Universidad de Puerto Rico

Mayagüez Campus

 

 
 

 

 

Course Syllabus

 

  1. General Information:

Course Number: BIOL 3770

Course Title: General Microbiology

Credit hours: 3

 

  1. Course Description:

The structure, metabolism, growth, genetics, inhibition and death, pathogenicity, taxonomy, and applied considerations of microorganisms.

 

  1. Pre/Co-requisites:  

(CIBI 3032 and QUIM 3002) or (QUIM 3002 and BIOL 3052) or (QUIM 3002 and BIOL 3435)

 

4.    Textbook, Supplies and Other Resources:

Textbook:  Microbiology

Author:  Prescott, L. M., Harley, J. P., and Klein, D. A.

Edition: Fourth

Publisher: WCB McGraw-Hill

 

5. Purpose and Goals:

This course is preparatory for completing a Bachelor’s degree in Biology or Industrial Microbiology.

The course is a prerequisite for Food Microbiology, Industrial Microbiology, Microbial Physiology, Dairy Bacteriology, Microbial Genetics, and Sanitary Bacteriology.

Specific goals for this course are:

-         To present students with an overview of the development of microbiology as a science

-         To learn the techniques used to isolate, culture, observe, and identify microorganisms

-         To understand how to control microorganisms to reduce their detrimental effects

-         To learn about the importance of molecular biology for microbiology

-         To learn about the medical significance of microbiology

-         To understand how microorganisms interact with their environments and the practical consequences of these interactions

 

6.    Requirements:

All students are expected to:

            Complete all lessons.

Do all assigned readings and related homework.

Come to class all the time and on time.

Pass all tests to receive credit for the course.

 

7.    Laboratory/Field Work (if applicable):

Labs are a major part of the class and all students are expected to participate. Audio equipment and cellular phones are not permitted in the lab or classroom. Smoking is not permited.

 

8.    Department/Campus Policies:

 

8a.  Class attendance: Class attendance is compulsory.  The University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, reserves the right to deal at any time with individual cases of non-attendance.  Professors are expected to record the absences of their students.  Frequent absences affect the final grade, and may even result in total loss of credit.  Arranging to make up work missed because of legitimate class absence is the responsibility of the student. (Bulletin of Information Undergraduate Studies, pp. 39,1995-96).

 

8b.  Absence from Examinations: Students are required to attend all examinations.  If a student is absent from an examination due to justifiable reasons acceptable to the professor, he or she will be given a special examination.  Otherwise, the student will receive a grade of zero or “F” in the examination missed (Bulletin of Information Undergraduate Studies, pp. 39,1995-96).

 

8c.  Final examinations: Final written examinations must be given in all courses, unless in the judgement of the Dean, the nature of the subject makes it impracticable.  Final examinations scheduled by arrangements must be given during the examination period indicated in the academic calendar (Bulletin of Information Undergraduate Studies, pp. 39,1995-96).

 

8d.  Partial withdrawals: A student may withdraw from a course before the deadline established in the University Academic Calendar (See Bulletin of Information Undergraduate Studies, pp. 37,1995-96).

 

8e.  Complete withdrawals: A student may completely withdraw from the university up to the last day of classes (See Bulletin of Information Undergraduate Studies, pp. 37,1995-96).

 

8f.  Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations in agreement with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) Law will be coordinated with the Dean of Students in accordance with the particular needs of the student.

 

8g.  Ethics: Academic fraud is subject to the disciplinary sanctions described in articles 14 and 16 of the revised General Student Bylaws of the University of Puerto Rico, as contained in Certification 018-1997-98 of the Board of Trustees.  The professor will follow the norms established in articles 1-5 of the Bylaws.

 

9.    Campus Resources needed for the course (if applicable):

General Library and University Computer Center is available to obtain professor’s reference materials.

 

10.Topics:

 

I.                     Introduction to Microbiology

A.       History and scope of microbiology

B.       Composition of the microbial world

 

II.                   Microscopy and specimen preparation

A.       Comparison of different types of microscopes

B.       Techniques for specimen preparation

 

III.                  Procaryotic cells

A.       Size, shape, arrangement

B.       Structure and function

                                                                          i.      Cell membranes

                                                                        ii.      Cytoplasmic matrix

1.      inclusion bodies

2.      ribosomes

                                                                      iii.      Nucleoid

                                                                       iv.      Cell wall

1.      peptidoglycan structure

2.      Gram positive cell walls

3.      Gram negative cell walls

                                                                         v.      Capsules, slime layers and S-layers

                                                                       vi.      Pili and fimbriae

                                                                     vii.      Flagella

                                                                   viii.      Endospore

 

IV.               Eucaryotic cell structure and function

A.       Overview of eucaryotic cell structure

B.       Comparison of prokaryotic and eucaryotic cells

 

V.                 Microbial nutrition and microbial growth

A.       Nutrient requirements for microbial growth

B.       Uptake of nutrients by the cell

C.      Culture media

D.      Isolation of pure cultures

E.       Growth curve

                                                                          i.      Measurement of microbial growth

                                                                        ii.      Continuous culture of microorganisms

 

VI.               Microbial metabolism

A.       Energy and enzymes

B.       Generation of energy

                                                                          i.      The breakdown of glucose to pyruvate

1.      glycolytic pathway

2.      pentose phosphate pathway

3.      Entner-Doudoroff pathway

 

                                                                        ii.      The tricarboxylic acid cycle

                                                                      iii.      Electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation

                                                                       iv.      Fermentations

                                                                         v.      Anaerobic respiration

                                                                       vi.      Lipid catabolism

                                                                     vii.      Protein and amino acid catabolism

                                                                   viii.      Photosynthesis

1. Light reactions in Eucaryotes and  Cyanobacteria

2. Light reactions in Green and Purple bacteria

C.      Biosynthesis

                                                                          i.      Photosynthesis

                                                                        ii.      Synthesis of amino acids

                                                                      iii.      Anaplerotic reactions

                                                                       iv.      Synthesis of purines, pyrimidines, and nucleotides

                                                                         v.      Peptydoglycan synthesis

D.      Synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins

                                                                          i.      Nucleic acid structure

                                                                        ii.      DNA replication

                                                                      iii.      Transcription

1.      Transcription in prokaryotes

2.      Transcription in eucaryotes

                                                                       iv.      Protein synthesis

 

E.       Enzyme and gene regulation

                                                                          i.      Control of enzyme activity

 

V.                 Microbial Genetics

A.       DNA as genetic material

B.       The genetic code

C.      Mutations

D.      Bacterial recombination and plasmids

i. Bacterial plasmids

 ii. Transposable elements

iii.  Bacterial conjugation

iv. Transformation

v.  Transduction

 

E.       Recombinant DNA Technology

 

VI.               Viruses

A.       Characteristics of viruses

B.       Cultivation of viruses

C.      Structure of viruses

D.      Bacteriophages

i.                    Lytic cycle

ii.                  Temperate viruses and lysogeny

E.       Viruses of eucaryotes

F.       Viroids and prions

 

 

VII.              Microbial Taxonomy

A.       Classification systems

i.                    Phenetic classification

ii.                  Phylogenetic classification

 

            This syllabus was prepared by Mildred Chaparro

            Date:  August 16, 2000