Topic | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
Course Introduction | ||
1.1.1: Magnification Is the Key: Leeuwenhoek Discovers Animalcules | Read this article. Leeuwenhoek crafted superior lenses, which allowed him to observe live microbes, and he also well-documented his observations. |
|
Watch these videos. |
||
Read this article. |
||
Read this page. Leeuwenhoek described representatives of all cellular microbes, including prokaryotes, protists, and fungi. The magnification and resolution of Leeuwenhoek's lenses were not sufficient to describe infectious non-living particles, such viruses, viroids, and prions. |
||
1.1.2: The Modern Microscopes | Read this page, and click on the links "From Thrilling Toy to Important Tool," "Microscopy Time Line," and "Resolving Power Line" to read these pages as well. You can always return to the starter page by hitting the "Back" button on the top right corner of the window. From the main page, click on the links "Phase Contrast Microscopes," "Fluorescence Microscopes," "Transmission Electron Microscopes," and "Scanning Tunneling Microscopes," and study these pages to learn about modern microscope techniques. |
|
1.2: Spontaneous Generation vs. Biogenesis | Read this page. The origin of life has always been fascinating, and the discovery of microbes was also followed by a debate on their origins. Prominent scientists of the time performed experiments to prove or disprove the spontaneous generation of microbes from non-living matter. The debate was going on for about 200 years, when finally Pasteur put off the spontaneous generation theory with a set of smartly designed and carefully performed experiments. |
|
Read this page. Louis Pasteur was a meticulous experimenter, who believed that hard work should bring results. As Pasteur stated, "Chance favors only the prepared mind." |
||
Read this review of Pasteur's experimental design for testing spontaneous generation. Pasteur's steps of observing, asking a question, making a hypothesis, conducting an experiment, and then accepting (or rejecting) his hypothesis later became codified as the scientific method. |
||
1.3: The Germ Theory | Read this page. Note the significance and limits of Koch's postulates in the identification of the causative agent. Koch took the first photomicrograph of bacteria and the first photomicrograph of bacteria in diseased tissue. |
|
1.4: Antiseptic Procedures | Read this page. Today, native Hungarians regard Semmelweis as "the savior of mothers"; however, during his life, many rejected his chlorine hand-wash antiseptic procedure. The childbed fever death rates dropped from 18% to 2% when he was in charge in the clinics and increased 10-fold when he was removed. The web media below connects you to a graph that was generated based on Semmelweis' data on childbed fever mortality. The Semmelweis' reflex term is used to describe the irrational rejection of the very obvious. |
|
Study this graph, which was generated from the data published by Semmelweis in 1861. In the Wien maternity clinic, pathological anatomy was permitted; thus, physicians and medical students could carry pathogens from cadavers to patients. The Dublin maternity hospital had no medical pathology. Note the death rate drop after the introduction of the chlorine handwash. Wikimedia Commons user Power.corrupts constructed this graph using Semmelweis' data. |
||
Read this page. Nightingale generated the polar-area diagram; she was very successful in communicating her findings with these graphs. |
||
1.5: General Antimicrobial Methods | Read this chapter to review the methods and techniques used to control the growth of microorganisms. Make sure to click on the "Chapter Continued" link at the bottom of each page to read all 6 pages of the chapter. |
|
1.6.1: Three Domains of Life | Read this page to review the three domains of life. Microscopic forms of life can be found in all three domains. |
|
Read this page. Genetic data indicate DNA transfer between species to some extent. |
||
1.6.2: Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes | Read this page to review the prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure. |
|
1.6.3: Archaea | Read this page. Archaea adapt to diverse environments. Many archaea are extremophile, meaning they live in an environment that seems very hostile to the human eye. |
|
Read this page. Note the molecular differences between the bacterial and archaea cell membrane and cell wall. |
||
Read this page. Some archaea traits are similar to eukaryotes, while other traits are similar to prokaryotes. |
||
1.6.4: Bacteria | Read this chapter to learn about the structure and function of bacterial cells. Make sure to click on the "Chapter Continued" link at the bottom of each page to move on to subsequent pages. |
|
1.6.5: Eukaryotic Cells | Navigate your way through these slides on organelles by pressing "Next," located at the bottom of the slide frame. There are a total of 13 slides. There are eukaryotic microorganisms among fungi and protists. |
|
