Molecular Genetics of Bacteria [Hardcover]

Larry Snyder (Author), Wendy Champness (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2003 | ISBN-10: 155581204X | ISBN-13: 978-1555812041 | Edition: 2 Sub

"Molecular Genetics of Bacteria" fulfills the need for a comprehensive, primary textbook in bacterial genetics. It is ideally suited as a textbook for advanced undergraduate level courses and as background reading for graduate level courses. It is also recommended reading for scientists in all fields of biology, many of which depend upon the concepts and techniques covered in this book. While the book concentrates on the necessity of the bacterium Escherichia coli, about which most is known, it also uses examples from other bacteria as appropriate. The material in each chapter has been substantially updated to reflect exciting developments in the field of bacterial molecular genetics and its relationship to other fields, including eukaryotic cell biology and development. Recent years have been a period of consolidation in biology with many seemingly diverse areas being discovered to be different manifestations of the same phenomenon; these relationships have been emphasized. It has also been a period of major technical advances, including genomics and microarrays, which are also covered in the book. The second edition retains the same organization and style as the first edition, and the order of presentation of the topics has been largely unchanged as this order was popular with most instructors using the textbook. As before, each chapter contains a chapter summary, a set of discussion questions to encourage speculation, problems (with answers), and suggested readings, all of which are updated to reflect advances in the field. It also retains the use of boxes to present related material of interest to each topic without breaking the continuity of the text. The second edition will continue to serve as an important text for all courses in bacterial molecular genetics and as background for courses in molecular biology and biotechnology. New to the second edition: substantially updated to reflect developments in the field of bacterial molecular genetics; chapters begin with descriptive treatment of each topic and end with more technical molecular genetic experiments the led to the knowledge; and new chapter on molecular genetic applications in bacteria, including genetic studies of sporulation, bacterial development, and protein translocation.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Key Features and Benefits
* Each chapter includes a concise end-of-chapter summary of the material covered
* Incorporates text boxes that introduce readers to exciting developments and related topics of interest
* Provides thought questions, problems, and suggested reading lists at the conclusion of each chapter that test student comprehension and encourage further research
* Written by only two authors, both of whom are specialists in the field and who have significant experience teaching the subject of bacterial molecular genetics
* Integrates biochemical, genomic, and structural information that broadens the knowledge obtained from molecular genetics
* Focuses on the most widely studied bacteria, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, but incorporates many examples from other bacteria of medical, ecological, and biotechnological importance --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Authors: Larry Snyder, Michigan State University, USA Wendy Champness, Michigan State University, USA --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 566 pages
• Publisher: ASM Press; 2 Sub edition (January 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155581204X
• ISBN-13: 978-1555812041
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #748,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Medical Books > Basic Sciences > Bacteriology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, March 25, 2004

By 

Brian Ferris (Lubbock, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Molecular Genetics of Bacteria (Hardcover)

This is an excellent and in-depth presentation of the molecular genetics of prokaryotes. Explanations are crystal clear throughout, and the diagrams are very well done. (Typographical errors are everywhere, but fortunately they are easy to spot and none of them are misleading.) The text can seem long at times, but the extra effort spent reading is repaid in terms of clarity. The authors are careful to insure everything is explained well. The book also covers several areas of prokaryotic biology besides molecular genetics, such as cell division, antibiotics, transport of molecules across the cell membrane, two-component signaling pathways, bacteriophages, and many others.

This is undoubtedly the best introduction to prokaryotic biology out there. Highly recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic introduction to the subject, July 31, 2005

By 

Larissa Parsley "incurable bookworm" (Alabama) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Molecular Genetics of Bacteria (Hardcover)

This is one of few college textbooks I've used that has actually HELPED me learn the course material. The book takes you from the basics (DNA structure and replication, etc.) all the way through some very complex concepts while never missing a beat. It's surprisingly readable and student-user-friendly whether you're a beginner or a certifiable gene jockey. My only complaint is the quality of the figures; some of them are very small and thus hard to read, and as one reviewer commented, they are sort of simplistic to the point of not being very thorough. Having full-color illustrations would be a big plus.

Overall, this book definitely surpasses other bacterial genetics books I've seen as far as readability and organization goes. It delivers what it promises!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very useful and informative, March 5, 2005

By 

Fred D. Mast - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Molecular Genetics of Bacteria (Hardcover)

This book is great in developing the concepts and explaining in an easy but at the same time technical way just what is involved in bacterial genetics. Teaching from the historical perspective, you really get a sense of what these researchers were faced with and just how valuable their breakthoughs were. It doesn't try to be "hip" like so many other undergraduate textbooks out there, and for that they get full credit. The figures are a little simplistic though.