Catalog Description

Medical microbiology and immunology with an emphasis on microbial diseases of the eye and ocular immunology.

Typically Offered: Fall only

Prerequisites

Optometry students only.

Required Materials

• Textbooks: Microbiology, 2017. Free online
  Medical Microbiology. 4th edition. Free online
  Immunobiology: The Immune System in Health and Disease. 5th edition. Free online

Course-Specific Learning Outcomes

There are several course-specific outcomes for students in this class and are described below. By the conclusion of this course, successful students should be able to:

1. Microbial Diversity - Give examples of and compare and contrast different types of microbial cells (including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa). Identify cell structures and define their functions.
   Assessed via lecture exam one and the comprehensive final exam.

2. Immunology - Differentiate between the innate, humoral, and cellular defenses and identify points of interaction. Explain how inappropriate immune responses can result in host damage.
   Assessed via lecture exam two and the comprehensive final exam.

3. Microbial Pathogenesis – Compare and contrast the different strategies that microbes use to colonize, infect, and damage host tissues in human diseases.
   Assessed via lecture exam three and the comprehensive final exam.

4. Ocular Applications – Apply concepts of microbial structure and function, immunity, and molecular mechanisms of microbial disease to ocular case studies.
   Assessed via the comprehensive final exam.

Sample Syllabus

A copy of a recent syllabus for this course (which outlines the class policies and describes all graded materials) can be accessed as a PDF file. You may use this document to gauge how I approach the course topics and assess student learning. Nota bene: future syllabi (or those from other instructors of this course) may differ substantially.

On-line Course Materials

This class is taught as a web-enhanced course using our course management system, Blackboard. A variety of resources that are required to complete many of the assignments that are due this semester are only available on-line. My couse site contains many different resources to aid in your efforts to learn about microbiology. These include:

• A PDF copy of the current course syllabus.

• A posting of all course announcements

• A calendar of all course assignments and deadlines.

• On-line access to your course grades.

• E-mail and chat interfaces to contact me about the class.

• A bulletin board for on-line class discussions. We will use this for the Microbes in the News and research poster assignments as well for answering any questions or comments that you might post.

• An extensive glossary of terms used during the semester. These will be linked to other pages with in the site.

• A search tool to allow you to find material in the site.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this course. Thanks!