BIO 226R GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY - CELL STRUCTURE /GENETICS SPRING 04

UNIQUE NOs. 47420 to 47435 Lectures: MW 8 – 9 ESB 115

Discussion Sessions:

Unique No.

47420  Th 8 - 9 BUR 134
47425  F 8 - 9 RLM 7.114
47430  F 9 - 10 RLM 7.112
47435  F 10 - 11 RLM 7.114

Instructor: Dr. James R. Walker
Office: ESB 411
Hours: Tues 11 – 12, Thurs 1 - 2, others by appt
Telephone: 471-3048 or 471-5105 and leave message
Email: jrw@mail.utexas.edu

Teaching Asst: Vanessa Lujan vlujan@mail.utexas.edu

Web Page: Visit the web page for the syllabus, lecture schedule, copies of old exams, a list of important bacteria and their characteristics which must be memorized, a list of chemicals the structures of which must be memorized, and a study guide. This study guide consists of about 180 pages and includes introductions to the major topics to be covered, outlines, and structural formulas and diagrams. The study guide should be studied before lecture to become familiar with the material. During class, you may take notes directly on the study guide. The study guide is designed to help you prepare for class and to take notes during class; it is not designed to replace attendance and note-taking during class.

Text: Prescott et al., Microbiology, 5th ed. W.C. Brown pub. You may use an older edition.

Prerequisites: For students who entered before fall 2000, the prerequisites are Bio 302 (or the current equivalent which is Bio 211 & 212) plus Chem 302 with a grade of C or better in each.

For all students who entered for the fall 2000 semester or later, the prerequisites are Bio 213, 214, 325 and Chem 302 with a grade of C or better in each. Anyone without the appropriate prerequisites will be dropped.

Background Knowledge:
It is assumed that everyone who has completed the required prerequisites will know the following processes and be able to use the concepts indicated. Some exam questions will assume good understanding of the following:

A. The nature of enzymes and how they function
B. Chromosome structure and replication, the concept of template-directed DNA synthesis
C. Transcription and translation, use of genetic information in both
D. Genotype/Phenotype; Mutation/Mutant
E. Recombinant DNA and Biotechnology

Exams: The first three exams will include multiple choice, short answer, short essay, diagrams, sketches and structural formulas. The fourth exam will cover only the last fourth of the course. It will be all multiple choice. There will be no comprehensive final exam. Anyone who misses any one of the first three exams for an emergency may take a make-up. See the instructor. Exams which remain unclaimed for three class days after they are made available for pickup will be discarded.

Grades: Grades will be determined by averaging all four exams and assigned on the basis of 90-100, A; 80-89,B; 70-79, C; 60-69, D; less than 60, F, but a curve of 1 or 2 points is usually applied at the end of the semester. There is no other basis for grading.

Re-grading: Mistakes are sometimes made in grading. When this happens, indicate the nature of the mistake on the front page of the exam and hand it back to the instructor by the end of the third class following the time the graded exams are made available. Every exam handed back for re-grading will be re-graded completely. Overall, students might gain or lose points. Check the key before submitting for re-grading.

Emphasis: The emphasis will be on concepts, rather than on details. However, enough facts must be learned to be able to understand the concepts. The lists of chemicals and bacteria must be memorized according to the instructions on the lists. The text contains too much material to be covered in class. We choose, therefore, to lecture on, and to examine over, the most important material. All exam questions will be taken from material presented in class or listed on the study guide.

Recommended study habits:

Before Class: Read the assigned text to familiarize yourself with the material.
Use the study guide to identify the topics to be covered in lecture.
Study those topics in detail.

During Class: Attend regularly and take notes.

After Class: Copy over the notes in good form in a permanent notebook.
Use the text and study guide to fill in any gaps in the lecture notes.
Concentrate on the lecture notes. Use the text more-or-less as reference
material.
Self-examination. Answer old exam questions without looking at the notes;
score your answers to see how well you did.

General: Remember that Microbiology is, by nature, continually building on material already learned. You cannot hope to postpone studying because it is necessary to know what was covered earlier in order to understand succeeding lectures.

Study continually during the semester. Do not put off studying until exam time.
For exams, arrive early and put yourself together before the exam begins.

Disabilities: The University of Texas at Austin provides appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, upon request. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641

Deadlines:

Feb 4 – Last day to drop with refund.
Feb 16 – Last day to drop without possible academic penalty.
Mar 29 – Last day to withdraw from UT or drop (this requires Dean’s approval)
except for urgent, non-academic reasons.