Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Microbiology practical test Continuous assessment of practicals via multiple choice tests. 45 Minutes | 25% |
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours Exam | 75% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Supplementary microbiology coursework 1500 Words | 25% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 Hours Supplementary Exam | 75% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Independently demonstrate retained knowledge of the biodiversity of the major groups of land flora, bacteria and fungi under examination conditions
Examine how plants and microbes interact with other organisms, as mutualists and pathogens.
Evaluate the importance of plants and microbes in biogeochemical cycles and agriculture / biotechnology.
Perform and evaluate quantitative experiments in study of the physiology/morphology of plants and microbes.
Brief description
This module is designed to introduce students to the diversity of microbial and plant life, their core role in ecosystem function, their diverse mutualistic interactions, as well as their economic importance to humans (crop plants in agriculture, microbes as pathogens etc.). It will teach skills and knowledge to underpin careers in microbiology, plant science, ecological surveying or management.
Aims
This module is designed to introduce students to the diversity of microbial and plant life, their core role in ecosystem function, their diverse mutualistic interactions, as well as their economic importance to humans (crop plants in agriculture, microbes as pathogens etc.). It will teach skills and knowledge to underpin careers in microbiology, plant science, ecological surveying or management.
Content
The lecture course begins with an introduction to the three domains of life and plant and microbial evolution. Applied aspects of microbiology and plant science, which have direct relevance to humans, such as the importance of microbes in crop plant/animal disease, biotechnological exploitation of microbes (e.g. pharmaceuticals) and of crop plants in agriculture are explored. The major groups within Bacteria, Viridiplantae and Fungi (and also viruses) are described along with their key morphological (cellular ultrastructure), physiological (plant hormones/secondary metabolites) and ecological/life history traits. The importance of mutualistic interactions, ranging from insect pollination and seed/spore dispersal to the gut microbiome and mycorrhizas are discussed. The module also covers the central role of plants and microbes in global biogeochemical cycles, including how these have evolved over the past 4 billion years and how they are disrupted by human activities. Practical classes illustrate and consolidate aspects of the lecture course. Students will gain key skills in light microscopy and the safe handling of micro-organisms through simple experimental investigations. By the end of the course students will have acquired basic knowledge of experimental design and a range of laboratory methods.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | Collection and scrutiny of data in terms of quality and quantity. Data interpretation. |
| Communication | Listening skills for the lectures and subsequent discussion in practical classes. Effective written communication in lab report. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Outside the formal contact hours, students will be expected to research materials, manage time and meet deadlines. The directed study elements will provide opportunity for students to explore their own learning styles and preferences and identify their needs and barriers to learning. Students will be able to review and monitor their progress and plan for improvement of personal performance. |
| Information Technology | Accessing the web for information sources and using databases to find primary literature. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Students will gain confidence in their ability to evaluate biological problems and objectively assess the quality of proposed solutions. |
| Problem solving | Through the lectures students will become aware of specific environmental agricultural and medical problems related to plants and microbes and the solutions that have been developed to overcome these issues. Practical classes will allow students to gain experience in designing, executing, interpreting data and commenting on assessed microbiology experiments. |
| Research skills | Students will research topics beyond the depth and scope of the lecture material using both directed and independent study. Information from a variety of sources will be the object of scrutiny and comment. Practical classes will allow the development of key biological research skills (microscopy, safe handling of microbes) at an early stage of their academic careers. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Students will be able to evaluate the importance of micro-organisms in biogeochemical cycling and biotechnology and explain how micro-organisms interact with other organisms. Students will be able to describe the diversity of life forms within the eukaryotic and prokaryotic micro-organisms. Students will gain key skills in handling microbiological specimens. |
| Team work | Students will work in pairs/small groups during practical sessions. They will need to discuss their experimental design and work effectively as a small team in practical classes. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 4