1.7 Viruses | Read this page. The cell is the smallest unit of life, because it can support its own life including reproduction. Viruses cannot support their own life, but they can hijack the metabolism of specific host cells. Without a specific host cell, a virus cannot grow, change, develop, or multiply. |
|
2.1: Cellular Metabolism | Read this page for a general overview of enzymes and enzyme activity. |
|
Read this page for a brief review of cell metabolism. |
||
Complete the following problem sets: "Features of Enzyme Catalyzed Reactions," "An Energy Barrier Separating Reactions and Products in a Chemical Reaction," "Enzyme Features," and "Understanding Activation Energy." These are multiple-choice assessments. Choosing an option will bring you to a page with an explanation. Read the explanation, if any, and then return to the multiple-choice assessment. |
||
2.2: Bacterial Metabolism | Read this page. Compare and contrast the general cellular metabolism to bacterial metabolism. |
|
2.3: Archaea Metabolism | Read this page for an example of characteristic archaeal metabolic adaptations. Thermophile species are present in all four Archaea taxa (Korarcheotes, Euryarcheotes, Crenarcheotes, and Nanoarcheotes). In general, Archaea shares characteristics both with Eukarya (e.g. the initiator tRNA and introns) and with Bacteria (e.g. 70S ribosomes), but Archaea have unique molecular features as well (e.g. cell wall structure and branched membrane lipid hydrocarbones). |
|
2.4: The Metabolism of Protists | Read this page. Most eukaryotes are protists. Protista is a diverse domain, reflected by organellar diversity. |
|
2.5: Fungal Metabolism | Read this chapter. Fungi are decomposers. Compare and contrast the general cellular metabolism to fungal metabolism. |
|
3.1.1: Growth and Nutrition Requirements | Read this this chapter to learn about the requirements necessary for bacterial growth. Be sure to read each of the subsequent pages in the chapter. |
|
3.1.2: Generation Time | Read this lecture about the concept of generation time. Test your knowledge with the short quiz at the bottom of the page. |
|
3.1.3: Bacterial Growth | This chapter provides an overview of bacterial growth. Be sure to read the rest of the chapter by clicking "Chapter Continued" at the bottom of each page. |
|
3.1.4: Estimation Methods for Population | Read this article to review the different ways bacteria can be counted. |
|
3.1.5: Growth Control | Read this page and the following two pages. These pages discuss general microbial growth techniques: sterilization and employing physical and chemical agents. In Unit 1, you learned about the history of antimicrobial techniques, including the independent observations of Semmelweis and Nightingale. |
|
3.1.6: Microbial Resistance | Read this page. |
|
3.2.1: Asexual vs. Sexual Reproduction | Read this article to compare and contrast the differences between these two reproductive strategies. Only eukaryotes can reproduce with meiosis. |
|
3.2.2: Binary Fission and Budding | Read these three pages. Only prokaryotes go through binary fission. |
|
Watch this short video for a discussion of budding in yeasts. |
||
3.2.3: Endospore Formation | Read these three pages to learn about the special circumstances under which endospores form in certain types of bacteria. |
|
3.3.1: Bacterial Chromosome | Read this article to learn how bacterial chromosomes differ from eukaryotes. |
|
3.3.2: Processing Genetic Information | Watch this animation, which shows how transcription and translation occur in bacteria. You should consider reviewing gene transcription and gene expression in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. |
|
3.3.3: Genetic Regulatory Mechanisms | Read this page and review the diagrams in the left panel. Click on Figures 1 to 10 for a graphical explanation of operon mediated bacterial gene expression. |
|
3.3.4: Genetic Information Exchange | Read this page. Click on Figures 1 to 4 for a graphical explanation of DNA exchange mechanisms in bacteria. |
|
3.3.5: Mutations | Read this chapter, which summarizes mutations that occur in the cell. |
|
3.4:Reproduction and Genetics in other Microorganisms | Read the introduction and then move on to "Question 1" to move to the next page (Reproduction: Bacteria), and answer the question (you can check the correct answer if you click on the "Answer" button). Return to the introduction page, and click on "Next." Explore all animations and answer "Question 2." Return to "Reproduction: Bacteria" and click on "Next" to move to "Reproduction: Fungi." Explore all animations, and answer "Question 3." |
|
4.1.1: Prokaryote Shapes | Read this page. Click on every embedded hyperlink, and explore the linked contents. Finally, click on "Quiz Yourself on This Section" to test your knowledge. |
|
4.1.2: Size of Microorganisms | Read this article, which provides some generalized information on the sizes of various microbes. |
|
4.1.3: Morphological Characteristics | Read this article on distinguishing between the different patterns of bacterial growth for cultures grown on plates. |
|
