BIOL 2420 Syllabus
Dallas College Eastfield Campus
Contacting Your Instructor
Instructors typically respond to emails from students within 24 hours. However, over the
weekend and holiday periods responses may be delayed. Find out more about contacting your
instructor.
Email
The best way to contact me is through email. ALL email messages MUST include the following:
1. First and last name
2. Course and section
3. Detailed question, especially if it concerns a test question or a particular part of an
assignment.
I will try to respond to any emails (or phone messages) within 24 hours, longer over weekends.
IMPORTANT: I CANNOT include any sensitive information (such as grades) in emails to
your personal email accounts. You MUST use your Dallas College email address for any
communication between you and me that contains sensitive information.
Instructor Information
Name: Dr. Jessica Kerins
DCCCD Email: jkerins@dcccd.edu
Office Phone: 972-860-8317
Office Location: C309
Office Hours: MW 10 -11:30am (C309), T 11am-12pm (C309), TH 11am-12pm (VIRTUAL), or
by appointment
Information Central Office and Phone: Room C202, 972-860-7336
Course Information
Course Title: Microbiology for Non-Science Majors
Course Number: BIOL 2420
Section Number: 41812
Semester/Year: FALL 2023
Credit Hours: 4
1
Class Meeting Time/Location: LEC: MW 11:30 am-12:50pm C324 Eastfield Campus, LAB: MW
1:00-3:00pm S300 Eastfield Campus
Certification Date: 09/01/2023
Last Day to Withdraw: 11/09/2023
Disclaimer
The instructor reserves the right to amend this syllabus as necessary.
The Dallas College Department of Biology requires monitored/proctored testing during
exams and/or high stakes assessments. In order to ensure transferability of Dallas
College courses to other institutions, proctored/monitored assessments are necessary
for course integrity.
Online quizzes and exams in this class will require the use of Respondus Lockdown Browser.
See the Brightspace course site for instructions on how to download this browser to your device
and use it to take a quiz or exam.
Course Prerequisites
BIOL 1406 or BIOL 2401 or SCIT 1407
Course Description
This course covers basic microbiology and immunology and is primarily directed at pre-nursing,
pre-allied health, and non-science majors. It provides an introduction to historical concepts of
the nature of microorganisms, microbial diversity, the importance of microorganisms and
acellular agents in the biosphere, and their roles in human and animal diseases. Major topics
include bacterial structure as well as growth, physiology, genetics, and biochemistry of
microorganisms. The lab covers basics of culture and identification of bacteria and microbial
ecology. Lecture and lab emphasis is on medical microbiology, infectious diseases, and public
health. (3 Lec., 4 Lab.)
Coordinating Board Academic Approval Number 2605035103
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
1. Describe distinctive characteristics and diverse growth requirements of prokaryotic
organisms compared to eukaryotic organisms.
2. Provide examples of the impact of microorganisms on agriculture, environment,
ecosystem, energy, and human health, including biofilms.
3. Distinguish between mechanisms of physical and chemical agents to control microbial
populations.
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4. Explain the unique characteristics of bacterial metabolism and bacterial genetics.
5. Describe evidence for the evolution of cells, organelles, and major metabolic pathways
from early prokaryotes and how phylogenetic trees reflect evolutionary relationships.
6. Compare characteristics and replication of acellular infectious agents (viruses and prions)
with characteristics and reproduction of cellular infectious agents (prokaryotes and
eukaryotes).
7. Describe functions of host defenses and the immune system in combating infectious
diseases and explain how immunizations protect against specific diseases.
8. Explain transmission and virulence mechanisms of cellular and acellular infectious
agents.
9. Use and comply with laboratory safety rules, procedures, and universal precautions.
10. Demonstrate proficient use of a compound light microscope.
11. Describe and prepare widely used stains and wet mounts, and discuss their significance
in identification of microorganisms.
12. Perform basic microbiology procedures using aseptic techniques for transfer, isolation
and observation of commonly encountered, clinically significant bacteria.
13. Use different types of bacterial culture media to grow, isolate, and identify
microorganisms.
14. Perform basic bacterial identification procedures using biochemical tests.
15. Estimate the number of microorganisms in a sample using methods such as direct
counts, viable plate counts, or spectrophotometric measurements.
16. Demonstrate basic identification protocols based on microscopic morphology of some
common fungi and parasites.
