Note: Front cover -- Medical Microbiology -- Copyright page -- Preface -- Sources of Electronic Information -- Contributors -- Table of Contents -- 1 Microbial Biology -- 1 Microbiology and medicine -- An outline history of microbiology and infection -- Micro-organisms and infection -- Hygiene, treatment and prevention of infection -- Sources and spread of infection -- Recommended reading -- Websites -- 2 Morphology and nature of micro-organisms -- Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells -- Anatomy of the bacterial cell -- Bacterial nucleoid -- Ribosomes -- Cytoplasmic membrane -- Cell wall -- Extracellular polysaccharides: capsules, microcapsules and loose slime -- S-layers -- Flagella and motility -- Fimbriae and pili -- Importance of microbial surface structures in infection -- The bacterial 'life cycle' -- Bacterial spores -- Conidia (exospores) -- Pleomorphism and involution -- Spheroplasts, protoplasts and L-forms -- The nature and composition of viruses -- Structure -- Viral nucleic acid -- Virion enzymes -- Viral proteins -- Viroids, defective viruses and prions -- Recommended reading -- Websites -- 3 Classification, identification and typing of micro-organisms -- Taxonomy -- Methods of classification -- Adansonian or numerical classification -- DNA composition -- DNA homology -- Ribosomal RNA sequencing -- Classification in clinical practice -- Protozoa -- Fungi -- Bacteria -- Actinobacteria -- Firmicutes -- Proteobacteria -- Bacteroidetes -- Spirochaetales -- Chlamydiae -- Viruses -- Identification of micro-organisms -- Microscopy -- Cultural characteristics -- Biochemical reactions -- Indirect identification methods -- Gene-targeted analyses -- Antibody reactions -- Latex agglutination -- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay -- Haemagglutination and haemadsorption -- Fluorescence microscopy and immunofluorescence -- Immuno-polymerase chain reaction. , Typing of bacteria -- Biotyping -- Serotyping -- Phage typing -- Bacteriocin typing -- Protein typing -- Restriction endonuclease typing -- Gene probe typing -- Polymerase chain reaction typing -- Multilocus sequence typing -- Variable number tandem repeat analysis -- Whole genome based typing -- Recommended reading -- Websites -- 4 Bacterial growth, physiology and death -- Bacterial growth -- Types of growth -- Growth phases in broth culture -- Media for bacterial growth -- Media used for isolation and identification of pathogens -- Selective and indicator media -- Media for laboratory studies -- Bacterial physiology -- Nutritional types -- Physical conditions required for growth -- Growth atmosphere -- Growth temperature -- Extremophiles -- Bacterial metabolism -- Adaptive responses in bacteria -- Bacterial defence against noxious chemicals -- Bacterial viability -- Bacterial death -- Sterilization and disinfection -- Key definitions -- Sterilization. -- Disinfection. -- Antisepsis. -- Methods used in sterilization and disinfection -- Heat. -- Ionizing radiation. -- Filtration. -- Gaseous chemical agents. -- Liquid chemical agents. -- Choice of method -- Measurement of microbial death -- D value -- Resistance to sterilization and disinfection -- Sterilization by moist heat -- Sterilization by dry heat -- Disinfection by chemicals -- Recommended reading -- Websites -- 5 Antimicrobial agents -- Antibacterial agents -- Inhibitors of bacterial cell wall synthesis -- β-Lactam agents -- Penicillins. -- Cephalosporins. -- Other β-lactam agents. -- Glycopeptides -- Other inhibitors of bacterial cell wall synthesis -- Inhibitors of bacterial protein synthesis -- Tetracyclines -- Chloramphenicol -- Aminoglycosides -- Macrolides -- Lincosamides -- Fusidic acid -- Linezolid -- Streptogramins -- Mupirocin -- Inhibitors of nucleic acid synthesis. , Sulphonamides and diaminopyrimidines -- Quinolones -- Nitroimidazoles -- Nitrofurans -- Rifamycins -- Miscellaneous antibacterial agents -- Polymyxins -- Daptomycin -- Antimycobacterial agents -- Antifungal agents -- Antiviral agents -- Nucleoside analogues -- Inhibitors of herpesvirus DNA polymerases -- Other inhibitors of viral RNA or DNA synthesis -- Non-nucleoside anti-herpes agents -- Agents that block viral uncoating -- Neuraminidase inhibitors -- Interferons -- Antiretroviral agents -- Nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors -- Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors -- HIV protease inhibitors -- HIV fusion inhibitors -- HIV entry inhibitors -- HIV integrase inhibitors -- Antiparasitic agents -- Antimicrobial sensitivity tests -- Antibacterial agents -- Antiviral agents -- Phenotypic assays -- Genotypic assays -- Assay of antimicrobial drugs -- Recommended reading -- Websites -- 6 Bacterial genetics -- Genetic organization and regulation of the bacterial cell -- Processes leading to protein synthesis -- Gene regulation -- Mutation -- Phenotypic variation -- Types of mutation -- Gene transfer -- Transformation -- Conjugation -- Mobilization of chromosomal genes by conjugation -- Transduction -- Lysogenic conversion -- Plasmids -- Properties encoded by plasmids -- Plasmid classification -- Plasmid epidemiology and distribution -- Transposons, integrons and genomic islands -- Genetic mapping -- Genetic basis of antibiotic resistance -- Intrinsic resistance -- Acquired resistance -- Chromosomal mutations -- Transferable antibiotic resistance -- Control of antibiotic resistance -- Applications of molecular genetics -- Specific gene probes -- Nucleic acid amplification technology -- Real-time amplification -- Molecular typing of micro-organisms -- Genomics -- Recommended reading -- Websites -- 7 Virus-cell interactions. , The cytolytic or cytocidal growth cycle -- Attachment (adsorption) -- Entry (penetration) -- Uncoating -- Synthesis of viral components -- Class 1: Double-stranded DNA viruses -- Class 2: Single-stranded DNA viruses -- Class 3: Double-stranded RNA viruses -- Class 4: '+' single-stranded RNA viruses -- Class 5: '−' single-stranded RNA viruses -- Class 6: Retroviruses -- Class 7: Partial double-stranded DNA viruses -- Assembly and release -- Microscopy of infected cells -- Non-cytocidal productive infections -- Abortive (non-productive) infections -- Temperature-sensitive mutants -- Defective interfering particles -- Abortive infections maintained by interferons -- Latency -- Transformation -- Recommended reading -- Websites -- 2 Infection and Immunity -- 8 Immunological principles: -- General properties of antigens -- Antigenic determinants -- Antigenic specificity -- Immunoglobulins -- Antibody structure -- IgG -- IgA -- IgM -- IgD -- IgE -- Antigen binding -- Antibody diversity -- Immunoglobulin variability -- Secreted and membrane immunoglobulins -- Antibody function -- Neutralization -- Complement activation -- Cell binding and opsonization -- Antigen recognition -- B cell receptor -- T cell receptor -- Major histocompatibility complex -- Gene organization -- MHC antigen structure and distribution -- Function -- Recommended reading -- Website -- 9 Innate and acquired immunity -- The immune system -- Lymphoid cells -- Myeloid cells -- Mononuclear phagocytes -- Granulocytes -- Neutrophils. -- Eosinophils. -- Basophils. -- Platelets -- Innate immunity -- Features of innate immunity -- Determinants of innate immunity -- Species and strains -- Individual differences and influence of age -- Hormonal influences and sex -- Nutritional factors -- Mechanisms of innate immunity -- Mechanical barriers and surface secretions -- Humoral defence mechanisms. , Lysozyme -- Basic polypeptides -- Acute-phase proteins -- Interferon -- Complement -- Classical pathway -- Alternative pathway -- Regulation -- Membrane attack complex -- Functions -- Cells -- Phagocytes -- Chemotaxis -- Phagocytosis -- Natural killer (NK) cells -- Eosinophils -- Temperature -- Inflammation -- Acquired immunity -- Tissues involved in immune reactions -- Development of the immune system -- Lymphocyte trafficking -- Clonal selection -- Cellular activation -- Thymus-independent antigens -- Thymus-dependent antigens -- Antigen processing and presentation -- T cell activation -- B cell activation -- Humoral immunity -- Synthesis of antibody -- Monoclonal antibodies -- Cell-mediated immunity -- Cell-mediated cytotoxicity -- Cytotoxic T lymphocytes -- MHC-unrestricted cytotoxic cells -- Lytic mechanism -- Lymphokine production -- Role of macrophages -- Generation of immune responses -- Control of immune responses -- Role of antigen -- Role of antibody -- Regulatory T cells -- Tolerance -- Immunodeficiency -- Defective innate defence mechanisms -- Defective acquired immune defence mechanisms -- Primary immunodeficiencies -- Secondary immunodeficiencies -- Hypersensitivity -- Type I: anaphylactic -- Type II: cytotoxic -- Type III: immune complex -- Type IV: cell-mediated or delayed -- Autoimmunity -- Recommended reading -- Websites -- 10 Immunity in viral infections -- The response to viral infections -- Interferons -- Acquired immunity -- Humoral immunity -- Cell-mediated immunity -- Induction of an immune response -- Immunopathology -- Antigenic variation -- Persistence of virus -- Vaccines -- Recommended reading -- Website -- 11 Parasitic infections: -- Pathogenic mechanisms -- Mechanical tissue damage -- Physiological effects -- Tissue damage -- Immune defence mechanisms -- Innate defences -- Macrophages -- Granulocytes -- Mast cells. , Platelets.