Date Lecture Chapter Experiment No.
Jan. 18 T Introduction to Microbiology 1, 2 1, 2, 325 T Prokaryote structures 3 6, 7, 8
27 R Prokaryote structures 3
Feb. 1 T Eucaryotic cell structures 4 9,
10, 11, 12
3 R Microbial nutrition 5
8 T Microbial growth 6 13, 14, 15
10 R Microbial growth 6
15 T EXAM I 16, 17, 18, 19
17 R Control of growth 7
22 T Control of growth 7 20, 21, 44
24 R Metabolism 8
Mar. 1 T Metabolism 9
22, 23, 24, 25, 28
3 R Metabolism 9, 10
8 T Metabolism 10 26, 27, 29, 30
10 R Microbial genetics 11
15 T Microbial genetics 12 31, 32, 33, 34
17 R EXAM II conclude above before break
Spring Break
29 T Microbial genetics 13
37, 38, 48
31 R Viruses 16
April 5 T Viruses 17 38, 48
7 R Viruses 18
12 T Cellular diversity 19 38, 35, 36
14 R Prokaryote diversity 20
19 T Prokaryote diversity 21, 22 38, BioLog
21 R Pathogenicity 34
26 T Antimicrobial chemotherapy 35 42, 43,
cleanup lab
28 R Epidemiology of diseases 37 conclude above
This microbiology course is intended to introduce the student to the world of bacteria and their viruses. It is appropriate for biology majors who are interested in microbes and those who seek to further their education in the health professions. However, it is not a medical microbiology course but one that examines the diversity of microbes in the world around us, including pathogens. All students should come away with an appreciation of the role that bacteria and viruses play in our lives, in foods, the environment, and in health and disease.
At the conclusion of the laboratory portion of this course, a student should be able to: 1) demonstrate the ability to use a bright-field microscope to view and interpret slides; 2) Properly prepare slides for microbiological examination; 3) Properly use aseptic techniques; 4) Use appropriate microbiological media; 5) Estimate the numbers of microorganisms in a sample; and 6) Use standard microbiological equipment correctly. Moreover, the successful student will master four themes based on the American Society of Microbiology Core Curriculum. These are Integrating knowledge, understanding basic microbial cell biology, microbial genetics, and basic interactions between microorganisms and their hosts.
The college honor code applies to all work submitted for a grade. In cases where laboratory data is shared, the conclusions derived from that data are to be one’s own and not that of the team. The same applies to the answers to laboratory exercise questions to be assigned. Please do your own work.
Attendance is expected for all classes and laboratory sessions. If you must miss a class or laboratory, please notify me in advance, when possible. Chronic tardiness or absences will result in lower grades. Cell phones and other electronic devices are to be switched off during class and laboratory sessions.
Your personal safety is an important issue in microbiology. Please read and adhere to all safety procedures as given in the inside front cover of the laboratory manual. NO FOOD OR DRINK IS PERMITTED IN THE LABORATORY. Safety goggles and/or gloves will be required from time to time. All bacteria should be considered to be potential pathogens.
In order to gain the most from the laboratory experience, you must read the background information and techniques of the exercises scheduled before coming to lab. Not knowing what the experiments are about leads to confusion, is detrimental to those working with you, and slows you down. As a part of the laboratory experience, you may be required to remove cultures from the incubator or observe results of earlier inoculations one, two or more days after inoculation on your own schedule or during the following lecture. This is especially true for your unknown cultures. Please make every effort to do this during the day so that I may be available to answer questions or assist you with problems.
Laboratory reports and questions to be answered will be due the week after completion of the exercise. I will have more to say about the “unknowns” right after spring break.
Each person will write a short review of a specific bacterial or viral disease of interest to you. The scenario is that you are a medical or environmental expert with the CDC or WHO being sent into an area in which an outbreak of a particular bacterial (or viral) disease has occurred. This could be somewhere in the US or another country. After consultation with me, select an organism to cover, explain who (or what) is affected, how it is transmitted, methods you suggest in order to control it, and a simple way to educate the population to minimize its occurrence. You are to make this document as either 1) a memo; 2) letter, or 3) speech format. Emerging diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, West Nile virus, ebola, influenza, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, etc. are among the many good topics available. There is a number of print and electronic resources at your disposal. See the course blackboard or web page for some of these. The report is to be submitted as an attached Word document in an e-mail to me by the due date.
I will make current articles and web site addresses available from time to time as we cover germane topics. Notice of these readings will be made in class, posted by e-mail, or will appear in the course blackboard or home page reading list.
Sherman S. Hendrix