Texas Core Objectives
The College defines essential knowledge and skills that students need to develop during their
college experience. These general education competencies parallel the Texas Core Objectives
for Student Learning. In this course, the activities you engage in will give you the opportunity to
practice two or more of the following core competencies:
1. Critical Thinking Skills - to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis,
evaluation and synthesis of information
2. Communication Skills - to include effective development, interpretation, and expression
of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
3. Empirical and Quantitative Skills - to include the manipulation and analysis of
numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions
4. Teamwork - to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work
effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
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Required Course Materials
If your Dallas College course requires learning materials, then they will be provided as part of
the IncludED program (dcccd.edu/included). You will access the materials online via your
Brightspace course.
Note: If you chose to opt out of the IncludED program, then you are responsible for obtaining all
your required learning materials before the first day of the class. For more details, see
Institutional Policies. Opting out is strongly discouraged.
TEXTBOOK:
Microbiology with Diseases by Body System (e-text) & MasteringMicrobiology, 5th edition,
Bauman, R. W., Benjamin- Cummings Publishing Company, 2016, San Francisco, CA. ISBN
9780136780175.
*It is highly recommended that you download this digital textbook to your computer so you can
access it without the internet and without Brightspace. Instructions cand be found in
Brightspace.
LAB BOOK:
Undergraduate Microbiology Laboratory Manual, 3rd edition, Oliver, T. D., Bluedoor Publishing,
2022, Minneapolis. ISBN 9781774947050.
Note: A student of this institution is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from a
university-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent
retailer, including an online retailer.
Graded Work
The tables below provide a summary of the graded work in this course and an explanation of
how your final course grade will be calculated.
Summary of Graded Work
Assignments
Points
Totals
Syllabus Quiz
20
20
8 Pre-Lab quizzes
10
80
8 Post-Lab worksheets
10
80
14 Homework Assignments
15
210
4 Lecture exams
100
400
3 Laboratory exams
100
300
20
20
100
100
Materials and Methods table
1 Laboratory report (Unknown Project)
4
Assignments
Points
Class participation/attendance
Class activities
TOTAL
Totals
50
50
100
100
1360
Final Grading Scale
Your final grade will be determined based on how many total points you have accumulated.
Points
Percentage
Letter Grade
1224 -1360
90 – 100%
A
1088 -1223.9
80 – 89%
B
952 -1087.9
70 – 79%
C
816 - 951.9
60 – 69%
D
0 - 815.9
0 – 59%
F
I DO NOT round up grades
I DO NOT give Incompletes
Description of Graded Work
The Syllabus Quiz is an online quiz in Brightspace that covers the material found in the course
syllabus and schedule. See the course schedule for the due date. You MUST use Respondus
Lockdown Browser to take this quiz. Instructions can be found in Brightspace
Pre-lab quizzes are designed to prepare you for each weekly lab. They will be taken online in
Brightspace. They may consist of fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, and/or short answer essay
questions. You DO NOT need Respondus Lockdown Browser for these quizzes. You may use
your lab books when completing these quizzes to ensure that you have thouroughly read both
the background and procedure for each lab. See the Course Schedule for deadlines. Any quiz
not submitted by the posted deadline will receive a score of ZERO, no exceptions. I will
NOT reset any quiz for any reason!!!
Post-lab worksheets summarize the experiments completed in lab each week. They are due
by the end of the lab period every Thursday, NO EXCEPTIONS. See the Course Schedule for
due dates.
Homework assignments review the important lecture material from each chapter. Each
assignment is completed through the textbook’s companion website, MasteringMicrobiology,
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which is accessible directly within Brightspace. Homework will consist of tutorials, activities, and
multiple choice questions. See the Course Schedule for deadlines.
Lecture exams will be taken during class time and may consist of matching, true/false, multiple
choice and essay questions. You will need a scantron for each exam.
PLEASE NOTE:
Unless otherwise noted, ONLINE quizzes and exams in this class will require the use of
Respondus Lockdown Browser. Instructions on how to download and use this browser are
provided in the Brightspace site for this course. NOT ALL DEVICES will work with Respondus
Lockdown Browser (Chromebooks, for example). Please confirm that your device is compatible
BEFORE the first day of class! If you do not have a compatible device, you will need to find one
for this class. One option is to take your quizzes and exams on the Eastfield campus, using a
campus computer.
