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Microbiology – 2420
CRN # 33507/34016/33510
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
Office Hours:
Clifford Campbell, Professor of Biology
Faculty Office/Felix Rm. 210
713-718-7086
7:00-8:00 am
Days:
Times:
Room:
Mon/Wed
8:00-11:00/11:30-2:30/2:30-5:30
Lab-Felix 221/Lec-Felix 314
Kathleen Park Talaro 8th Ed. Foundations in Micro
McGraw Hill
Lab Manual: Wiersema & Sen 5th Ed.
Textbook:
Prerequisite: Biology 1406
Course Goals/Objectives: By the end of this course, the student should be able to (1)
describe the contributions of individual scientists and the events leading to the discovery of
microorganisms, their activities, and their functions. (2) Differentiate between prokaryotic
and eukaryotic cells (3) to distinguish bacteria morphologically (4) understand the
connection between infections and treatment and (5) understand the pathophysiology of
bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral diseases in the world.
“NOTICE: Students who repeat a course three or more times may soon face significant
tuition/fee increases 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 trades.”
This course fulfills the following core intellectual competencies:
 Reading
 Writing
 Speaking
 Listening
 Critical Thinking
 Computer Literacy
Reading ability Reading material at the college level means having the ability to analyze and
interpret a variety of printed materials- books, articles, and documents.
Writing at the college level means having the ability to produce clear, correct, and coherent
prose adapted to purpose, occasion, and audience. In addition to knowing correct grammar,
spelling and punctuation, students should also become familiar with the writing process,
including how to discover a topic, how to develop and organize it, and how to phrase it
effectively for their audience. These abilities are acquired through practice and reflection.
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To show evidence of this, each student will write a document on the microbiological lab
final report.
Speaking – Effective speaking is the ability to communicate orally in clear, coherent, and
persuasive language appropriate to purpose, occasion, and audience. This will be assessed
throughout the course and or the presentation.
Listening at the college level means the ability to analyze and interpret various forms of
spoken communications. During the laboratory exercises, the teacher will be monitoring the
listening skills of each student. Once instructions are given on laboratory procedures and
questions answered relative to experimental procedures, students should be able to follow
the assigned procedures.
Critical thinking embraces methods for applying both qualitative and quantitative skills and
analytically and creatively to subject matter in order to evaluate arguments and to construct
alternative strategies. Problem solving is one of the applications of critical thinking used to
address an identified task. Students will be given critical thinking problems on examinations.
Each written examination will have at least one critical thinking problem.
Computer literacy at the college level means having the ability to use computer-based
technology in communicating, solving problems, and acquiring information. Core-educated
students should have an understanding of the limits, problems, and possibilities associated
with the use of technology and should have the tools necessary to evaluate and learn new
technologies, as they become available.
Course Format: The class activities will consist of a series of lectures and discussions,
overhead transparencies to emphasize various entities discussed in each of the chapters and
science presentation projects.
Attendance: According to HCCS policy, students may be dropped if they have accrued four
absences.
Disruption of Class: No behavior, which tends to interfere with learning or teaching, will
be tolerated in the classroom. Turn off you cell phones and please leave the classroom
if you have to text.
Academic dishonesty: Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and
integrity in fulfilling course requirements. Severe penalties will be initiated against any
student accused of scholastic dishonesty.
Students with Disabilities: Persons needing accommodations due to a documented
disability should contact the interim ADA counselor for the Southeast College as soon as
possible. The Counselor is Ms. Getta Friis and she can be reached at (713) 718-7216.
Lecture exams: Three lecture exams (multiple-choice questions) and essay questions will
be given during the course. Critical thinking problems will also be given. A handout review
will be given before each exam. Students are requested to bring their own scantrons. Tests
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begin on time. Students, unless prior arrangements are made, who are late will not be
allowed any extra time for the exam.
Make-up exams: will include essay type questions (no multiple-choice questions). A
student may elect, however, (if one exam is missed) to let the next exam count double.
(See me for this election)
Lab Final Exam: will be both a written and a practical lab examination. This exercise
is mandatory for completion of the course. The written part of the exam counts 50% and
the practical part counts 50%. Notice the lab will account for 30% of your final grade.
