Bøger af Perry Jacobs

Mycology refers to the branch of biology, which is related with the study of fungi along with their taxonomy, human uses, and biochemical and genetic properties. It seeks to find the uses of fungi for various purposes including food, tinder, entheogens and traditional medicine, along with the risks associated with them like infection or toxicity. Fungi play crucial roles for life on Earth as symbionts, in the form of lichens, mycorrhizae and insect symbionts. Various fungi can break down complicated organic biomolecules like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, lignin, petroleum and pollutants like xenobiotics. Fungi play an important role in the global carbon cycle through the decomposition of these molecules. The field of medical mycology has become significant in the current time, where the incidence of invasive fungal infections is on rise, which poses therapeutic and diagnostic challenges in the modern medical practice. The book studies, analyses and upholds the pillars of medical mycology and its utmost significance in modern times. It will unravel the recent studies in this field. Researchers and students engaged in medical mycology will be assisted by this book.

Fungi are the main elements in global biogeochemical cycles. They play a significant role in biomedical research and manufacturing industries, and impact humans through their influence on biodiversity, global health and agriculture. Pathogenic fungi cause disease in human beings or other organisms. Majority of the fungi do not have pathogenic traits, but certain species result in infections which range from posturing to life threating. The fungi that are pathogenic to humans, are studied within the discipline of medical mycology. Several pathogenic fungi are microorganisms despite the fact that they are eukaryotic. There are various types of pathogenic fungi including Cryptococcus, Stachybotrys, Candida, Histoplasma, Aspergillus and Pneumocystis. Cryptococcus neoformans can result in a severe form of meningitis and meningo-encephalitis in AIDS infected patients. Stachybotrys can cause severe headaches and respiratory issues. Fungal infection usually occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, skin, genital-urinary tract and respiratory tract. This book provides comprehensive insights on human fungal pathogens. Its extensive content provides the readers with a thorough understanding of the subject. This book will prove to be immensely beneficial to students and researchers in this field.