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TERM:2021-22 Winter
COURSE NUMBER: BIOL 346
COURSE TITLE: General Microbiology
NAME OF INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Annerieke Wolmarans
CREDIT WEIGHT AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION: credits 3(hrs lect 3 - hrs sem 0 - hrs lab 3)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The organization, morphology and cell structure of microorganisms with emphasis on bacteria and fungi. Microbial growth and its control, aspects of medical and applied microbiology and microbial ecology are discussed. Laboratory exercises are designed to demonstrate basic microbiological techniques as well as relevant microbial activities and functions.

Prerequisites: BIOL 210, 211, CHEM 200, 201
REQUIRED TEXTS: Madigan MT, Bender KS, Buckley DH, Sattley WM and Stahl DA., Brock Biology of Microorganisms. 15th edition ISBN: 9780134261928, Mandatory, Essential to Pass the Course
MARK DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT:
Assignments13%
Quizzes10%
Midterm Exam20%
Final Exam30%
Lab notebook assessment5%
Lab report10%
Lab practical work2%
Lab final exam10%
100%
COURSE OBJECTIVES:At the end of this course, students will be able to:
  • Describe the structure of various types of microorganisms including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists.
  • Compare, contrast, and evaluate different systems used to classify microorganisms and apply this knowledge to the classification of unknown microorganisms.  
  • Relate knowledge of microbiology to other fields of study such as biochemistry, genetics, and biotechnology.
  • Critically read and evaluate information from scientific papers and the news media.  Demonstrate an understanding of the peer-review process.  
  • Demonstrate knowledge of medically important microorganisms and current issues involving microorganisms and public health.
After completing the laboratory component of this course, students will be able to:
  • Culture and isolate microorganisms using aseptic technique.
  • Isolate, identify, and quantify microorganisms from various types of samples.
  • Clearly communicate experimental results in the form of scientific papers.
COURSE OUTLINE:
  • Foundations of Microbiology
    • The microbial world
  • Functional Morphology
    • Cell structure and function
  • Environmental Effects on Growth
    • Microbial growth and control
  • Pathogenicity and antimicrobial agents
    • Microbial symbioses with humans
    • Microbial infection and pathogenesis
  • Microbrial Metabolism
  • Molecular Microbiology
    • Microbial information flow
    • Microbial regulatory systems
    • Genetics of Bacteria and Archaea
  • Microbial Diversity – metabolism and habitats
    • Microbiral evolution and systematics
    • Microbial metabolic diversity
    • Microbial functional diversity
  • Viruses and Virology
  • Epidemiology

Required texts, assignments, and grade distributions may vary from one offering of this course to the next. Please consult the course instructor for up to date details.

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