The Biology Spot: 

The Microbiology Classroom 

The Biology Classroom --------- Home -------- The Physiology Classroom

Weekly Schedule for Moore’s Microbiology

Week 4:

Monday, September 16 to Friday, September 20

Visit our web site: http://members.tripod.com/moorebiology/

In-class

Homework

Monday, September 15 (day 4)

 

No class for micro 1

 

MICRO 2

1) Lab 4: Introduction to Microscopy

Lab 2: Aseptic transfers due WED. for all micro classes

Lab 3: Streak plate method due WED. for all micro classes

Tuesday, September 16 (day 5)

 

MICRO 1

1)Wrap-up lab 4: Intro to microscopy

2)Observe plates for lab 3: Streak plate method

 

No class for micro 2

Lab 2: Aseptic transfers due WED. for all micro classes

Lab 3: Streak plate method due WED. for all micro classes

 

Wednesday, September 17 (day 6)

 

1)Wrap-up visualizing microbes dicussion:

-overview of microscopy

2) Wrap-up viewing and sizing up microbes activity

3) Microbial Model Project: Part I discussion

 

 

1) Read pages 78-90  Intro to Prokaryotic Cell Anatomy

and take your own notes due Thurs. (9/18) for all

 

 

 

Thursday, September 18 (day 7)

 

1) External Anatomy of the Bacterial Cell Discussion

2) Modeling the External Anatomy of the Bacterial Cell Activity

 

1)Read Lab 5: The Gram Stain for Fri. (9/19)

Possible short quiz over lab on FRI. (9/19)

 

Friday, September 19 (day 8)

 

1) Short general quiz over lab 5

2) Lab 5: The Gram Stain

Lab 4: Introduction to Microscopy due MON. for all micro classes

 

 

Microbe of the week:

What would make a rat think it could take on cat? Scientists have discovered that a certain microbe, Toxoplasma gondii (tocks-oh-plaz-ma gone-dee-ee), causes rats to lose their typical fear and avoidance behavior. It also makes them act hyperactive, which makes it more likely that they’ll attract a passing cat's attention.

     Why would a microbe cause its host to act suicidal? T. gondii is a parasitic protozoan. Parasites are basically creatures

that mooch off others. Parasite protozoa are microscopic moochers.They often have very complex lives, moving among many hosts andenvironments. In the case of T. gondii, the cat is its ultimate host.That is, the only place the parasite can reproduce sexually is in cats’guts. T. gondii does not seem to cause any illness or harm to cats.

    On the other hand, rats, other mammals and birds are in-between hosts. The protozoan reproduces in these hosts by repeatedly

dividing in two. T. gondii can cause illness if the host’s immune defenses are weakened.

-Information from "Stalking the Mysterious Microbe" web-site: http://www.microbe.org/news/Tgondii.asp

 

Quote of the week: 

"Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day."

-Sally Koch                                          

 

Question of the week: How long does it take for food to digest?

 

Answer to last week's question: What tree has a caffeine content twice that of coffee? 

­Combining the caffeine rich nuts from the tree Cola acuminata with an extract from coca will produce the main ingredients in Coca-cola.  The heart stimulant derives from the oil kolanin.  The cola tree is a native of West Africa, but it also grows in Jamaica, Brazil and India.