The Physiology and Biochemistry of Prokaryotes

By David White, Clay Fuqua, James T. Drummond, et al.

Book Overview

The third edition of The Physiology and Biochemistry of Prokaryotes covers the basic principles of prokaryotic physiology, biochemistry, and cell behavior. It presents microbial metabolism in the context of the chemical and physical problems that cells must solve in order to grow.

Written in a clear, straightforward manner, the book provides a modern perspective on the diversity of microorganisms, and an updated account of the major aspects prokaryotes, such as cell structure, metabolism, developmental biology, environmental adaptation, biofilm formation, and cellular signaling pathways. It is organized according to topic rather than by organism, therefore helping students understand the general principles of physiology and metabolism. Each chapter ends with thought-provoking study questions, a summary, and an extensive list of references to outside research literature students may go to for more information and detailed explanations of material in the text.

The Physiology and Biochemistry of Prokaryotes, Third Edition, is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on microbial physiology of bacterial metabolism. It can be used in conjunction with a laboratory manual, Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory: A Quantitative Approach, by David White and George D. Hegeman.

Features of the Third Edition
BLIncludes New Material on: Cell Division, Cell-Cell Signaling, Cell Development, Biofilm Formation
BLContains boxed asides that cite interesting historical information about important discoveries and notable people in the field from the 19th Century to the 1960s

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195301684
• ISBN13: 9780195301687
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 656 Pages
• Weight: 2.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.2" x 1.2" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

Excellent!

The book was new and I was happy to receive it on time! I recommend it to other people that want to buy it and need it fast.

satisfactory purchase

The book is indeed in good condition, few notes taken. The pages are clean and like brand-new. The seller was fast in response to my questions. And the order arrives pretty fast, in two days. Overall, vary satisfactory with the purchase. BTW, this is a pretty readable book!

Old School vs. New School Bacterial Metabolism

As the review title suggests, I come from the old school of studying bacterial metabolism. My choice, still all these years after grad school and years of research & work, is H.W. Doelle's Bacterial Metabolism (unfortunately out of print). However, I discovered White's text while visiting the University of Oklahoma 2 years ago (the 2nd edition). The 3rd edition is an improvement with better diagrams and drawings. The collection of symbols and equations at the front of the book is very usefull with having it all in one place. However, Doelle'a approach is in some ways more stimulating with the first 2 chapters dealing with the thermodynamics, enzymology, and growth kinetics immediately. If you are weak in the areas of bacterial structures and dynamics, White gives an excellent approach to all of the cellur structures of prokaryotes. Doelle on the other hand concentrates exclusively on the actual chemistry of bacterial metabolism. Another strength of White is his introduction to solute & protein transportation. Along with this, White's final 2 chapters on adaptation and environmental stress response are very valuable additions. Without White's approach to increasing the reader's understanding the environment and its impact on the microbe, the study of metabolism is only an esoteric exercise. One of my major frustrations with White's work was the lack of extensive references of the various metabolic pathways and types with specific genus and/or species of bacteria. It is left up to the reader to find alternate sources for this application. Doelle, on the other hand, provides copious references. In the end, I believe White's work to be a central addition to the understanding and manipulation of the microbial metabolic processes. With the microbial world being "our enemy - our friend," White's work will go along way in helping us fragile humans to compete and coexist with this diverse group that co-inhabits this singular orb with us.

An Essential Microbiology Reference

This is an excellent resource for biochemical pathways, relationships, and diagrams of prokaryotic physiology. The written material is particularly lucid, which is greatly appreciated. While the diagrams are simple and in black-and-white print, their reduced complexity lends clarity to the concepts illustrated. I highly recommend this book to anyone in the microbial sciences at the upper-undergraduate level and beyond.