Laboratory exams will be taken during lab time. They may consist of fill-in-the-blank, multiple
choice and/or short answer essay questions. If a laboratory exam is missed, you will receive a
grade of ZERO for the exam.
The Materials and Methods table is an assignment to help you prepare for the Unknown
Project. More details will be given in class.
One Laboratory Report will be completed as part of the Unknown Project. You will be given a
culture of an unknown microorganism and asked to identify the organism through standard
techniques available to you in the lab. You will write a formal lab report on the project that will
include your lab journal entries, a flow chart, and a descriptive chart. Specific details will be
given during the semester. Students are expected to work independently when conducting
the biochemical experiments for the lab report. All staining, microscopy, inoculations
and evaluations must be completed ALONE, without the help of fellow students.
Students may ask opinions from each other regarding the appearance of test results, but
the interpretation must be completed independently. If someone in the class helps you
all student participants will receive a grade of ZERO for the paper. The instructor may
not be consulted during the experiment process.
Class participation/attendance: ACTIVE participation in this class is necessary if you want to
do well. I expect each student to be prepared and to fully engage in the lecture part of this class
(ask/answer questions, contribute to discussions, contribute equally to any group activities).
During lab, I expect each student to be prepared by having thoroughly read the lab
procedures so you understand what is to be accomplished during lab time. Some of our
labs will take the ENTIRE amount of lab time, so there will be little opportunity for me to
introduce the lab – you MUST be prepared! I also expect each student to equally contribute to
the completion of the tasks of the day; DO NOT rely on your tablemates to do the work for you,
or you will lose points! You MUST be a contributing member of your group! This grade also
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includes adherence to the attendance policy, which is described below. You will be working in
teams for much of the semester, so it is important that you treat each other fairly and with
respect, as well as be able to resolve conflict in an adult manner.
Class activities consist of various activities, such as quizzes, worksheets, and case studies.
They may or may not be announced ahead of time. Most activities will be completed as a group
during class time. You MUST be present in class to complete and receive credit for these
activities. No make-up assignments will be given.
Attendance and Your Final Grade
Attendance is mandatory for both class and lab. Students are expected to be on time and
remain for the entire class/lab. You must be present in class at least ONCE by the
certification date in order for me to certify your attendance in this class.
You may miss 3 classes or labs without penalty. After that, I will note each additional absence
and each will affect your class participation grade. I do not distinguish between excused and
unexcused absences, so there is no need to notify me.
If you arrive late to class, it is YOUR responsibility to notify me IN WRITING BY THE END OF
THAT CLASS period that you were late. Failure to do so will result in you being marked absent.
Please include the following:
1. First and last name
2. Date
3. Course and section
2 tardies equals 1 absence, therefore tardies will also affect your participation grade. They also
affect your group’s ability to complete assignments. PLEASE BE ON TIME!!
PLEASE NOTE:
1. Most of our labs are 2-day activities, with the bulk of the experiments being performed
on Mondays. If you are absent from lab on a Monday, is it not fair to expect your team
members to catch you up and give their data to you to analyze without you actually
contributing to the experiment. This is especially true if you are absent repeatedly on
Mondays. Therefore, Monday absences will count against you MORE than Wednesday
absences.
2. Weeks 8 and 9 are especially important to your success in this class. During Week 8,
each member of the class will perform a series of biochemical experiments on a different
microbe. Each student’s data is vital to the entire class for the purpose of the Unknown
Project. Furthermore, these experiments give you the chance to practice performing the
inoculations and reading/interpreting the results with the help of the instructor, before
you complete these independently with your unknown bacterium. Week 9 marks the
beginning of the Unknown Project; it is vital that you are present during lab so you have
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the maximum amount of time to complete this project. If you are absent during any part
of these weeks, each day will count as 2 absences.
YOU are responsible for finding out FROM YOUR CLASSMATES what you may have missed
due to an absence in class or lab. Refer to Brightspace, the schedule, and other students to
obtain this information, especially missed announcements. DO NOT ask me, “What did I miss?”
Late Work/Make-Up Policy
All quizzes, tests, and homework assignments are time sensitive, and must be SUBMITTED
(not merely started) by the posted deadlines. I DO NOT accept late work for ANY reason.
If a deadline is missed, you will receive a grade of ZERO for that assignment, quiz, or test.
There is NO make-up work in this class. YOU are responsible for knowing when
assignments are due and for submitting them on time.
