Encyclopedia of Genetics, Genelogy and Bioinformatics,6 Volume Set Roger S. Sterling

Microbiology as a science has expanded by leaps and bounds in the past few decades. This has resulted in the emergences of several application in its domain, therefore, a student of microbiology faces an uphill task to sort out the essentials from the details found in several voluminous textbooks presently flooding in the market. Microbiology has had a long, rich history, initially centered in the causes of infectious diseases but now including practical applications of the science. Many individuals have made significant contributions to the development of microbiology. Food microbiology is the study of the microorganisms that inhabit, create, or contaminate food. Of major importance is the study of microorganisms causing food spoilage. "Good" bacteria, however, such as probiotics, are becoming increasingly important in food science. In addition, microorganisms are essential for the production of foods such as cheese, yogurt, other fermented foods, bread, beer and wine. Immunology is the sub-discipline that deals with the study of the immune system. It has been one of the most important areas of study since the 18th Century whose efforts are directed towards enhancing the immune system to protect the body from diseases. Environmental microbiology is the study of the composition and physiology of microbial communities in the environment. The environment in this case means the soil, water, air and sediments covering the planet and can also include the animals and plants that inhabit these areas. Environmental microbiology also includes the study of microorganisms that exist in artificial environments such as bioreactors. The students of microbiology at present are required to consult a large number of books to grapple with the subject and, therefore, the form and details of this book have been given in order to give them basic understanding of the subjects.