VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY

BIOLOGY 2900--SUMMER 2005



INSTRUCTOR: Dr. J. A. NIENOW
OFFICE: 2089 New Science Building; 249-4844
Office hours: 4:30-5:00 MTWR or by appointment
EMAIL: jnienow@valdosta.edu

TEXTS:
OTHER RESOURCES:
PREREQUISITES: Chemistry 1152K.
 
COURSE GOALS:
  1.  Students will acquire basic knowledge of bacteriology, immunology, and virology with an emphasis on applications and disease processes.
  2. Students will gain experience with some basic techniques used for studying microorganisms in the laboratory including aseptic technique, transfer and culture of bacteria, identification and quantification of bacteria, and antibiotic sensitivity testing. Students will learn how to prepare and give an oral presentation on a clinical microbiological topic.
ATTENDANCE: Students are responsible for attending class and for the material presented in all classes. There will be no make-ups of missed labs, quizzes, and other assignments. Students who miss more than three labs will have 20 points deducted from their point total for each lab missed; significantly late arrival counts as missing 1/3 of a lab.  Exams missed without prior permission of the instructor may be made up, but the final score on the exam will be reduced by 25%.  It is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor to set up a time to take a make-up exam.  Arrangements for a make-up exam must be made within 1 week of the missed exam, otherwise no make-up will be given and the student will receive 0 points for the exam. Students who have missed 20% of regularly scheduled class meetings, especially labs, are subject to a failing grade for the course.

ATTIRE: Lab aprons will be provided and must be worn during lab. Sandals, flip-flops and other open shoes are not permitted in lab. If you do not show up for lab in appropriate attire you will be sent home to change and will be charged with a missed lab or a signicantly late arrival.

EXAMS: There will be four unit exams.  The first 3 exams will each be worth 150 points, the last will be worth 200 points.  The exams will include a mixture of short answer and multiple choice questions.  Expect the later exams to include some material covered in the earlier exams, especially the last exam. The dates of these exams are included in the attached schedule of lectures. DO NOT MISS THESE EXAMS WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION. If you are caught cheating on an exam you will receive no points. Cell phones must be off and out of sight during the exam--if I see or hear your cell phone during the exam you will be required to turn in your exam immediately.  If you leave the exam room during the exam for any reason, you will be required to turn in your exam immediately. Estimated total from exams--650 points.

LABORATORY GRADES: Periodically you will be asked to complete informal and formal reports of your lab work.  You should also be prepared for three announced andoccasional unannounced quizzes. Estimated total from laboratory reports and quizzes--200 points.

ORAL REPORTS: All students will be required to prepare and deliver a 7 minute talk on a microbiological subject (see separate handout). PRESENTATION OF AN ORAL REPORT IS MANDATORY. FAILURE TO GIVE AN ORAL REPORT WILL RESULT IN A ZERO FOR THE ENTIRE LAB PORTION OF THE GRADE!!! Points for this talk will be distributed as follows:  preliminary information from the text--10 points; copies of two references from the scientific literature--20 points; detailed outline of the report including a preliminary printout of your power point slides--70 points; presentation of the oral report and a printout of your final powerpoint slides--100 points.  Estimated total for the oral report assignment--200 points.

GRADING: Your grade will depend on how well you do on the exams, quizzes, and reports.  Expect the following grading scale (based on the total number of points actually assigned:

A = 90 – 100 %
B = 80 – 89 %
C = 70 – 79 %
D = 60 – 69 %
F  < 60 %
DROPPING A COURSE WITHOUT PENALTY: In order to officially drop a course without penalty, a student must obtain and fill out a drop/add form from the Registrar's Office, acquire appropriate signatures, and return the completed form to the Registrar's Office before the designated date (published in the academic calendar). If you don't officially withdraw, and instead just stop coming to class, you will receive an F for the course. It will then take three A's in science classes cancel out that F and bring your GPA back up to 3.0 so you can maintain your scholarship.

SPECIAL NOTE 1: Grades will be neither posted nor given out over the telephone.

SPECIAL NOTE 2: Students requiring special accommodations because of a documented disability must discuss their needs with me as soon as possible and must contact the Access Office for Students with Disabilities located in room 1115 Nevins Hall.  The phone numbers are 245-2498 (voice) and 219-1348 (tty).

STUDY TIPS

  1.  It is recommended that you form small study groups and study together in the library or other locations without TV, stereo or other distractions.
  2. Before you begin reading a chapter, make a very quick outline using the chapter subheadings, this will give you some idea of what the chapter is all about and how it is organized.
  3. You should read ahead of the schedule. So when you come to class you can ask questions.
  4. Answer the review questions at the ends of the chapters.
  5. When studying, ask yourself how this information would be applied.
  6. Come to office hours and ask questions if there is material you do not understand.
  7. Ask questions in class!!



SCHEDULE OF LECTURES AND LABS
BIOLOGY 2900, SUMMER 2005

Note: Pacing and testing dates may be changed if the need arises. Attend class regularly.
 
