use and abuse of drugs in the Western world. This Very Short Introduction, in its second edition, gives a non-technical account of how drugs work in the body. Reviewing both legal (alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine) and illegal drugs, Les Iversen disscusses why some are addictive, and whether drug laws need reform. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Language: en
Pages: 156
Pages: 156
In this Very Short Introduction, Philip Mladenov provides a fascinating overview of marine biology. Including a tour of marine life and marine processes that ranges from the polar oceans to tropical coral reefs, he outlines the principles of marine biology whilst demonstrating the fundamental impact humans have on the oceans and their ecology.