Reviews and Resources:The Amoeba in the Room (Lives of the Microbes): BOOKS

Abstract

Although most introductory biology courses offered in high school or college contain at least one session that examines microscopic organisms, Nicholas Money feels that these small organisms deserve much more attention and research support. So he passionately and expertly goes on to demonstrate that there are all sorts of fascinating and weird microbes in the earth, in the water, in the air, and even in and on our bodies. They don't just exist but have essential roles interacting intimately with each other, their environment, and the larger hosts that they inhabit. Over time these small organisms have even begun to share some or all of their genetic information, sometimes integrating their genetic information into the DNA of the host or existing as organelles within the host cell.