4.2.1: Plating and Culturing | Read this article, which describes how media can be used to grow microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. Media is prepared using various agents that will either enhance or inhibit the growth of certain organisms. |
|
4.2.2.1: Gram Staining | Read these lecture slides for a demonstration of the gram staining procedure. |
|
4.2.2.2: Acid Fast Staining | Study this short demonstration of the acid-fast staining procedure. Acid-fast staining is used to differentiate between organisms like the acid-fast positive "Mycobacterium tuberculosis" and other acid-fast negative organisms. Complete the two short review activities to evaluate how much you have learned. You will only be able to access the second activity after completing the first matching activity on the last slide of the presentation. |
|
Complete this quiz. After clicking on the link above, scroll down to "Self-Quiz" at the bottom of the page. After completing the quiz return to the first page and click on "Answers" to see the correct answers. There is a detailed introduction to this assessment above the "Self-Quiz." Be sure to visit the "Results" section, also note that clicking on the links under the empty frames brings you to annotated micrographs. |
||
Complete this quiz. After clicking on the link above, scroll down to "Self-Quiz" at the bottom of the page. After completing the quiz return to the first page and click on "Answers" to see the correct answers. There is a detailed introduction to this assessment above the "Self-Quiz." Be sure to visit the "Results" section, also note that clicking on the links under the empty frames brings you to annotated micrographs. |
||
5.1: Pathogenesis | Read this chapter. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. |
|
5.2.1: Staphylococcus | Read the section titled "Staphylococci." Watch the "Catalase Test Movie" under Fig.7. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. Study Figures 3 to 5 and 8 for micrographs. |
|
Complete this quiz. After clicking on the link above, scroll down to "Self-Quiz" at the bottom of the page. After completing the quiz return to the first page and click on "Answers" to see the correct answers. There is a detailed introduction to this assessment above the "Self-Quiz." Be sure to visit the "Results" section, also note that clicking on the links under the empty frames brings you to annotated micrographs. |
||
5.2.2: Streptococcus | Read this chapter on Streptococci. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. Make sure to view the last image in the left panel to identify Streptococcus. |
|
5.2.3: Enterococcus | Read this article to learn about this microorganism, which is commonly found in fecal matter. Click on every link that is embedded in the text to explore the content. |
|
Complete this quiz. After clicking on the link above, scroll down to "Self-Quiz" at the bottom of the page. After completing the quiz return to the first page and click on "Answers" to see the correct answers. There is a detailed introduction to this assessment above the "Self-Quiz." Be sure to visit the "Results" section, also note that clicking on the links under the empty frames brings you to annotated micrographs. |
||
5.2.4: Neisseria | Read the section titled "Neisseria," located near the bottom of the page. The Neisseria genus includes two major classes, N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis. The former causes gonorrhea, while the latter is one major cause of bacterial meningitis. The term "diplococcic" means "two cocci" or "a pair of cocci." Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. |
|
5.3.1: Bacillus | Read this six-page article on Bacillus. Make sure you understand the relationship between Bacillus and other spore forming bacteria. Note that Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax, a disease commonly associated with bioterrorism. |
|
5.3.2: Clostridium | Read the section titled "Anaerobic Spore-Formers (Clostridia)." The clostridium genus produces the botulinum toxin that causes botulism. The toxin is a major cause of human food poisoning throughout the world. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. |
|
5.3.3: Listeria | Read this three-page chapter on listeria. |
|
5.3.4: Mycobacterium and Corynebacterium | Read this chapter about Mycobacterium and Corynebacteria. The Mycobacterium genus of bacteria causes many serious diseases, including tuberculosis and leprosy. By the end of this reading, you should be able to identify which species causes which disease. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. |
|
5.3.5: Actinomyces and Nocardia | Read this article. Focus on learning the differences between Actinomyces, Nocardia, and Streptomyces. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. |
|
5.4.1: Pseudomonas | Read the section titled "Pseudomonas aeruginosa". |
|
5.4.2: Brucella | Read this article from the CDC to learn about Brucella, which typically infects only animals but can also infect humans with as little as 10 to 100 Brucella cells. |
|
