Department of Biology & Biochemistry, Unit Catalogue 2010/11 |
BB20033: Bacteriology |
 Credits:
| 6 |
| Level:
| Intermediate |
| Period: | This unit is available in... |
| Semester 2 |
| Assessment:
| EX 80%, PR 20% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites:
| Before taking this unit you must take BB10008 or take BB10157 |
| Description:
| Aims: To provide the students with a foundation of knowledge about bacterial: biology, cellular & molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, diversity, ecology, and evolution. An underlying theme will be the different types of strategies and mechanisms bacteria use to adapt to their specific niches and exert their particular effects on the biosphere and the inanimate environment. The unit also provides training and quantitative experimental/investigative experience in mainstream bacteriology. Learning Outcomes: After taking this course the student should be able to: * identify and explain the functions of the main structural features of bacteria * explain the dynamics of bacterial population growth, how this can be quantified, and some of the biological implications for bacteria * describe with the main genetic elements found in bacteria and the mechanisms for transferring genetic information between individual cells * describe some of the primary and secondary metabolic processes carried out by bacteria * describe the different procedures for isolating, characterising and recognising bacteria * describe in outline the 'Bergey' system of bacterial classification * describe and explain the diversity of ecological niches that bacteria can inhabit, how they have adapted to these niches, and how they can interact with other organisms. Skills: Learning and studying T/F/A, Written communication T/F/A, Laboratory skills T/F, Information technology T/F, Information handling & retrieval T/F/A, Working independently T/F. Content: Cellular structures; population growth dynamics (with emphasis on batch liquid cultures); genetic systems (genomes, promoters, operons, plasmids, transposons, recombination, transformation, transduction, conjugation, restriction/modification systems); bacteriophage; bacterial specific energy metabolism; secondary metabolism; methods for bacterial isolation, cultivation, characterisation and classification by the 'Bergey' system; diversity; extremophiles; ecology; evolution. |