Introduction to GeomicrobiologyISBN: 978-0-632-05454-1
Paperback
440 pages
October 2006, Wiley-Blackwell
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Introduction to Geomicrobiology is a timely and
comprehensive overview of how microbial life has affected
Earth’s environment through time. It shows how the ubiquity
of microorganisms, their high chemical reactivity, and their
metabolic diversity make them a significant factor controlling the
chemical composition of our planet.
The following topics are covered:
- how microorganisms are classified, the physical constraints
governing their growth, molecular approaches to studying microbial
diversity, and life in extreme environments
- bioenergetics, microbial metabolic capabilities, and major
biogeochemical pathways
- chemical reactivity of the cell surface, metal sorption, and
the microbial role in contaminant mobility and
bioremediation/biorecovery
- microbiological mineral formation and fossilization
- the function of microorganisms in mineral dissolution and
oxidation, and the industrial and environmental ramifications of
these processes
- elemental cycling in biofilms, formation of microbialites, and
sediment diagenesis
- the events that led to the emergence of life, evolution of metabolic processes, and the diversification of the biosphere.
Artwork from the book is available to instructors at www.blackwellpublishing.com/konhauser.