Biology 2420 Syllabus
BIOLOGY 2420
MICROBIOLOGY
COURSE SYLLABUS
FALL 2008
INSTRUCTOR: DR. DAVID SCHWARTZ
NO CELL PHONES ARE ALLOWED IN USE AT ANY TIME! AUDIBLE CELL PHONE RINGING MAY RESULT IN YOUR REMOVAL FROM CLASS THAT DAY! CELL PHONE USE DURING EXAMINATIONS IS CHEATING AND WILL RESULT IN COURSE FAILURE!!
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is a study of microorganisms, including a description of basic cell structure, biochemistry, metabolism, nutrition, reproduction, and genetics. Mechanisms of transmission, microbial entry, pathogenesis, prophylaxis, epidemiology, and microbial control of selected human pathogens will be explored. Basic body defense mechanisms and immunological responses to pathological conditions will be examined. Laboratory exercises will include aseptic technique, microscopy, culture techniques, determination of bacterial morphology, staining, and biochemical differentiation. Biology 1406, or equivalent, is a firm prerequisite for this course!!!
II. COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. To establish an understanding of the major historical events in microbiology and their impact on medical science.
2. To describe basic cell structure, biochemistry, metabolism, nutrition, reproduction, and genetics of microorganisms, with an emphasis on bacteria.
3. To compare and contrast the various types of pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, protists, and helminths, with an emphasis on their medical significance.
4. To describe various means of microbial control, both in vivo and in vitro.
5. To demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles of epidemiology.
6. To demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles of immunology.
7. To describe the basics of biotechnology and genetic engineering, and to provide an understanding of the importance of molecular methods in the construction of microbial products for scientific, medical and industrial uses.
8. To compare and contrast the mechanisms of transmission, entry, pathogenesis and prophylaxis of selected human pathogens.
9. To demonstrate skill in aseptic transfer techniques, and discuss the importance of general asepsis.
10. To demonstrate skill in basic microscopy, morphological staining, culture techniques, and biochemical differentiation of selected human pathogens.
III. LEARNING ACTIVITIES
In order to benefit from the lecture sessions the student should read the assigned sections of the text. The appropriate topics will be presented through lectures interspersed with questions and answers. Weekly laboratory sessions will allow the student to stain and culture various bacteria in order to become acquainted with the techniques utilized to study morphological and metabolic characteristics. Some microbial groups and structures will be studied with prepared slides. Lecture exams, laboratory practical exams, and class activities will also enhance the learning process by giving you the opportunity to demonstrate the basic intellectual competencies of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and showing critical thinking and problem solving ability.
IV. PARTICIPATION
Good attendance is a necessity to do well in this course. The student is expected to attend each lecture and laboratory session. Roll will be taken each day. Consistent punctuality is also expected of the student. An absence is defined as any unexcused non-attendance of class for fifteen minutes or more, at any time during regular class hours. Tardy arrival is defined as arrival five minutes or more after the commencement of class. When absence is unavoidable, it is the student's responsibility to obtain lecture notes and test assignments from fellow students. Missed laboratory exercises may only be made up by attending another class during the same week. Obey all lab safety rules in your lab manual!! The instructor is not responsible for injury to the student or for damage to the lab or equipment due to violation of lab safety rules!!
YOU WILL BE WORKING WITH LIVING MICROOORGANISMS THIS SEMESTER. THESE ARE NECESSARY AND INDISPENSIBLE COMPONENTS OF YOUR LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS. YOU WILL BE TRAINED HOW TO DO SO SAFELY, AND OBSERVED WHILE YOU WORK. UNSAFE OR INCORRECT PERFORMANCE OF LABORATORY DUTIES MAY LEAD TO LOSS OF LABORATORY CREDIT TOWARD YOUR FINAL GRADE!! YOU ASSUME ALL THE HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR VOLUNTARY EXPOSURE TO LIVING MICROORGANISMS!! IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO ASSUME THESE RISKS, DROP THIS COURSE!!! YOUR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN THIS CLASS SIGNIFIES YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF THESE RISKS!!!
Frequent absences and tardies will be reflected in your final course grade if you are borderline. The excessively absent (4 lecture sessions or more) student may be dropped from the course before the official drop date!!!
HCC COURSE WITHDRAWAL POLICY
The State of Texas has begun to impose penalties on students who drop courses excessively. In 2007, the Texas Legislature passed a law limiting new students (those starting college in Fall 2007) to no more than SIX total course withdrawals throughout their academic career in obtaining a baccalaureate degree. There may be future penalties imposed as well.
If you are in difficulty and need assistance - tutoring, child care, financial aid, job placement – to stay in class or to improve your academic performance, HCC Student Services can help you. In any case, you no longer are able to drop a course by yourself. You MUST visit with your instructor, or a faculty advisor, or a counselor, or online student services at http://studentservicesonline@hccs.edu prior to withdrawing (dropping) the class. THIS MUST BE DONE PRIOR TO THE LAST DAY TO ADMINISTRATIVELY DROP A COURSE TO RECEIVE A “W” ON YOUR TRANSCRIPT. YOUR INSTRUCTORS WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO ASSIGN A “W” FOR YOU AFTER THAT DATE!!! YOU WILL RECEIVE THE GRADE YOU EARN, WITH NO EXCEPTIONS!!!
