HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE - CENTRAL
Biology 2420, Microbiology
Fall 2011, CRN# 55399
Instructor: Dr. Fay Magnusson
Email: fay.magnusson@hccs.edu
Time/Location:
Lecture Tu 8:30am-11:30am, LHSB 307
Lab
Th 8:30am-11:30am, LHSB 306
Textbook:
Microbiology, Third Edition, by Bauman.
Lab Manual: Microbiology: Lab manual for Biology 2420, HCCS, 5th ed., Edited
by Donna S. Wiersema and Pramila Sen
Prerequisite:
BIOLOGY 1406
Course objectives and description: The goal of the course is for the students to develop
a thorough understanding of biology of microorganisms including morphology,
metabolism, taxonomy, culture techniques, microbial genetics, immunology, virology,
mycology, parasitology and diseases. Students will also have hands-on experience on
handling live microorganisms using aseptic techniques and applying various staining
procedures used for identification of bacteria.
Tentative weekly schedule*:
Week
1
Chapter
1
Lecture topic
A brief history of microbiology
Exercise #
** chapter 3
1
2, 3
Lab exercise
Cell structure and function
Care and use of the microscope
Simple staining, negative staining
2
4
3
4
5
6
1, 3, 4
7
Microscopy, staining, and
classification
Microbial nutrition and growth
First lecture exam
Microbial genetics
4
5
7, 8, 9
Isolation of bacteria
Gram staining
Bacteria Spores, Capsules and
Flagella &Motility Testing
Acid-fast staining, Selective,
Differential and Enriched Media
Recombinant DNA technology
Counting Bacteria in Milk
Gel electrophoresis
First lab exam
Gas requirements, Control of
Microbial Populations: Effect of Heat
6
7
Microbial genetics
6, 10
7
8
6, 7
9
**chapter 8
12
Hand-out
9
10
10
8, 9, 10
11
11
12
12
13
Second lecture exam
Controlling microbial growth in the
environment
Antimicrobial drugs
Third lecture exam
Characterizing and classifying
prokaryotes
Characterizing and classifying
eukaryotes
Characterizing and classifying
viruses, viroids and prions
13
11,12,13
14
19, 21
14
15
Fourth lecture exam
Infection, infectious diseases,
epidemiology
Innate immunity
11, 13
14
15, 16, 17
20
Control of Microbial Populations:
Effect of Chemicals
Carbohydrate Fermentation Test
Triple Sugar Iron fermentation
The IMViC Biochemical Test
Bacteriophage
Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing
White Blood Cells
1
15
16
16
14,15,16
Adaptive immunity
FINAL EXAM
Second lab exam
* The instructor reserves the right to make changes in this syllabus to accommodate
unforeseen circumstances. You will be informed of these changes within reasonable time
period.
** Lecture in the lab
Grade Computation:
4 Lecture exams (out of 5 lowest one to be dropped)
Lab Practical exams
Lab participation and reports
Quizzes
Online assignments
Total
400 points
(46%)
200 points
(24%)
50 points
(6%)
100 pts
(12%)
100 points
(12%)
850
(100%)
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F= below 60%
1. Lecture and lab exams:
- Lecture exams will consist of multiple choice, true-false, matching, and short answer questions.
Lecture exams will be based only on the material that has been covered in class. Students are
responsible for bringing their own scantron to lecture exams. No lecture exam can be taken
without a scantron.
- The final exam is not comprehensive. It is same as any other lecture exam, on the material
covered during the last section of the semester.
- One lecture exam (out of five) with the lowest score will be dropped. If, for whatever reason, you
miss one exam, that exam will automatically become your drop exam. If, for whatever reason, you
miss a second exam, it will be counted as a zero score.
- The two laboratory exams are mandatory.
- There will be extra credit questions in every exam. However, you can only get a maximum of 100
points on each exam.
- If, for whatever reason, you are late for a lecture or a lab exam, you will be allowed to take the exam
as long as nobody else has completed the exam and left the room. Also, you will get only the
remaining time to take your exam.
NO MAKE-UP EXAM WILL BE GIVEN
2. Lab reports:
- In lab, you will work in pairs and submit one lab report for the pair with the two names on top of it.
Therefore, the 2 students working in a pair will both receive the same grade. Pairs do not have to
remain the same throughout the semester.
- Lab reports can only be submitted at the end of the lab period. If you miss a lab, you will not be
able to submit the lab report and will lose the points for that particular lab.
- Pairs are allowed to help each other for the completion of the lab reports however NO copying will
be allowed. If 2 lab reports are found to have the exact same answers and there has been obvious
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copying, points will be given to neither of the lab reports. Points may be given even if the answers are
wrong so it is better to have wrong answers than copied answers.
3. Quizzes:
- Quizzes will be given at the start of every lab period (except the exam days), promptly at 8: 30 am.
If you come in late you will miss the assigned quiz for that day (NO EXCEPTION). The quizzes will
be based on the introduction(s) of the lab exercise(s) (in the lab manual) that will be performed that
day (exceptions will be notified).
- During the semester, you will take 12 quizzes altogether and the top 10 grades will be taken into
consideration.
5. Online assignments:
- You will take 5 open book online assignments during the semester, each worth 20 points. These
assignments are given through Pearson Edition’s mastering Microbiology website:
www.masteringmicrobiology.com
- You MUST have an access code in order to take these assignments. Each access code is linked to
one student so you cannot share access codes. Access codes come with the book package when you
buy it from the bookstore. You can also purchase an access code online with or without the ebook.
