Can I read Microcosm : E. Coli and the New Science of Life on EtoBox?

Microcosm : E. Coli and the New Science of Life by Zimmer, Carl is a science book available to read on EtoBox.

What is Microcosm : E. Coli and the New Science of Life about?

From Publishers Weekly When most readers hear the words *E. coli*, they think tainted hamburger or toxic spinach. Noted science writer Zimmer says there are in fact many different strains of *E. coli*, some coexisting quite happily with us in our digestive tracts. These rod-shaped bacteria were among the first organisms to have their genome mapped, and today they are the toolbox of the genetic engineering industry and even of high school scientists. Zimmer (*Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea*) explains that by scrutinizing the bacteria's genome, scientists have discovered that genes can jump from one species to another and how virus DNA has become tightly intertwined with the genes of living creatures all the way up the tree of life to humans. Studying starving *E. coli* has taught us about how our own cells age. Advocates of intelligent design often produce the *E. coli* flagellum as Exhibit A, but the author shows how new research has shed light on the possible evolutionary arc of the flagellum. Zimmer devotes a chapter to the ethical debates surrounding genetic engineering. Written in elegant, even poetic prose, Zimmer's well-crafted exploration should be required reading for a

Who reads Microcosm : E. Coli and the New Science of Life?

Author

Zimmer, Carl

Publisher

Pantheon; Pantheon Books

Published

2008

Language

EN

ISBN

9780434016242

Category

science

Subjects

History, Biology, Science

Rating

4.12 / 5 (957 ratings)

Updated

2026-03-14