Microbial Inhabitants Of Humans (Their Ecology And Role In Health And Disease)

Microbial Inhabitants Of Humans (Their Ecology And Role In Health And Disease)

Microbial communities (normal indigenous microbiota) inhabit those regions of the human body that are exposed to the external environment, including the skin, eyes, oral cavity and the respiratory, urinary, reproductive and gastrointestinal tracts. Consequently, the key anatomical and physiological characteristics of each body site are described throughout this book to reveal why particular organisms are able to colonize an anatomical region. The crucial roles of the indigenous microbiota in protecting against exogenous pathogens, regulating the development of our immune system and mucosae, and providing nutrients are also discussed.Review"This book may be read very comfortably from cover-to-cover or could be used as a reference for those interested n the ecology of their favorite system...It introduces an expansive discipline that will provide a much more sophisticated approach to the microbiology of human health." JAMA"This authoritative book fills a gaping hole in the literature by describing how bacteria interrelate with us." Science Magazine"The book's strength lies in the exhaustive, clearly organized evidence that the author presents to overwhelmingly document his hypothesis. His hard-nosed look at the evidence in the area of holistic medicine will be much appreciated by the skeptic and the enthusiast alike." Science Magazine, Elaine Tuomanen"This book should be appreciated for being ahead of its time." Clinical Infectious Diseases"The book is organized logically with a clearly outlined table of contents. The text is well written, and there are abundant useful tables throughout. The index is excellent." Clinical Infectious Diseases"This book is an aerial view of exactly what the title describes and will instruct well those who want to grasp the scope of the vast and varied topic of the normal microflora." New England Journal of Medicine, Andrew G. Plaut, M.D."This text definitely makes for an interesting read and is well written, well referenced and has good diagrams, pictures and clear tables." Dr. Elizabeth McLellan, Spr. in Medical Microbiology, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield"There is a wealth of information in this text about what seems to be almost everything you'd want to know about numerous bacterial species - information one would probably be hard-pressed to gather on one's own and compile in such a clear and organized manner." Yunie Kim, Yale Journal of Biology & MedicineBook DescriptionAn advanced text on microorganisms indigenous to humans of key importance in health and disease.About the AuthorMichael Wilson is Professor of Microbiology in the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, University College London, and Head of the Department of Microbiology at the Eastman Dental Institute, University College London. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Biofilms and has co-authored or edited numerous books, including Bacterial Disease Mechanisms (2002), Bacterial Adhesion to Host Tissues (2002) and Medical Implications of Biofilms (2003).