BIO - M4A1: Create Your Own Bacterial Key

• M4A1: Create Your Own Bacterial Key

Throughout the previous modules you have gained information on the methods used to distinguish different bacteria from one another. This activity serves to reinforce the concepts associated with biochemical tests, help you learn the metabolic strategies associated with individual or groups of bacteria, and strengthen your understanding of basic morphological differences. For this assignment, you are to chooseone (1) of the groups,either A) oral/respiratory tract pathogens and commensals,or B) urogenital pathogens and commensalsor C) gastrointestinal tract pathogens and commensals, and develop a key based on differential staining and culturing, morphology and the suite of biochemical tests available to identify bacteria.

A) Typical oral/respiratory tract pathogens and commensals -

B) Typical urogenital pathogens and commensals

C) Typical gastrointestinal pathogens and commensals -

The grade for your key comprises 5% of your final grade.

• M4A2: Project 1

Background

You are the science reporter for your local newspaper. Your editor asks you to write an article on a major topic within the general field of microbiology. He stipulates that in this article you need to include the following three things:

1. An historical timeline for the major scientific discoveries that has led to our current understanding of the topic.
2. A summary of our current understanding of the topic.
3. A projection of where the next major advance or breakthrough in your topic will come from.

Description

For project 1 you will do your background research. Specifically, you will choose a suitable topic, identify appropriate resources, and generate a brief outline of the article which you will write for Project 2. Your topic must fall under the following subheadings:

· Microbiology and human health

· Microbiology and the environment

· Microbiology and agriculture

· Microbiology and industry

Procedure

8. Consult your textbook to choose a topic under one of the four subheadings listed above. For example, from the area Microbiology and industry, you might examine the use of organisms by the alcoholic beverage industry. More specifically, are you interested in wine and the grapes that produce it? You could investigate the actions of a fungus called “noble rot” or the cultures involved in the fermentation of the grapes. [Need helpchoosing a topic?]

9. Email your topic to your instructor for approval.

10. Once your receive instructor approval, do some background research on your topic to get more familiar with it. Usingthe Credo Reference and/orBritannica Online: Academic Edition databases, find 1-2 articles/encyclopedia entries on your topic that will help you complete your Project 2 article. You can access these databases from the Library’sBackground Information page.

11. Now that you have some grounding in your topic, find 5-6 peer-reviewed research articles that will help you complete your Project 2 article using the Library’s OneSearch tool. OneSearch is found on theLibrary’s homepage. Watch theOneSearch Tips video for assistance getting started. [Note: In OneSearch you can limit your results to peer-reviewed journals.]

12. You should now have a total of at least 7 sources to use for your Project 2 article.

13. After reading the sources, think of the main points that you will cover and develop an outline for your Project 2 article. [Need helpwriting an outline?]

14. In a single Word document, submit your outline and list of at least 7 sources (references) in APA format and place it in the appropriate assignment dropbox. [Need help withAPA format?]

For additional information on how your work will be graded, go to theSchool of Liberal Arts Writing Rubric.

• M5A1: All Fungi Are Not the Same!

  In this activity, you have the opportunity to apply your understanding of material covered in your textbook on fungi and how they are alike and how they differ.

  Using what you’ve learned from your reading, in your own words please:

  Differentiate among the three fungal phyla, Zygomycota, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota on the basis of their reproduction methods, means of obtaining nutrients, and importance to humans. Be sure to include representative examples of each type of organism in your response.

  Your essay should be approximately two pages in length, double-spaced in 10 to 12 point font. If you refer to sources of information besides the textbook, please be sure to cite them in the text and on a reference page using APA format.