How Do Microorganisms Become Dangerous Pathogens

This is the eBook version of the printed book.

This Element is an excerpt from Germs, Genes, & Civilization: How Epidemics Shaped Who We Are Today (9780137019960) by David P. Clark. Available in print and digital formats.

Meet the “opportunists”: the microbes that are poised on the edge of invading you right now.

Consider disease from the microbe’s viewpoint. Infectious agents vary greatly in t...