- The first assignment “introduction to mastering Microbiology” is designed to help you understand
the various types of question you will find taking the assignments and how to answer them. It does
not contain any question related to microbiology.
- The assignments will be made available to you only for a limited period of time and you will be able
to submit the assignment only once. There will be a due date for each assignment. You will not be
able to view or submit the assignment after the due date and will thus lose the points for that
assignment.
- You will be notified in due time when each assignment will be available, what the due date will be
and which chapter(s) it will cover.
6. Extra credit:
- Some online assignments will be given for extra credit through the mastering Microbiology website.
You will be informed of specifics in due time.
- The brief summary of a scientific article that you have chosen may be submitted for an extra credit
of 10 points. The deadline for sending the summary along with the article (by email or handing in a
hard copy during class) is December 9. NO submission will be accepted after December 9. The
article has to be from a legitimate newspaper or journal and concerning some aspect of Microbiology,
Medicine, Biology or related field. The article has to have been published in the year 2011. The
article has to report NEW findings and be at least SIX paragraphs long. If the article you chose is not
a legitimate scientific article and does not meet the requirements stated above, I may not allow it and
ask for a different article if time allows for a resubmission. Thus it is wise to send me the article you
chose prior to sending the summary in order to verify legitimacy.
Here are a few websites from which you can find articles. You may use other sources as long as they
are scientific and legitimate.
www.medpagetoday.com
www.nsf.gov/news/
http://health.yahoo.com/
www.nsf.gov/discoveries/index.jsp?prio_area=3
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www.Sciencenews.org
http://my.webmd.com
www.Reutershealth.com
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/default.stm
·
Journals: many of these have websites as well as hard copy versions
·
Texas Medical Center News
http://www.texmedctr.tmc.edu/root/en/TMCServices/News/IssueContents.htm
·
N.E. Journal of Medicine http://content.nejm.org/
J.A.M.A. (Journal of the American Medical Association) http://jama.ama-assn.org/
·
Science http://www.sciencemag.org/
·
Nature http://www.nature.com/
·
Scientific American http://www.scientificamerican.com/
Rules and Regulations:
1. Textbook and Laboratory Manual are required.
2. Course repeat Policy: Students who repeat a course for a third or more time will be charged a
tuition/fee increase of $50/credit/hour at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. Please
ask your instructor / counselor about opportunities for tutoring / other assistance prior to considering
course withdrawal or if you are not receiving passing grades.
3. Disability statement: Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physicial, learning, psychiatric,
vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must
contact the Disability Services Office at Central College, Room 106 LHSB, (713) 718-6164.
Faculty is only authorized to provide accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services
Office.
4. Class attendance is required. Attendance will be given only if you attend full class period.
Students with four or more unexcused absences may result in administrative withdrawal. Students are
responsible for all subject matter covered during their absence(s). If you decide to stop attending my
class, it is your responsibility to withdraw from the class. The last day to withdraw is November 3.
5. Official Withdrawal Policy: An Instructor will no longer give any student a grade of “W” after the
official drop date (4/21/11 for Spring 2011). The Texas Legislature passed a law limiting first time
entering freshmen to no more than SIX total course withdrawals throughout their educational career in
obtaining a certificate and/or degree.
6. Smoking, eating, or drinking is NOT allowed in the class or lab.
7. During the class, pagers and cell phones must be on the silent mode or turned off.
8. You must read the lab safety rules before doing any of the lab exercises. Every student must
sign the lab safety release form.
9. CHEATING IS NOT PERMITTED. If it occurs, the student may receive a zero for the exam
or a grade of F in the course.
10. Examinations will be designed to judge the following intellectual competencies in the students:
reading, writing, listening, critical thinking, and computer literacy.
11. Grades will not be posted at anytime during the semester. You may contact me to find out
about your status at any time during the semester. At the end of the semester, after the information has
been entered in the computer system you can check your final grade on the HCCS web site:
www.hccs.edu. The HCC system office will no longer mail the transcripts to you.
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Important Dates:
8/30
Last Day for Drop/Add/Swap
9/5
Labor Day - Holiday
11/24-27
Thanksgiving Holiday
11/3 by 4:30pm
Last Day for Administrative and Student Withdrawal
12/11
Instruction Ends
12/23
Grades available to students
RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU:
1. Free tutoring will be available in LHSB 313.
2. FREE Online Tutoring for all HCC Students! Registration is simple:
►Go to www.hccs.askonline.net
3. For lecture support, Pearson Edition’s online study area through mastering
Microbiology website: pre-tests, downloadable Mp3 tutor sessions, animations, post-tests
4. For additional time to review lab material, open labs will be arranged at specific time
during the semester.
5. A VERY helpful site for laboratory review is the LAB STUDY PAGES: to access the
lab study pages, go to www.hccs.edu > Central college > Programs Academic Transfer >
Biology & Physical Sciences > Biology> Lab Study Pages.
6. Textbooks and videotapes are available in the reserve section of the library.
7. Biology department’s web site to access information posted by all biology
instructors, http://central.hccs.edu/central/academic-transfer
8. Biology Computer laboratory: RM LHSB 415 – to access publisher’s web site and
other related course material.
9. Academic Advisor, Ms. Sheila Villegas (713-718-6131).
10. To receive my assistance: you can contact me during the class period. My Office
hours are flexible, so an appointment must be made. You can email me at
fay.magnusson@hccs.edu.
Have a GREAT SEMESTER and please remember to see me if any questions arise.
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