Research Paper/Presentation: Only natural science topics (excluding the
mathematics) can be used to substitute one low lecture exam grade. The lowest lecture
exam grade will be dropped and the research paper/presentation grade will be replacing the
exam grade. Only one presentation will be accepted. The research paper/presentations
dates are listed in the class schedule. Consequently, students are requested to observe
these dates. Research papers should be typed, double-spaced, 4 or more pages long
(exclusive of the title page and a reference bibliography). Presentations should be no
longer than 10 minutes. The research paper/presentation will not replace the final
exam or the final lab exam. The most you can make on a paper not presented in
class is 80%.
Lab Experiments: Students are allowed to work in-groups for some of the experiments.
However, initially, each student must set up their own cultures, make smears, and perform
all of the staining techniques so as to become proficient in microbiological techniques.
Each student must be proficient in using the microscope. When group activities are
performed, each student should record the tests result in their own lab manual and
will held responsible for knowing all of the material related to the experiment. The
written lab exam will come from your lab book experiments.
Final Exam: will include multiple choice questions and perhaps a critical thinking problem.
A review for the final exam (handout) will be given one week prior to the final exam.
Grade Computation
90-100 = A
80-89
=B
70-79
=C
60-69
=D
Below 60 = F
Grading Scale
3 Lecture exams
1 Lab exam
Final Exam
= 45%
= 30%
= 25% (Class Finals: 20% - Department Finals- 5%)
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Example (1)
Exam ------------------76
Exam ------------------80
Exam ------------------60
Lecture = 76 = 80 = 60 =216/3=72 X .45= 32.4
Lab exams = Written part/80%; lab part 100% (you can only make either 50% or
100%)
You must get the gram stain correct (50%) and the morphology correct 50%) hence
either 50 or 100% depending if you miss one or the other.
Lab written exam = 80% X .15= 12 points/ practical = 100% X .15 = 15 points
Therefore lab grade = 12+ 15 = 27 points
Final Exam
= 80% (80 X .25 = 20 points
Final Grade = 32.4 + 27 + 20 = 79.4 = C
Example (2)
Exam -----------------76
Exam -----------------80
Exam -----------------60 (deleted)
Presentation ------- 92
Total Lecture Points 248/3 = 82.6 X.45 =37.2 points
Lab exams 27 points
Final Exam 20 points
Final Grade = 37.2 + 27+ 20 = 84.2 = B
Chapters Discussed
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
.
Chapter 1 – Main Themes of Microbiology
Chapter 2 – The Chemistry of Biology
Chapter 3 – Tools of the Laboratory
Chapter 4 – Procaryotic Cell Structure
Chapter 5 – Eucaryotic Cells
Chapter 6 – An Introduction to the Viruses
Chapter 9 - Microbial Genetics
Chapter 12 –Drugs, Microbes, Host
Chapter 13 – Microbe – Human Interaction
Chapter 14 – Nonspecific Host Defenses
Chapter 18 – The Cocci of Medical Importance
Chapter 19 - The Gram-Positive Bacilli of Medical Importance
Chapter 20 - The Gram-Negative Bacilli of Medical Importance
Exam I (Cha. 1, 2, 3, 4); Exam II (5, 6, 9); Exam III (12, 13 & 14); Finals (18, 19, 20)
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Class Schedule
Date
Day
Lecture/Lab/ Exams
1/14
1/16
1/21
1/23
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Orientation
Chapter 1 & 2
MLK Holiday
Lecture Chapters 3 & 4
1/28
1/30
2/4
2/6
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Exercise 1 &2
Exam (1, 2, 3, 4)
Exercise 3 & 4
Chapter 5
2/11
2/13
2/18
2/20
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Exercise 5
Chapter 6
President’s Day
Chapter 9
2/25
2/27
3/4
3/6
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Exercises 9 & 10
Exam II (5, 6, & 9)
Exercise 11 & 13
Chapter 12
3/11
3/13
3/18
3/20
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Spring Break
Spring Break
Exercise 14
Chapters 13 & 14
3/25
3/27
4/1
4/3
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Exercise 20
Exam III (12, 13, &14)
Exercise 21 (Last lab exercise)
Chapter 18
4/8
4/10
4/15
4/17
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Lab Review
Chapter 19
Lab Exam
Chapter 20
4/22
4/24
4/29
5/1
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Presentations (1)
Presentations (2)
Presentation (Last Day)
Class Day
5/6
5/8
Mon
Wed
Class Finals (18, 19,20)/Dept. Finals