Course Syllabus

MICR200 Course Description:

Through lectures and laboratory exercises, this course provides an introduction to the microbial world. Emphasis is on microbial structure, microbial genetics, host-microbe interactions, the immune response, and disease control/prevention. Current issues in acquired immuno deficiency syndrome research and recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid technology are discussed. Laboratory exercises will emphasize microbial morphology and identification through microscopic observation and biochemical testing. This course satisfies the requirements of majors in two and four-year nursing programs, dental hygiene, and is recommended for pre-professional biology majors. This class is 100% online. It is asynchronous- this means that there are no scheduled meeting times. The class will be conducted in Canvas.

Enrollment Requirements: CHEM 100 or BIOL 120 or ZOOL 120 or equivalent with a grade of "C" or higher or "Pass.". Credits 5

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Identify the microscopic anatomy of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and describe the functions of their cellular structures.
• Display proper use of the microbiological techniques with regard to the isolation and visualization of bacterial cultures.
• Correlate the staining differences of various bacteria to their microscopic anatomy, cell wall structure, and life cycle.
• Correctly identify several unknown bacterial cultures using techniques common to the microbiology laboratory.
• Explain principles and basic techniques of controlling microorganisms by physical and chemical methods and also explain the common mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance.
• Describe the causative agent, pathogenesis, symptoms, prevention, transmission, and treatment of common microbial diseases.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the basic fundamentals of microbial genetics and regulation of gene expression.
• Describe the basic principles of the immune system and its role in fighting against microbial pathogens.

Textbook:

Microbiology: An Introduction, 12th or 13th Ed by Tortora, Funke, and Case (any form textbook or ebook)

System Requirements

Computer (Windows PC or Mac - no tablets, phones, Chromebooks), microphone & a webcam are required for assignments and proctored assessments using Proctorio.

Course Requirements/Grading:

This course has two components: lecture and lab.

There is no separate grade for the lab.

Points for lecture total a maximum of 625 points and the total lab points are a maximum of 375 for a total of 1000 points maximum.

This means that lecture is worth 62.5% of your final grade and the lab is worth 37.5% of your grade.

All of your points will be posted on Canvas in the grade book.

You should keep records of ALL of your scores so YOU can calculate your grade at any time! To calculate your grade at any time divide your total points earned by the total “possible” points, then multiply by 100.

Example: (100 lab points plus 100 lecture points for a total of 200. 200 “your” points/240 possible points) x 100 = 83.33% overall.

Lecture:

Exams (4 exams)…………………........................................... 40%

Quizzes (all)……………………..............................……….......... 10%

Discussions and other assignments (all)........................  12.5%

--> Lecture points represent 62.5% of your final grade. The lab represents 37.5%.

Important Notes:

• All first-week assignments need to be completed and submitted by the due date to avoid possibly being dropped from the class.

• Any student needing accommodations should inform the instructor. Students with disabilities who may need accommodations for this class are encouraged to notify the instructor and contact the Student Accessibility Services [https://www.cerritos.edu/sas/] early in the quarter so that reasonable accommodations may be implemented as soon as possible. 
• Academic dishonesty and plagiarism will result in a failing grade on the assignment. Using someone else's ideas or phrasing and representing those ideas or phrasing as our own, either on purpose or through carelessness, is a serious offense known as plagiarism. "Ideas or phrasing" includes written or spoken material, from whole papers and paragraphs to sentences, and, indeed, phrases but it also includes statistics, lab results, art work, etc.  Please see the Cerritos College handbook for policies regarding plagiarism, harassment, etc. https://www.cerritos.edu/academic-affairs/academic-honesty.htm
• For tutoring: https://www.cerritos.edu/sc/