Eugene W. Nester,
University of Washington Denise G. Anderson,
University of Washington C. Evans Roberts, Jr.,
University of Washington Nancy N. Pearsall Martha T. Nester
ISBN: 0072919248 Copyright year: 2004
Text Features
Expert Approach to Writing
The authors are a strong and diverse team of scientists and teachers who solidly present the connection between microorganisms and humans. Because of their individual research specializations and educational backgrounds, they remain in the hub of the scientific community and provide accurate and modern coverage spanning the breadth of microbiology. As teachers, they constantly strive to present material that easily speaks to students. Each major topic is presented as a complete unit. The style is clear and concise and now "watered down," but provides students the depth of coverage needed to fully understand and appreciate the role of microorganisms in the biological sciences and human affairs.
Instructive Art Program
Since microorganisms are, by definition, invisible to the naked eye, it becomes ever more important to allow visualization of these organisms and their life processes. Various types of art styles are used to bring concepts to life. These include:
Overview figures simplify complex interactions. Image pathways help students to
follow the progression of a discussion over several pages.
Process figures include step-by-step descriptions and include supporting text so that
the figure walks through a compact summary of important steps.
Combination figures combine the features that can be illustrated by an artist with
the appearance of organisms in the real world.
Stunning micrographs are used generously throughout the text.
Unmatched Clinical Coverage
Evans Roberts, Jr., a licensed and board certified physician, ensures that clinical coverage is accurate, modern, and instructive to those planning to enter health careers. The treatment of infectious diseases, organized by human body systems, is supported with generous use of photographs, summary tables, case histories, and critical thinking questions. Elements of this coverage include:
Consistent coverage of all diseases including symptoms, pathogenesis,
epidemiology, prevention and treatment.
Case studies that relate basic science to actual clinical situations
Disease Summaries for each major disease that feature a drawing of a human
showing symptoms, portals of entry and exit, location of pathology, and a step-by-
step description of the infection process.
Modern coverage of topics such as emerging diseases, nosocomial infections, and
new vaccines.
Dedicated chapters on wound infections and HIV.
Learning System
The Nester text actively challenges students to think critically by providing several avenues of practice in analyzing data, synthesizing information, drawing conclusions, interpreting graphs, and applying concepts to practical situations. Examples can be found in the Applications, the Critical Thinking Questions, and the blue questions in the section Microchecks.
Students are engaged with topics covered in the unique series of boxes within each chapter:
A Glimpse of History boxes present engaging accounts of research strategies and historic breakthroughs of how individual scientists have developed the science of microbiology. This feature is supported by the Interactive Timeline on the Student Online Learning Center.
Perspective boxes focus on how microbes play an important (although largely unnoticed) role in our health, our environment, our relationships and our future. Topics range from how our diet can help fight viral infections to how we can create disposable diapers that will decompose in a landfill.
Future Challenges boxes point to the road ahead and suggest how microbiologists will be instrumental in solving critical problems like emerging diseases, resistance to antibiotics, new vaccines, etc.
New to the Fourth Edition
Coverage has been updated throughout the text to reflect the rapid and sometimes surprising growth in the field of microbiology. This effort is particularly evident in chapters covering the innate immune response (chapter 15) and the adaptive immune response (chapter 16) and reflects the latest thoughts on how the immune system protects us from infectious disease.
Some coverage has been simplified in this edition, particularly in the areas of genetics and biotechnology. More emphasis has been given to applications of basic biotechnology in chapter 9 and to basic microbiology in chapter 31 on environmental microbiology.
New summary tables have been added throughout the text to provide students with a concise summarization of complex information. A few examples of new tables include:
Chapter 3: comparison of Gram-positive and Gram-negative cell walls
Chapter 6: comparison of photosynthetic mechanisms
Chapter 9: list of recombinant DNA technologies and their applications
Chapter 15: innate defense mechanisms
Coverage of helminths has largely been moved from the text to the Online Learning Center.
Several chapters have been extensively revised, restructured, and updated to provide students with the most modern coverage available in a concise, easy-to-read presentation. These include:
Chapter 6: Metabolism: Fueling Cell Growth
Chapter 9: Biotechnology and Recombinant DNA
Chapters 15 & 16: The Innate Immune Response and The Adaptive Immune Response
Chapter 19: Host-Microbe Interactions
Chapter 30: Microbes and the Environment
For more information about content revisions, see the Preface provided through the Online Learning Center.
Supplements
Significant improvements were made in the supplements provided for instructors with the fourth edition of Microbiology: A Human Perspective. To learn more about the Digital Content Manager, and Instructor's Testing and Resource CD-ROM, and other assets, see the list of supplements provided through the Online Learning Center.
2004