Microbiology for Earth Scientists
Matthew F. Kirk, Kansas State University
Copyright Year:
Last Update: 2024
ISBN 13: 9781944548513
Publisher: New Prairie Press
Language: English
Formats Available
Conditions of Use
Attribution-NonCommercial
CC BY-NC
Reviews
The book does not effectively cover all aspects. It lacks details on some aspects. The focus was much on bacteria and viruses with much less on fungi, especially in Part 1, No. 3. The index and glossary are pretty appropriate read more
The book does not effectively cover all aspects. It lacks details on some aspects. The focus was much on bacteria and viruses with much less on fungi, especially in Part 1, No. 3. The index and glossary are pretty appropriate
The content is accurate and unbiased
The book is unarguably relevant. It is quite easy to read and understand. Moving and learning the content written in parts is easy at a glance
The content in the book is clear and easy to follow especially for someone with little or basic knowledge of microbiology
There were no variations in the terminologies used in the books. The framework and description of terms are just appropriate for basic understanding
The sections and subsections in the book look great. However, it would be better if it had come in Chapters
The organization needs significant improvement. The book was presented largely as some sort of combined reviewed work. However, putting it in chapters, sections, and subsections will make it more attractive to the general audience and readers. The pages need to be justified
Some of the images in the book need to be presented with a higher resolution. For instance, the Figure 3.4. References did come with blue hyperlinks which makes it a bit distractive
The grammar in the book is extremely great
The book does not touch on culture
The book looks great overall. It will serve its intended purpose even though constant review is desirable to cover most parts of microbiology
Table of Contents
- Preface
- Part 1: Microbes and Microbial Reactions
- Part 2: Environmental Controls on Microorganisms
- Part 3: Impacts of Microbial Activities
- Apendix A: Thermodynamic Data for Select Reactions
- Table of Figures
Ancillary Material
Submit ancillary resourceAbout the Book
Microorganisms are the most abundant form of life on Earth and in recent decades it has become increasingly clear that their collective activities are one of the dominant forces shaping the Earth.
This book provides earth scientists with an introduction to microbiology and a look at the ways microorganisms are important to their area of expertise. The first part of this book summarizes some basic information about microorganisms, including a discussion of their diversity, physical properties, and metabolisms. From there, the second and third portions of the book are organized around the two-way interactions between microorganisms and their environments. The second portion of the book considers the ways that environmental conditions help determine distributions of microbial activity, including chapters focused on thermodynamic, kinetic, and biological factors. The third and final portion of the book examines the impacts of microbes on their environments. These impacts are placed within the context of earth system science, with chapters focused on impacts to the lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. In these chapters, emphasis is placed on microbial impacts to greenhouse gas levels and the quality of water resources, underscoring the relevance of microbiology to environmental concerns of keen interest in the earth science community and beyond.
This book is specifically designed for earth science students and can provide a helpful free resource for students in Geomicrobiology courses. However, portions of the book can also have value for students and professionals from any field who are interested in environmental microbiology.
About the Contributors
Author
Matthew F. Kirk, Kansas State University