Course Description
Microorganisms, with special emphasis on bacteria, their structure, function, diversity, and importance to man.
Athena Title
Introductory Microbiology
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in MIBO 3500E, MIBO 3500H
Prerequisite
(CHEM 2211 or CHEM 2311H or CHEM 2411) and (CHEM 2211L or CHEM 2311L or CHEM 2411L) and (BIOL 1107 or BIOL 1107E or BIOL 2107H)
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall, spring and summer
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This survey course provides students with a broad and balanced perspective of microbiology. Students should become acquainted with the major groups of microorganisms, in particular the prokaryotes, their cell structure and organization, regulatory mechanisms, and techniques used in their study. The student should gain an understanding of the diversity of prokaryotes and their habitats as well as their contributions to the biosphere. Likewise, students should become acquainted with the sources and uses of microbes in industrial and biotechnological applications. Finally, students should gain the concept of symbiosis, the mechanisms by which infectious agents subvert and exploit the host, and immune defenses against infection. Information will be conveyed to the students by a combination of methods that include class lecture, textbook readings, and interactive assignments with an internet-based learning platform (WebCT). Students will be evaluated on the basis of several in-class tests and a final exam.
Topical Outline
I. History and Scope of Microbiology II. Microscopy III. Microbial Phylogeny and Taxonomy IV. Prokaryotic Structure and Function V. Enzymes and Metabolism VI. Macromolecule Synthesis/Assembly VII. Bacterial Nutrition and Growth VIII. Control of Microbial Growth and Antibiotics IX. Bacterial Genetics X. Genomics XI. Viruses XII. Industrial Microbiology XIII. Microbial Ecology XIV. Eubacteria and Archaebacteria XV. Pathogenic Microbiology XVI. Immunity
Syllabus