Christine Case, Skyline College

Biology 240
"We are part of an intricate network that comes from the original bacterial takeover of the Earth. Microbes invented all of life's essential chemical systems, all of its rules for living and change. Microbes put oxygen into the atmosphere, they built huge structures of rock that changed the face of the Earth, and through symbiosis-they created us."
-Lynn Margulis

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Skyline Biology

Skyline College

Study Help & Assignments

•Study Aids & Assignments
•Visual Lab Study Guide
•Try a clinical problem
•Chocolate microbiology
•Beer microbiology
•Coffee microbiology
•Skyline Fungi
•Skyline Algae
•That statue on campus
•Vacation reading
•Careers in Biology
Current Events:
•West Nile
•Hurricane Katrina microbiology
•Influenza activity
•Prions & Mad cows
•Anthrax primer

•Syllabus (pdf)

BIOL 240—General Microbiology

Microbiology affects almost every aspect of human existance. Everyone, scientist or not, needs to have some familiarity with the activities of microorganisms. Knowledge of microbial physiology and genetics has contributed much of what we know today about the fundamental nature of all living organisms.

Microbiology will introduce you to the diversity of microorganisms, their role in nature, and their role in human health and disease. The principles you will study in microbiology are applicable to all biology–related professions including human medicine, veterinary medicine, ecology, and biotechnology.

Textbooks:
Tortora, G., B. Funke, and C. Case. Microbiology: An Introduction, 9th ed. San Francisco: Benjamin/Cummings, 2007.

Johnson, T. and C. Case. Laboratory Experiments in Microbiology, 8th ed. San Francisco: Benjamin/Cummings, 2007.

Study help is available The CD in your textook has experiments to help you learn new material on Metabolism, Genetics, Viruses, Immunology, and Microbial Growth. There are also study questions for every chapter in the CD.
•Classification slide show
•Class handouts

Lab Help
·See the Visual Lab Study Guide.

Microbiology web site, just for you
·You can find study questions for each chapter of your textbook.
·You can learn about current research, emerging disease, and applications of microbiology. Read the Careers in Microbiology Article.
·Log onto The Microbiology Place (http://www.microbiologyplace.com)

Assignments
·Journal Article
·Bacteria Report
·Unknown, Exercise 51, report
·Extra Credit
·Writing guidelines

Web links
· See phagocytosis in action
Microbe Zoo
Microbial Ecology
Society for Industrial Microbiology
American Society for Microbiology

Winogradsky column used to culture photosynthetic bacteria.
Microbial ecology, the study of the relationship between microorganisms and their environment, began with the work of Sergei Winogradsky in the 1880s. Winogradsky pursued the study of Microbiology because he was "impressed by the incomparable glitter of Pasteur's discoveries." Winogradsky was one of the first to show how bacteria help recycle vital elements for use by other organisms. A Winogradsky column is an enrichment culture that simulates the muddy habitat of anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria. Colonies of purple and green sulfur bacteria are visible in the photograph at the top of the page, however, a variety of organisms can be cultured depending on their exposure to light and the availability of oxygen. Read more about it.