This book provides a rare window into the amazing, varied, and often beautiful world of viruses. Contrary to popular belief, not all viruses are bad for you. In fact, several are beneficial to their hosts, and many are crucial to the health of our planet. Virus offers an unprecedented look at 101 microbes that infect all branches of life on Earth -- from humans and other animals to insects, plants, fungi, and bacteria.
Featuring hundreds of color images throughout, this guide begins with a lively and informative introduction to virology. Here readers can learn about the history of this unique science, how viruses are named, how their genes work, how they copy and package themselves, how they interact with their hosts, how immune systems counteract viruses, and how viruses travel from host to host. The concise entries that follow highlight important or interesting facts about each virus.
An Illustrated Guide to 101 Incredible Microbes
by Marilyn J. Roossinck
Princeton University Press, 2016
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