2021-2022 Pierce College Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2021-2022 Pierce College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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BIOL& 260 Microbiology (5 credits)



Distribution Area Fulfilled Natural Sciences with Lab; General Transfer Elective
Prerequisite BIOL& 160  with a minimum grade of 2.0 is required, and CHEM& 139  or CHEM& 121  with a minimum grade of 2.0 is required, or instructor permission.

Course Description
Diversity, structure and physiology of beneficial and harmful microbes. Laboratory practice in identification of microbial species through culturing, staining and biochemical testing. Includes laboratory.

Student Outcomes
1. List and describe the contributions made to the field of microbiology by previous scientists.
2. Explain microbial characteristics, metabolism, and processes at the chemical level.
3. Contrast the chemical, structural and physiological characteristics of eukaryotic cells with prokaryotic cells.
4. Explain the origins of organelles.
5. Explain the theory and practice of microscopy and staining techniques.
6. Analyze and evaluate the factors that affect enzymatic activity.
7. Describe the various metabolic processes found in microorganisms and relate these processes to the biochemical tests used for identification of microorganisms.
8. Explain the role of microbial metabolic diversity in environmental processes.
9. Explain the role of quorum sensing in various processes, examples could be nosocomial infections, ruminant digestion, sewage treatment.
10. Describe bacterial replication and vertical and horizontal gene transfer. Describe the role of horizontal gene transfer in microbial evolution including antibiotic resistance.
11. Describe the advantages and disadvantages to asexual and sexual reproduction for eukaryotic microbes.
12. Experimentally determine the temperature ranges for organisms and classify them based upon their temperature ranges.
13. List, describe and experimentally determine the physical and chemical methods used to control microorganisms.
14. List, describe and experimentally determine the physical and chemical requirements for growing microorganisms.
15. List, describe and experimentally perform the techniques used to grow anaerobes in the laboratory.
16. Describe basic biotechnology transformation techniques.
17. List, contrast and describe current bacterial cell identification techniques such as morphological comparison, differential staining, biochemical testing, serology, enterotube, phage typing, amino acid sequencing, protein analysis, and nucleic acid comparisons.
18. List, describe, recognize and contrast the structural and physiological characteristics of archaea, bacteria, viruses, and microbial eukaryotes.
19. Identify a bacterial unknown using morphological and biochemical identification techniques and document the identification process in journal form.
20. Analyze and evaluate the current use of antimicrobial agents in society and develop recommendations for appropriate use of these drugs.



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