WEEK 1 - -
6-08
LECTURE--Introduction to microbiology and human disease; epidemiology
Chapters 1 & 20
-
LAB--Orientation; Lab safety;  media preparation; hand-washing exercise pp. ix-xiv;  ex. 18
6-09
LECTURE--Microscopy and prokaryote cell structure
Chapter 3
-
LAB--Set-up Ubiquity of Bacteria and The Fungi: Yeasts and Molds; Microscopy-- Protozoa, algae, and cyanobacteria;  ex. 6 & 7; ex. 1 & 5
WEEK 2 - -
6-13 LECTURE--Prokaryote structure continued; eukaryotes
Chapters 3 & 12
- LAB--Aseptic techniques and streak plates; more microscopy ex. 8 & 9; ex. 5,  6, & 7
6-14 LECTURE--Cell structure (continued) Chapter 3 & 12
- LAB--Complete Aseptic technique; more basic microscopy
ex. 8; ex. 5, 6 & 7
6-15 LECTURE--Aspects of bacterial metabolism and growth
Chapters 4 & 6
- LAB--Smear preparations and simple staining techniques ex. 10, 11, & 12
6-16 LECTURE--Aspects of bacterial metabolism and growth (continued)
Chapters 4 & 6
- LAB--Gram stains ex. 14
WEEK 3
-
-
6-20 FIRST UNIT EXAM -
- LAB--Complete ubiquity experiments; acid-fast and spore stains
ex. 6 & 7; ex. 15 & 16
6-21 LECTURE--Review of DNA replication/protein synthesis
Chapter 7
- LAB--Counting bacteria--standard plate counts ex. 20 & 46
6-22 LECTURE--Bacterial genetics
Chapter 8
- LAB--Counting viruses
handout
6-23 LECTURE--Bacterial genetics
Chapter 8
- LAB--Finish plate counts; First lab quiz ex. 20 & 46
WEEK 4
-
-
6-27 LECTURE--DNA technology
Chapter 9
- LAB--Set up temperature experiments
ex. 26 & 27
6-28 LECTURE--DNA technology (continued)
Chapter 9
- LAB--Set up UV light and salt experiments
ex. 29 & 30
6-29 LECTURE--Identifying bacteria
Chapters 10 & 11
- LAB--Complete temperature experiments; set up alcohol, disinfectant, and antibiotic experiments
ex. 26 & 27; ex. 32, 33 & 34
6-30 LECTURE--Identifying bacteria (continued)
Chapter 10 & 11
- LAB--Complete UV-light, salt, and antimicrobial chemical experiments
ex. 29, 30, 32, 33, & 34
WEEK 5
-
-
7-04
HOLIDAY--VSU closed
-
7-05 SECOND UNIT EXAM
-
- LAB--Set up minimum inhibitory concentration experiment handout
7-06 LECTURE--Viruses and viroids
Chapters 13 & 14
- LAB--Complete MIC; introduction to selective and differential media (food poisoning exercise)
handouts
7-07 LECTURE--Viruses and viroids (continued)
Chapters 13 & 14
- LAB--Finish food poisoning execise; begin determination of unknown bacterium--staining
handout; ex. 36
WEEK 6
-
-
7-11 LECTURE--Host-microbe interactions
Chapter 19
- LAB--Continue bacterial determination; morphological and biochemical testing; Second lab quiz ex. 54; ex. 36-41, handout
7-12 LECTURE--Innate immune responses
Chapter  15
- LAB--Continue bacterial determination; complete morphological and biochemical testing
ex. 54; ex. 36-41, handout
7-13 LECTURE--Adaptive immune responses
Chapter 16
- LAB--Continue bacterial determination; set up  Enterotube experiment
ex. 36-41, 54; ex. 43
7-14 LECTURE--Immunologic disorders
Chapter 18
- LAB--Complete bacterial determination and Enterotube experiment; set up  Staphylococcus and Streptococcus experiments ex. 54, 43; ex. 52, 53 & handout
WEEK 7
-
-
7-18 THIRD UNIT EXAM Chapter 16
- LAB--Continue staph and strep experiments
ex. 52, 53 & handout
7-19 LECTURE--Applications of the immune response
Chapter 17
- LAB--Continue staph and strep experiments ex. 52, 53 & handout
7-20 LECTURE--Applications of the immune response (continued)
Chapter 17
- LAB--Third lab quiz; First set of student presentations (3)
-
7-21 LECTURE--Antimicrobial medications Chapter 21
- LAB--First set of student presentations (7) -
WEEK 8
-
-
7-25 LECTURE--HIV and its complications
Chapter 29
- LAB--Second set of student presentations (7) -
7-26 LECTURE--HIV and complications (continued)
Chapter 29
- LAB--Third set of student presentations (7) -
7-27 FOURTH UNIT EXAM--FROM 12:45 TO 2:45 IN THE LECTURE ROOM -


Continue with the outline of Unit I
Return to Dr. Nienow's HomePage