5.4.3: Bordetella and Legionella | Read this chapter covering Bordetella, Haemophilus, and Legionella. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. There is a very helpful diagram on the binding of pertussis toxin to the cell membrane. To access the diagram, click on the link to the diagram about half way down the left side panel. |
|
5.4.4: Escherichia, Salmonella, Shigella, and Yersinia | Read the sections "Escherichia coli," "Shigella," "Salmonella," and "Yersinia." Some of these names might be familiar to you. For example, you might have heard of Escherichia before; it is the "E" in E. coli, one of the most commonly studied organisms in microbiology. Meanwhile, Salmonella is most commonly found on uncooked meats and raw vegetables and is one of the most common agents of food poisoning. Salmonella has nothing to do with the fish, salmon; it was named after Daniel Salmon, the first individual to hold a doctorate in veterinary medicine in America. Lastly, Yersinia is the cause of the bubonic plague, one of the deadliest diseases in human history. Also known as the "Black Death," it wiped out entire cities and killed hundreds of millions of people. It was so devastating that the total population of Europe was not able to recoup its numbers until more than a century later, permanently altering the course of European history. |
|
5.5.1: Treponema and Leptospira | Read the sections titled "Treponema pallidum" and "Leptospirosis." The Treponema genus causes syphilis, a common sexually transmitted disease. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. |
|
5.5.2: Vibrio and Campylobacter | Read the sections titled "Vibrio Species" and "Campylobacter and Helicobacter." Vibrio cholerae causes cholera. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. |
|
5.5.3: Chlamydia | Read this article on Chlamydia. Chlamydia, a common sexually transmitted disease, is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. |
|
5.5.4: Mycoplasma | Read this chapter, which covers Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma. All Mycoplasma species lack a cell wall. Because they lack a cell wall, they are unaffected by many antibiotics (such as penicillin) that destroy bacteria by targeting cell walls. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. |
|
Complete this quiz. After clicking on the link above, scroll down to "Self-Quiz" at the bottom of the page. After completing the quiz return to the first page and click on "Answers" to see the correct answers. There is a detailed introduction to this assessment above the "Self-Quiz." Be sure to visit the "Results" section, also note that clicking on the links under the empty frames brings you to annotated micrographs. |
||
5.6: Antibiotics | Read this chapter on the antibiotic medication used to kill microorganisms in humans and animals. |
|
Complete this assessment. After clicking on the link above, select the "Self-Quiz" link to download the assessment PDF file, afterwards click on "Answers" and compare your responses. There is a detailed introduction to this assessment above the "Self-Quiz." Be sure to visit the "Results" section, and click on the links to study annotated figures. |
||
6.1: Fungi and Human Disease | Read this article to learn about pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi. |
|
Read this article for an introduction to fungi, their growth requirements, and their reproductive properties. |
||
6.2: True Pathogenic Fungi | Read this article. It does a great job discussing pathogenic (disease-causing) fungi. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. |
|
6.3: Mycotoxins | Watch this video, which discusses how mycotoxins can contaminate a home and spread to humans. |
|
6.4.1: Yeasts | Read this article. Candida is one of the most common causes of yeast infections in humans. Other yeasts, such as Cryptococcus, also cause opportunistic infections. Candida includes many species that cause infections, such as thrush and common yeast infections in women. |
|
6.4.2: Pneumocystis | Read this article about pneumocystis. |
|
6.4.3: Aspergillus | Read the section titled "Aspergillus." Aspergillus is commonly found in the environment and can act as on opportunistic pathogen. |
|
6.5.1: Penicillium | Read this article on the fungus from which the antibiotic penicillin is derived. |
|
6.5.2: Saccharomyces | Read this article about Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, which makes baker's and brewer's yeast, which is then used to bake bread, brew beer, and ferment wine. |
|
Complete this quiz. After completing the quiz return to the first page and click on "Answers" to see the correct answers. There is a detailed introduction to this assessment above the "Self-Quiz." Be sure to visit the "Results" section, also note that clicking on the links under the empty frames brings you to annotated micrographs. |
||
Complete this quiz. After completing the quiz return to the first page and click on "Answers" to see the correct answers. There is a detailed introduction to this assessment above the "Self-Quiz." Be sure to visit the "Results" section, also note that clicking on the links under the empty frames brings you to annotated micrographs. |
||
