Swimming in a
Sea of Microbes
Introduction

P
eople do not realize how often they come into contact
with bacteria and viruses. These microscopic
organisms are in the air, on the surface of this book,
and inside people’s bodies digesting their last meal.
Most people do not fully appreciate that microbes are
responsible for the oxygen they breathe, the healthy
vegetables on the kitchen table, the pungent cheese in
the refrigerator, the clean clothes in the closet, and the
clean water coming through the plumbing. Every aspect
of people’s lives and every part of the natural
world is affected, for better or worse, by the actions of
bacteria and viruses.
And the worst comes in the form of disease. Even
though the overwhelming majority of the encounters
with microbes go unnoticed, people are quick to respond
when a run-in gives them a runny nose, fever,
upset stomach, or more severe symptoms. Some bacteria
and viruses cause such pain and devastation that
they become headline news. Every year novel microbes
are discovered and new infectious diseases emerge. It
is not big news when a new bacterium is discovered
living harmlessly in the soil, but it is broadcast when
a virus mysteriously crops up out of nowhere and kills
unsuspecting victims.
Devamı...
Şifre:''www.forumfood.net''