If a medical emergency or other type of emergency prevents you from either submitting an exam
on time or coming to campus to take an exam, I MIGHT grant you a make-up opportunity with
proper documentation. Make-up exams will be granted on a case-by-case basis.
If you have a planned absence that cannot be avoided on an exam day, please make
arrangements with me to take the exam early. Late exams will not be granted in this case.
IMPORTANT: I will NOT grant make-up exams or assignments for vacations. NO
EXCEPTIONS. The school calendar is published well in advance of the beginning of each
school year. Do NOT plan vacations when school is in session.
Cheating, Plagiarism and Collusion
Scholastic dishonesty is a violation of the Code of Student Conduct and Hazing. Scholastic
dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism and collusion.
Cheating includes copying from another student’s test or homework paper; using materials not
authorized; collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test; knowingly
using, buying, selling, stealing or soliciting (asking for) the contents of an un-administered test;
and substituting for another person to take a test.
Examples of cheating include:
• Using your phone to look up answers while you take a quiz or exam
• Using your books, notes, and/or internet or other sources while taking a quiz or exam
• Working with another student while taking an exam or quiz
• Showing your answer to another student who has not yet taken an exam or quiz
• Sharing information about a quiz or exam with another student
• Having someone else take the exam for you
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Plagiarism is the appropriating (taking in a way that is illegal or unfair), buying, receiving as a
gift or obtaining by any means another’s work and the unacknowledged submission or
incorporation of it in one’s own written work.
Examples of plagiarism include:
• Copying another student’s essay answers and claiming them as your own
• Copying answers from the internet and claiming them as your own
• Using Artificial Intelligence to write your essay answers or assignments
Collusion is the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for
fulfillment of course requirements
Examples of collusion include:
• Working together with another student on essay questions
Cheating, plagiarism, and collusion are considered acts of academic dishonesty.
The first incident of academic dishonesty will result in a ZERO for that particular
assignment or exam. The second incident will result in a failing grade for the course
AND I will report you for a Student Code of Conduct violation.
Other Course Policies
Standard of Conduct/Classroom Etiquette
No food, drinks or tabacco products are in the laboratory. No food or drink Is permitted in the
laboratory. These items must be kept outside the lab, in the student’s belongings, or in provided
storage places (if applicable).
All Laboratory in-person meetings require the student to wear closed-toed shoes and wear
protective eyewear (goggles/safety glasses). Please be prepared to secure any loose items
(clothing, hair, etc.).
Be respectful of both the instructor and fellow students. This includes no talking during class,
especially when the instructor or another student is speaking.
No children are allowed in classrooms or laboratories.
Expectations of this course
• Expect to work on class activities and some lab experiments WITH YOUR GROUP.
Groups will be determined in lab.
•
Expect to bring both your digital lecture book and your lab book every day.
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•
Many of the assignments in this course are completed online. You are expected to have
basic computer and internet skills and be able to troubleshoot minor problems on your
own. For those problems you cannot fix by yourself, you should know how to contact the
appropriate person to help you. I am NOT tech support! The contact information for
various tech support can be found in Brightspace.
Testing Policies
Students are not allowed to leave the room for any reason during an exam. All electronic
devices must be turned off and put away, in addition to all other personal items.
Visual Accommodations
If you require visual accommodations, alternative lab quizzes and exams will be made available
through the Accessibility Services Office. Posted deadlines for each assessment still apply.
You must contact the Accessibility Services Office and follow their instructions to be granted
accommodations. You can call 972-669-6400 or email DSSO@dcccd.edu for more assistance.
Institutional Policies
Institutional Policies include information about tutoring, Disabilities Services, class drop and
repeat options, Title IX, and more.
