Chapter 1
A new discussion about the subject of evolution has been added.
The tree of life was expanded to a “web of life” based on new findings.
Chapter 2
A new Insight reading on the periodic table is now included.
The chapter has been updated with a new emphasis on the regulatory RNAs.
Chapter 3
The presentation on magnification, resolution, and contrast has been improved.
The different types of microscopes are more clearly illustrated and compared side-by-side in a new table (Table 3.5).
Chapter 4
Sixteen pieces of art in this chapter have been updated or improved.
The use of the terms bacterium versus prokaryote has been clarified.
Chapter 5
The concept of Last Common Ancestor is introduced, based on the newest research on the evolutionary history of prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Information about the cytoskeleton has been revised from two fiber types to three (actin filaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments).
The figure illustrating the eukaryotic cell now includes the prokaryotic cell for comparison.
The discussion on the taxonomy of protists has been updated.
Chapter 6
The ubiquity of viruses and their role in the biosphere and evolution receives significant attention.
The discussion of different viral replication strategies has been greatly improved.
The discussion of cancer and viruses has been expanded.
The bacteriophage life cycle illustration now includes the lysogenic and lytic phases in one illustration.
Chapter 7
The order of presenting diffusion versus osmosis has been switched for better presentation.
The facilitated diffusion figure has been improved.
A large section of text and accompanying figures about biofilms and quorum sensing has been added.
The binary fission figure has been updated to reflect current research findings.
Chapter 8
An illustration about activation energy has been added to this chapter.
A new visual icon based on the first overview figure in the chapter has been included with several later figures to help students better understand where each of the later figures fits in “the big picture.”
The Krebs Cycle illustration has been moved out of a boxed reading and into the main text.
The illustrations of the electron transport system have been greatly improved, and prokaryotes are now emphasized over eukaryotes.
Chapter 9
The phrase horizontal gene transfer is now used to describe transformation, transduction, and conjugation, and the significance of this phenomenon for eukaryotic development is discussed.
Content on phase variation and pathogenicity islands has been added.
A new Insight reading about the virulence of Salmonella in space and how it relates to earth infections has been added.
Chapter 10
More emphasis has been put on automated versus manual sequencing.
A new section on synthetic biology has been added.
More information on siRNAs and gene silencing techniques as therapeutic interventions is now included.
Information on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human genome was added.
The discussion on microarray analysis has been improved.
The section on ethical issues has been expanded.
Chapter 11
Osmotic pressure as a control measure has been included in this chapter.
Chapter 12
Information on the fifth generation of cephalosporins is now included.
More information about the efficacy of antibiotics in biofilm infections has been added.
A new table (Table 12.3) about the spectrum of activity of various antibacterials has been added.
The possibility of phage therapy is now included in this chapter.
The role of bystander microbes in harboring antibiotic resistance has been added.
Chapter 13
This chapter was updated with a discussion of the Human Microbiome Project, which is revolutionizing the idea of normal biota.
A new discussion of the role of stress hormones on the expression of pathogenicity genes in bacteria is now in this chapter.
A new figure summarizing the path to disease (Figure 13.8) has been added.
The section on epidemiology has been improved.
Chapter 14
The chapter now addresses the difference between non-self antigens that are pathogenic and non-self antigens that are commensal, and how that trains the immune response.
Content on pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) has been added to the discussion of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs).
The nonspecific immune system has been reorganized into four sections: inflammation, phagocytosis, fever, and antimicrobial proteins.
Chapter 15
The content has been restructured so it is easier to follow (sections were renamed after the flowchart that appears at the beginning of the chapter).
New information on TH17 cells and T regulatory cells has been included.
New information on CD3 molecules as part of the T-cell receptor has been added.
The “types of vaccines” have been reordered to a much more logical format.
An Insight reading about the anti-vaccination movement has been added.
Chapter 16
The first illustration in this chapter and the organization of disorders have been rearranged and improved for better clarity.
It has been made more apparent that autoimmune diseases fit into multiple “Types of Hypersensitivities” sections by the reorganization of content in these sections.
Chapter 17
The section on genotyping has been updated. For example, the PNA-FISH technique is now included.
The discussion of specificity and sensitivity has been improved.
Information about imaging in microbial diagnosis has been added.
Chapter 18
New, paradigm-shifting data from the Human Microbiome Project about normal biota have been added to this chapter.
A discussion regarding the current thought that antimicrobial peptides are a major skin defense has also been included.
Chapter 20
CMV has been removed as a cause of infectious mononucleosis reflecting new data; similarly, HTLV-II has been removed as a cause of Hairy Cell Leukemia.
A section on Chikungunya virus hemorrhagic fever has been added.
Important new data on vaccine failure and also success for HIV, including a new approach that some say could eliminate HIV, have been included.
Chapter 21
More emphasis has been put on polymicrobial diseases in the respiratory tract.
A section on an important new cause of pharyngitis has been added.
A separate note about “emerging pneumonias” has been added; the information on SARS has been moved out of the main pneumonia table and included with this category, along with the new adenovirus pneumonias, reflecting the relative importance of these infections.
A new Insight reading linking the timeline of influenza pandemics with historical events has been added.
Chapter 22
New material on normal biota in the stomach has been added.
A discussion regarding the link between oral biota and heart disease has been included.
A new Insight reading on the possible microbial cause of Crohn’s disease appears.
Chapter 23
New information about the different biota (and infection consequences) of circumcised versus uncircumcised men is now included.
A “Note” box explaining the confusing world of STD statistics has been added.
A discussion on parents' fears about the HPV vaccine has been included.
Chapter 24
This chapter was significantly rewritten to incorporate genomic findings of new microbes in the environment.
New findings about viruses and genes in the ocean are also included.
Chapter 25
The section on water contamination has been moved from chapter 24 to this chapter.
Chapter headings were changed to be more logical to the reader.
Information about algal biofuels has been added.