Course Description:

None

Required Materials:

Textbook: Introduction to Microbiology, Third Edition by John L. Ingraham and Catherine J. Ingraham. Thompson, Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Lab manual: Microbiology for the Health Care Sciences (Fourth Edition), Frank A. Hartley, Walter Hoeksema, and Michael Ryan. Kendall/Hunt Publishing.

Other supplies: Cloth lab coat, marking pen (sharpie), Quizdom Q4 Student remote clicker. Optional materials include a set of colored pencils and a wax pencil for the laboratory.

Learning Objectives:

• Microbial Diversity: Give examples of and compare and contrast different types of microbial cells (including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa). Identify cell structures and define their functions.
  
  
• Microbial Metabolism: Explain the various metabolic strategies employed by microbes. Know how metabolism is linked to environmental cycling of elements and pathogenesis.
  
  
• Microbial Genetics: Describe basic concepts involving of how genetic information flows in microbial cells. Detail the importance of mutation, recombination, and lateral genetic exchange in virulence.
  
  
• Antimicrobial Agents: Distinguish between chemical, physical, and biological means of controlling microbial growth. Decide which means would be most appropriate when given a hypothetical scenario.
  
  
• Immunity: Summarize and diagram the interrelated systems of the host immune defenses. Differentiate between the innate, humoral, and cellular defenses and identify points of interaction. Explain how inappropriate immune responses can result in host damage.
  
  
• Host-Microbe Interactions: Compare the different interactions possible between host and microbial cells. Describe several different molecular strategies employed by microbial pathogens and give several specific examples of each.
  
  
• Global View: Develop an understanding of how microbes affect life on Earth both in health and disease.
  
  
• Microbiology Techniques: Correctly perform proper laboratory skills and display a habit of good laboratory practices that extend to the students’ homes. This will include a demonstrated ability to isolate microbes from mixed cultures and successfully passage pure cultures from solid and liquid media. Students should also be able to perform simple and differential stains on isolates and properly use compound light microscopes to visualize and describe microbial cell morphologies.
  
  
• Critical Thinking: Accurately follow instructions and collect data based upon observations from laboratory exercises or clinical case studies. Plot data when appropriate and interpret any trends. Make inferences and predictions based upon these interpretations.
  
  
• Communication: Demonstrate an ability to work in group settings and exchange ideas concerning course-related topics. Read, write, and speak about Microbiology with classmates and members of the community.

Most Current Syllabus:

A copy of my most recent syllabus for this course (which outlines the class policies and describes all graded materials) can be accessed here as at PDF file. Future syllabi may differ substantially.

Course Materials:

Course information is available on WebCT. These resources are required to complete many of the assignments that are due this semester. The site contains many different resources to aid in efforts to learn about microbiology. These include:A search tool to allow you to find material in the site.

• Syllabus A PDF copy of the syllabus and the class policies
  
  
• Lecture This includes additional lecture resources such as outlines, PDF copies of the lecture slides for your note-taking convenience, HTML lecture study guides, an interactive slideshow with larger graphics, and links to additional information from lecture and other internet sites. These ancillary materials should not be regarded as a replacement for class attendance and textbook reading.
  
  
• Laboratory Additional laboratory materials will include extra figures and photographs of laboratory experiments and lab write-up assignments that will involve group work.
  
  
• Resources Other additional resources may include reproductions of acetate overheads from lecture and links to important web-based resources.
  
  
• Calendar A calendar of all course assignments and deadlines is available here.
  
  
• Assignments Descriptions, instructions, and deadlines for the three writing assignments will be made available here. You will submit your work electronically here as well.
  
  
• Quizzes A series of on-line multiple-choice quizzes will be made available. You will receive class credit for your first submission. You can also retake them for practice and review.
  
  
• Grades This gives you on-line access to your current course grades. I will constantly update the number of points you have earned, your current percent score, and current letter grade.
  
  
• E-mail This is an e-mail interface to contact me about the class. It is different from iMail, Lotus Notes, and other email programs. You should forward your mail from here to your preferred email account.
  
  
• Discussion A bulletin board for on-line class discussions. I will post course announcements here as well as answer any questions or comments that you might post.
  
  
• Glossary An extensive glossary of terms used during the semester (over 600 to date). These will be linked to other pages with in the site.
  
  
• Search A search tool to allow you to find material in the site.