General Microbiology

Official Description

General Microbiology (04-140)
Prerequisites: Bio 102/103 or 112/113 or 114/115 and Chem 114/115
A study of the morphology, physiology and culturing of microorganisms. Studies on disease-producing organisms, the fundamentals of immunology, various laboratory techniques, and procedures and the applications of microbiology will be included. Two hours of lecture and four hours of laboratory per week.

Overview

Lecture studies the differences and similarities in microorganisms, as well as their structure, respiration, and functions. In the end of the semester, immunology is touched on. Lab covers cell stains, identification tests, sterile lab procedure, and dilutions.

What really happens

Lab

The first day of lab you will be welcomed with the smell of cultured bacteria. You will be told that if you contaminate or potentially contaminate anything, it must be disinfected. That means that objects such as clothes, shoes, backpacks, calculators, pencils, etc. will be thrown in the autoclave. If you get your culture on your skin, you have to hold a paper towel soaked in disinfectant on the spot for twenty minutes. If you spill bacteria on the floor, you have to spray it with a disinfectant and leave it alone for about a half hour. Dr. Lucido might tell you about times where people have had to strip naked to remove all the contaminated clothing.

Pick a spot in lab next to a friend because you will have to sit there the rest of the semester. You will get a key to a drawer where you keep your china marker, matches, and gloves. Make sure you understand how all of the tests work and can correctly identify the difference between round and rod shaped bacteria. When they are really small it is hard to tell. This will be important when you are given two unknown species of bacteria and are required to figure out what they are using only your cunning lab skills and trusty lab manual. If you are unsure of the shape and gram reaction, you will probably be unable to guess what they are. If you take this class in the spring, you will get your unknowns a few weeks before spring break. Get them done quickly because, even though they are due at the end of the semester, the lab will run out of necessary testing materials. Plus, you will be unable to get a copy of Bergy's Manual because of all the people who waited to the last minute to run their tests.

Lecture

Unless the study of bacteria is really exciting to you, lecture is very boring. Both sections of lab have class at the same time. Dr. Lucido expects you to have read the assigned section before you go to class. If you ask or complain about the class to him, he will tell you that it is really easy and simple. Take notes during lecture, draw out all of his diagrams, and save all of the sheets he hands out. Make sure you can do the dilution problems worksheet. There are two article analysis papers assigned. I have mine still, if you want to know how he grades them, but they are only worth ten points each.Dr. Lucido threatens to give a pop quiz over anything learned in the semester, lab and/or lecture, at any time, in any class, but he never gave one when I had him for this class.

Tests

There are three tests, one dilutions test, and a final. All of his tests are cumulative, except the dilutions test. There is not a set number of questions, but when I took it, there were about 120 multiple choice questions per test. You take them during a lab class so that you have plenty of time to finish them. The test cover class, lab, and book material. There is also a special section for the bacteria used in lab or mentioned in class and you have to match them up with their shape and gram stain. No calculators are allowed. For one test you must learn how to use a log table. The tests use a scantron card and after you finish the first 100 questions, you have to turn them in and get a new card. You cannot get your old card back. And there is usually a section at the very end where you have to, for example, graph optical density versus number of cells or use a table and calculate percent similarity between bacteria.

Why take this class?

Microbiology requires a lot of work, so why take the class? Well, if you do not like biology, you probably should not take it. However, the lab makes taking this class worthwhile. You lab materials are superior to any other general education course. You are entrusted with the expensive microscopes. If you like fire, you might have fun playing with the Fischer burners. When you receive your unknowns, you also get a fob to the lab, so you can go in after hours to check on your tests. There are also no annoying lab assistants checking up on your progress. I liked the class and would recommend taking it (even though I do not think it should be mandatory).