Bacteria, Plasmids, and Phages

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Three distinguished teachers and researchers from Harvard Medical School here provide a concise overview of prokaryotic molecular biology. Written for medical students and advanced undergraduates, this book concentrates on the mechanisms whereby genes are expressed, replicated, and exchanged in bacteria and in their associated plasmids and viruses. A firm grounding is offered in the structure, physiology, and metabolism of bacteria, and special attention is given to applications in clinical medicine and basic biological research. Review questions in each chapter challenge the reader to more detailed inquiries, often in the context of laboratory experiments.

While the authors assume some background in general biochemical pathways, the action of enzymes, and the basic properties of macromolecules, Bacteria, Plasmids, and Phages is a lucid, manageable text—a useful primer for anyone’s first exposure to molecular biology and the emerging technology of genetic engineering.