6.6: Antifungals | Read this article on the antifungal drugs used to treat a variety of fungal infections. |
|
7.1.1: Protozoa Characteristics | Read this chapter, which focuses on protozoa and their unique features. |
|
7.1.2.1: Intestinal and Luminal Protozoa | Read this chapter about intestinal and luminal protozoa. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. Be sure to examine all of the life cycle diagrams that are embedded in the text when you study. |
|
7.1.2.2: Blood-Borne Protozoa | Read this chapter on blood-borne protozoa. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. Be sure to examine the life cycle diagrams that are embedded in the text when you study. |
|
7.1.2.3: Trichomonas | Read this article. |
|
7.2.1: Helminths Characteristics | Read this chapter to understand the characteristics of Helminths. Unlike Protozoa and Algae, which fall under the kingdom "Protists," Helminths fall under the kingdom "Animalia." |
|
7.2.2.1: Nematodes | Read this article on the round worms known as nematodes. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. Be sure to examine all of the life cycle diagrams that are embedded in the text when you study. |
|
7.2.2.2: Trematodes | Read this article on the flukes known as trematodes. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. Be sure to examine all of the life cycle diagrams that are embedded in the text when you study. |
|
7.2.2.3: Cestodes | Read this article on tapeworms, also known as cestodes. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. Be sure to examine all of the life cycle diagrams that are embedded in the text when you study. |
|
Complete this quiz. After completing the quiz return to the first page and click on "Answers" to see the correct answers. There is a detailed introduction to this assessment above the "Self-Quiz." Be sure to visit the "Results" section, also note that clicking on the links under the empty frames brings you to annotated micrographs. |
||
7.3: Antiparasitics | Study these slides. Use the arrows to work your way through the presentation, which thoroughly covers the drugs used to treat parasites. |
|
8.1: Virus Characteristics | Watch this lecture, which identifies the major characteristics of viruses. |
|
Read this overview of DNA and RNA viruses, which are either single or double stranded and can vary in size and morphology. |
||
8.2: Viral Replication Cycles | Read this chapter to learn about viral replication cycles. |
|
8.3.1: Poxviruses | Study these slides. Note that poxviruses cause most diseases with the word "pox" in their names. The major exception is chickenpox, which is caused by herpesvirus, our next topic. |
|
8.3.2: Herpesviruses, Adenoviruses, Papillomaviruses, and other Oncogenic Viruses | Read this chapter to learn about viruses that can cause cancer. Herpes viruses cause a variety of diseases, from genital herpes to mononucleosis to chickenpox. The human papillomavirus (HPV) has been associated with cervical cancer. A vaccination is now available for both females and males to prevent HPV infection. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. |
|
8.4.1: Parvoviruses | Read this article to understand parvoviruses and their threat to our pets. |
|
8.4.2: Geminiviruses | Read this article about the ssDNA viral family. |
|
8.5.1: Arboviruses | Read this article on Arboviruses, which include the mosquito-spread West Nile Virus and Reoviridae. Reoviridae causes the gastroenteritis illness known as "Rotavirus." |
|
8.5.2: Birnaviruses | Read the first three paragraphs of the introduction to gain an understanding of birnaviruses. |
|
8.6.1: Coronaviruses | Read this article to learn about Coronavirus and SARS. SARS, also known as severe acute respiratory syndrome, is caused by a type of coronavirus. |
|
8.6.2: Picornaviruses | Read this article to learn about Picornaviruses, which cause intestinal problems as well as the common cold. |
|
Read the article to learn about Rhinoviruses. |
||
8.6.3: Caliciviruses | Read the section titled "Caliciviruses". |
|
8.7.1: Orthomyxoviruses | Read this chapter to learn about different types of flu viruses. Orthomyxoviruses are more commonly known as the flu virus. There are many kinds of flu viruses, including H1N1. |
|
8.7.2: Paramyxoviruses | Read this chapter, which discusses Paramyxoviruses. |
|
8.7.3: Rhabdoviruses | Read this chapter to further understand the dangers of rabies to animals and humans. One type of virus in the rhabdovirus family is called lyssavirus, which causes rabies. Rabies is infallibly lethal; if left untreated, it has a death rate of 100%. |
|
8.7.4: Filoviruses | Read this article to learn about Filoviruses and hemorrhagic fever. Filoviruses cause viral hemorrhagic fevers, a particularly destructive set of conditions that often leads to death. One such virus is the Ebolavirus, which causes Ebola. |
|
8.8.1: Hepadnaviruses | Read this chapter to learn about hepatitis. Retroviruses use intermediates to make copies of themselves. DNA retroviruses use RNA intermediates, while RNA viruses use DNA intermediates. |
|