In case of prolonged absences the instructor should be notified. The student must go through proper channels in order to officially withdraw from a course; non-attendance does not automatically withdraw one from any course. I am under no obligation to withdraw you from this course if you stop attending!! If a student fails to officially withdraw, he or she may be issued the grade of "F" at the end of the semester for non attendance. Exceptions to this policy will be made only under extraordinary circumstances.
V. LEGAL STUFF HCC WANTS ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT
Students With Disabilities
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act must contact the Disability Services Office at the respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office. If you have any questions, please contact the Disability Counselor at your college or Donna Price at 713-718-5165.
Sexual Harassment
It is a violation of HCCS policy for an employee, agent, or student of the college to engage in sexual harassment as defined in the EEOC guidelines (EEO/AA Compliance Handbook 47). So don't do it!!!!
VI. EXAMINATIONS
During the semester there will be three lecture exams, two laboratory practicals, and a final comprehensive exam. No exam grade will be dropped in this course.
The lecture examinations are primarily objective in nature: i.e. multiple choice. In addition, each regular semester lecture exam will consist of approximately 10% subjective (written) material. Laboratory reports will be collected and, IF ACCEPTABLE, will be issued a completion value of one point per lab exercise. These completion points will be added as extra credit to the scores earned on their respective practical exams. As a reminder, extra credit is not something that a student is entitled to. It is a learning opportunity, and should be considered as a privilege extended by the instructor, to be earned by the student. Lab reports are due the next laboratory session after the laboratory exercise, or upon a due date announced by the instructor. LABORATORY REPORTS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN FIVE MINUTES AFTER THE SCHEDULED START OF CLASS!!! AFTER FIVE MINUTES LATE, OR AT ANY LATER DATE, the laboratory exercise(s) will be refused, and the student will receive no completion credit. Absence upon the due date, or tardy arrival due to personal reasons is not a valid excuse for late laboratory exercises.
THERE WILL BE NO MAKE UP EXAMS IN THIS COURSE!!! A missed regular lecture exam may increase the weight of the final exam from double to triple weight, if the student is able to provide acceptable proof of a legitimate AND UNAVOIDABLE work or health related reason for missing the regular lecture exam. The courtesy of extending the final exam weight in lieu of a regular lecture exam is at the sole discretion of the instructor, otherwise a firm zero will be averaged in. There will be no makeup exams given for laboratory practicals. A firm grade of zero is recorded for a missed laboratory practical exam, without recourse to the final exam.
All exam sheets and Scantron forms will be collected as a permanent record of the student’s performance – no exam material will be kept by the student.
The comprehensive final is mandatory. Failure to take the comprehensive final will result in the firm course grade of “F”, regardless of the student’s course average from other exam events. THE STUDENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DETERMINING THE DATE OF THE FINAL EXAM IN THIS COURSE. THIS INFOR- MATION IS EASILY AVAILABLE IN THE PRINTED SCHEDULE OF CLASSES, AND ONLINE IN THE STUDENT SEMESTERLY CALENDAR ON THE HCCS HOMEPAGE, CURRENT STUDENTS. DO NOT MAKE EXPENSIVE OR IRREVOCABLE END OF SEMESTER TRAVEL PLANS UNTIL YOU CHECK YOUR FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE!!
Academic dishonesty (cheating) on any exam event will not be tolerated and will lead to failure of the exam event, or the course, depending upon the circumstances of the infraction. A comprehensive statement on academic dishonesty can be found in the HCCS Student Handbook.
VII. STUDENT EVALUATION
* Regular lecture exams (3) A=100-90
* Practical exams (2) B=89-80
*19 laboratory reports C=79-70
* Final comprehensive exam (X2) D=69-60
F= <59
* All seven test scores will carry equal weight. Course grade will be the average of all seven test scores. For example:
3 regular exams + 2 practical exams + lab report credit + final exam (double weight) = 7 scores
In this course, grades are not "curved". Individual assignments or papers are not accepted in order to earn additional points. All students will have opportunities to improve point scores. Extra credit may be earned on each regular lecture exam by answering the "bonus points" question, and on laboratory practical exams by lab report extra credit.
VIII. MATERIALS
Textbook: Foundations in Microbiology ( 6th Edition ) 2007 by Kathleen Park Talaro
Laboratory Manual: Microbiology, Laboratory Manual for Biology 2420 ( 5th Edition ) 2007
Editors: Donna S. Wiersema, M.S. and Pramila Sen, Ph.D.
VIII. CONFERENCES
I will be available immediately before and after class, and by appointment. My office is in your Biology classroom at the campus where your Biology class meets, or at a place announced in class. You are encouraged to ask me. My email address is
david.schwartz@hccs.edu I check my mail every few days, so therefore I may not be back to you the very next day. My office hours will change from semester to semester. You can find the current schedule at the Learning Web. The address is learning.swc.hccs.edu
This syllabus does not constitute a contract between the instructor or HCC, and the student. The provisions listed above may be changed at any time, either orally or by written notification. However, examination and grading policies are firm for any given semester, unless extraordinary or emergency circumstances occur.