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Week
(Mon-Sun)
COURSE SCHEDULE
Lecture
Lab
Assignments/Notes
Due TUES, 8/22:
“Hello” Discussion Board,
Syllabus Quiz
Due WED, 8/23 in lab:
Post-lab #1
Due SUN, 8/27:
CH3 &11 HW, CH5 HW,
Pre-lab Quiz #1
Due MON, 8/28 in lab:
Dichotomous Key Part 1
Due WED, 8/30 in lab:
Post-lab #2
Due SUN, 9/3:
CH6 HW, Pre-lab Quiz #2
Ch. 1: A Brief History of Microbiology (p. 1-17)
Ch. 3: Cell Structure and Function (p. 57-79)
Ch. 11: Characterizing and Classifying Prokaryotes
2: Microscopy
3: Aseptic Transfers
4: Simple Stain & Bacterial Smear
Week 2
8/28-9/3
Ch. 5: Microbial Metabolism (p. 125-143)
4: Simple Stain & Bacterial Smear
5: Gram Stain
6: Acid-Fast Stain
7: Endospore Stain
Week 3
9/4-9/10
NO CLASS MON 9/4
Ch. 6: Microbial Nutrition and Growth
NO LAB MON 9/4
8: Isolation of Microbes
9: Serial Dilution
Week 4
9/11-9/17
MON 9/11: Catch-up/Review
WED 9/13: Lecture Exam 1 (CH 1,3,5,6,11)
Finish Labs 8&9
10: Cultural Characteristics
11: Selective, Differential, and
Enriched Media
Week 5
9/18-9/24
Ch. 7: Microbial Genetics
MON 9/18: Review
WED 9/20: Lab Exam 1 (1-11)
Week 6
9/25-10/1
Ch. 9: Controlling Microbial Growth in the
Environment
Ch. 10: Controlling Microbial Growth in the Body
12: Effect of Temperature
13: Effect of pH
14: Effect of Oxygen
Week 7
10/2-10/8
Ch. 13: Characterizing and Classifying Viruses,
Viroids, and Prions
15: Antibiotic Susceptibility
16: Chemical Control of Microbial
Growth
Week 8
10/9-10/15
MON 10/9: Catch-up/Review
WED 10/11: Lecture Exam 2 (CH 7,9,10,13)
17: Biochemicals (preparing for
Unknowns)
Week 9
10/16-10/22
Ch. 14: Infection, Infectious Diseases, and
Epidemiology
Ch. 15: Nonspecific Lines of Defense
Unknowns
Due SUN, 10/22:
CH16 HW
Week 10
10/23-10/29
Ch. 16: Specific Defense: The Immune Response
Ch. 17: Immunization and Immune Testing (p. 499507)
Unknowns
Due SUN, 10/29:
CH18 HW,
UNKNOWN PAPER
Week 11
10/30-11/5
Ch. 18: AIDS and Other Immune Disorders
Week 1
8/21-8/27
Due SUN, 9/10:
Pre-lab Quiz #3
Due WED, 9/13 in lab:
Dichotomous Key Part 2,
Post-lab #3, Post-lab #4
Due SUN, 9/17:
CH7 HW
Due SUN, 9/24:
CH9 HW, CH10 HW,
Pre-lab Quiz #4
Due WED, 9/27 in lab:
Post-lab #5
Due SUN, 10/1:
CH13 HW, Pre-lab Quiz #5
Due MON, 10/2 in lab:
Dichotomous Key for
Unknowns
Due WED, 10/4 in lab:
Post-lab #6
Due SUN, 10/8:
Pre-lab Quiz #6
Due WED, 10/11 in lab:
Materials and Methods
table
Due SUN, 10/15:
CH14 HW, CH15 HW
MON 10/30: Review
WED 11/1: Lab Exam 2 (12-17)
Due SUN, 11/5:
Pre-lab Quiz #7
Week 12
11/6-11/12
MON 11/6: Catch-up/Review
WED 11/8: Lecture Exam 3: CH 14-18
19: Protozoa
Due WED, 11/8 in lab:
Post-lab #7
Due SUN, 11/12:
CH19&20 HW,
Pre-Lab Quiz #8
Last day to withdraw: 11/9
Week 13
11/13-11/19
Ch. 19: Diseases of the Skin and Wounds
Ch. 20: Diseases of the Nervous System and Eyes
21: Mycology: Fungi
20: Helminths
Due WED, 11/15 in lab:
Post-lab #8
Due SUN, 11/19:
CH21&22 HW
Week 14
11/20-11/26
Ch. 21: Cardiovascular and Systemic Diseases
Ch. 22: Diseases of the Respiratory System
MON 11/20: SEM Demo
Due SUN, 11/26:
CH23&24 HW
Week 15
11/27-12/3
Ch. 23: Diseases of the Digestive System
Ch. 24: Diseases of the Urinary and Reproductive
Systems
MON 11/27: Review for Lab Exam
WED 11/29: Lab Exam 3 (19-21)
Week 16
12/4-12/7
MON 12/4: Lecture Exam 4 (CH 19-24)
NO LAB
COURSE SCHEDULE