8.8.2: Lentiviruses | Read this article to learn about the HIV virus and AIDS. The most famous lentivirus is the human immunodeficiency virus, also known as HIV. |
|
Read this page, and then click on the "Next" button on the bottom of the page. On the next page choose "What is alive?" This is a multiple-choice assessment. Choosing an option will bring you to a page that indicates whether you answered correctly or incorrectly and provides a short explanation. If you answer incorrectly, click on "try again" to repeat the question. If you answer correctly, click on the link to the next problem. |
||
8.9: Antivirals | Read this chapter on anti-viral medications. Although the word "chemotherapy" is almost exclusively used in common language to refer to cancer treatment, it actually refers to the chemicals used in drug therapy for a variety of illnesses. Refer to Figure 1 on the attack mechanism of an enveloped virus as you study. |
|
9.1: Non-Specific Immunity (Skin and Mucous Membrane and Innate Immunity) | Read this chapter, which describes how the body combats the invasion of microorganisms in a non-specific manner. Non-specific mechanisms include skin and mucous membranes, as well as the innate immune response. Take advantage of the PowerPoint lecture slides as you study. Click on the icons of Figures 1 to 3 and 9 to 14 for summaries and mechanisms. |
|
9.2: Adaptive Immunity | Read this article on how the adaptive immune system protects the body. Once you have completed the reading assignment, test your knowledge by clicking on the link, titled "Quiz Yourself on this Section," at the bottom of the page. |
|
Study this page, and then select the "Test Yourself" link at the bottom of the page. Complete the "Antigen-specific immune response" and "White blood cell regulating production of antibodies and destruction of infected cells" problems. These are multiple-choice assessments. Choosing an option will bring you to a page with explanation. If this explanation is a "Tutorial," then read it carefully and return to the multiple-choice assessment. Be sure to complete both problems. |
||
Complete this assessment. Select the "Self-Quiz" link to download the assessment in a PDF file and take the quiz. Click on "Answers" to see the correct answers. There is a detailed introduction to this assessment above the "Self-Quiz." Be sure to visit the "Results" section, and click on the links to study annotated figures. |
||
9.3: Vaccination | Read this chapter to learn about the different types of vaccines and how they work. |
|
10.1.1: Bioremediation | Read this article on how oil spills are cleaned up by the process of bioremediation. Follow the links in the "Why Bioremediation Works” section; these links will take you to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports. Study the introductory paragraph on each of the following USGS pages and "Project Headlines” pages: for "Crude Oil Contamination in the Shallow Subsurface: Bemidji, Minnesota,” study the project headline "Predicting Plume Growth rates;” for "Sewage-Contaminated Ground Water - Cape Cod, Massachusetts,” study the project headlines "Hydrogen Measured in a New Test for Determining Subsurface Microbiological Activity at Contamination Sites” and "Decades Required for Natural Processes to Clean Wastewater-Contaminated Ground Water;” and for "San Francisco Bay Estuary Priority Ecosystem Study,” study the project headline "Phytoplankton in Coastal Waters and Global Climate Change?” |
|
10.1.2: Sewage Treatment | Read this article to learn how wastes are treated and disposed of. Follow the "Chlorination" and "Eutrophication" links, and study these sections as well. |
|
10.2.1: Aseptic Packaging | Read this introduction to learn about how we ensure that the food that we eat is packaged in a manner that will prevent microbial contamination. This document was prepared by the FDA to act as a guide for industries involved in packaging food. |
|
10.2.2: Fermentation | Study this laboratory guide, which explains how microbiology is used in the preparation of foods such as yogurt, beer, and sauerkraut. Directions are even given as recipes so you can make your own. Let's get cooking! |
|
Complete the following assessments: "Lactic Acid Production," "Pyruvate/ Lactate Ratio," and "Fermentation" problems. These are multiple-choice assessments. Choosing an option will bring you to a page with explanation. Read the explanation, if any, and return to the multiple-choice assessment. Be sure to complete all problems. |
||
10.3: Industrial Microbiology | Study this resource by clicking on the links on the left sidebar and reading each section from "Fermentation & Human History," "Beer," "Chocolate" and "Discover a New Antibiotic." |
|
10.3.1: Industrial Products of Microbes | Watch Parts I-IV of the lecture and take notes. |
|
10.3.2: Bioconversion | Read this article about the various types of microbes that are used during composting. |
|
Watch the slides in this video, which discuss bioconversion. |
||
10.3.3: Biofuels | Read the article and watch the video to learn about biofuels and the research that is being done to create this new source of energy. |