GENERAL MYCOLOGY 427R/527R - Course Information

 

Location:             Marley 217

time:                         9:30 - 10:45 am Tues, Thurs.

Instructor:        Dr. Marc Orbach

Office: Marley 341J

Phone: 621-3764

Email:  orbachmj@email.arizona.edu

Office hours: Wed 1:30-3:30 pm or by appointment.

Course INFORMATION and objectives:

This course is intended to introduce students to the diverse group of organisms in the Fungal kingdom and to the fungus-like organisms that include the Oomycota and the slime molds.  These microorganisms profoundly impact humans and the environment in both positive and negative ways.  Certain fungi are responsible for production of food, while others have been responsible for devastating famines.  Fungi have led to great advances in the treatment of infections through the discovery of antibiotics yet some fungi are the agents that cause many serious illnesses, especially among immuno-compromised patients.  One of the most important roles that fungi play is that of recycler of organic material, which reduces complex molecules to simpler ones that can be re-used by other organisms. 

Prerequisite: MCB 181R or MIC 205.

Teaching Format: Lecture only, the lab 427L, is optional but recommended for those wanting to gain experience identifying and working with fungi.  Discussion is encouraged and expected.

TOPICS:

This course is divided into four sections.  The first section will introduce the features that distinguish fungi from other organisms and the general methods they use for growth, reproduction and dispersal.  The second section will examine in detail the features of the different phyla of fungi and related organisms. The third section of the course will cover the uses of fungi for basic, molecular, and industrial research, and the fourth section will cover fungal interactions with other organisms.

TEXT:  There is no required text for the course. Chapters from books will be available on the course website for reference:

Introductory Mycology (Fourth ed., 1996) by C.J. Alexopolous, C. W. Mims and M. Blackwell once, THE reference, it is dated now with rapidly changing taxonomy.  It is very useful for descriptions of individual fungi. It is not required. 

Fungal Biology (Fourth ed., 2006) by J. W. Deacon.  This text has limited descriptions of species, but has very good descriptions of fungal growth, development, nutrition and interactions with other organisms.

Other useful texts:

á      Webster and Weber, Introduction to Fungi, 3rd ed. (2007)

á      Carlile et al. The Fungi  2nd ed. (2001)

á      Kendrick, The Fifth Kingdom  3rd ed. (2000)

Additional materials will be placed on the website for specific class sections.

WEB PAGE:  http://cals.arizona.edu/classes/plp427L/mycology.html

The course web page will contain all the important information for class including all deadlines.  Useful information will include this document, the syllabus, powerpoint presentations of lectures and additional related links. Information relevant to the lecture section is being continually added.  The web page serves as a resource for terminology, photos of fungal structures and life cycles, fungal systematics and for links to many fungal resources on the internet.  Study guides and practice exams are also available on the course page.  Check it out as a useful source of information. 

GRADES

For 427R, grades will be determined based on a possible 550 point total.  For 527R, grades will be based on a 650 point total.

Grades will be computed based on a percentage of points from the total:

á      A = 90-100%

á      B = 80 - 89%

á      C = 70 - 79%

á      D = 60 - 69%

Hourly exams: There will be three hourly exams worth 100 points each.  These exams will emphasize the material covered between exams, but some cumulative knowledge will be required.

Final Exam:  The Final exam will be worth 150 points and will be based half on the material since the third hourly exam, and half cumulative.

Exams will include definitions, short answer, true/false and multiple-choice questions. Examples are available on the course web page.

Term Paper:  A five-page term paper will be worth 50 points of the grade.  This paper gives students the opportunity to research in depth, a mycology topic of their interest.  The paper should be well-researched with the topic should be chosen in consultation with and approved by Dr. Orbach.   The paper should be double spaced, and written in proper scientific style with bibliographic references. References must be from peer-reviewed sources so their accuracy is supported. For students taking 527R, the term paper should be 10 pages to allow a more in depth exploration of a topic in fungal biology.  The paper is due by Thursday December 5, 2013.  Topics are to be chosen and approved by 10/22/13.

Class Project: We will be working in small groups on developing webpages on individual fungi, or fungal biology topics to allow in depth exploration of some areas of mycology. These will be used to enhance the course web page.

Oral Presentations:  Students taking 527R are required to give an oral presentation (30 minutes) on a topic of their choice for 100 points.  These will be presented in association with the appropriate lecture. Students taking 427R may have an opportunity to give an oral presentation of 15-20 minutes for up to 40 points of extra credit.  These will be chosen with consultation from the instructor and will represent a topic of interest to the student, separate from their term paper topic.

Quizzes:  There will be occasional quizzes either given at the beginning of class periods or as at home assignments.  It is hoped these will encourage keeping current with the lecture material.  Up to 5 quizzes will be given for a total of 50 points.

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

Any student failing to attend class in two or more successive classes is subject to automatic withdrawal if arrangements have not been made between student and instructor. All students are expected to take the exams on the dates listed.  If you know in advance that you will be unable to attend an exam, and have a valid reason, you may arrange to take an exam early.  You are strongly encouraged not to miss exams.  If extenuating circumstances cause you to miss an exam due to an emergency, and you provide a written excuse, arrangements will be made to test you on the material covered by the exam.  This will take the form of a combination oral/written exam.  There will be no make up quizzes.

Holidays or special events observed by organized religions will be honored for those students who show affiliation with that particular religion.  Absences pre-approved by the UA Dean of Students (or Dean designee) will be honored.

WITHDRAWALS

Students withdrawing from this course must notify the instructor and execute drop or withdrawal procedures, prior to non-attendance automatic withdrawal.

INCOMPLETES

Any incomplete given must be verified with a written agreement with the student that specifies the work to be done and a timetable of completion.

SPECIAL NEEDS AND ACCOMMODATIONS:

Students needing special accommodations or special services should contact the Disability Resources Center, 1224 East Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, (520) 621-3268, FAX (520) 621-9423, email: uadrc@email.arizona.edu, http://drc.arizona.edu/. The needs for specialized services must be documented by this Center, or DRC, and presented to me before the end of the second week of class. The need for accommodations must be documented by the appropriate office. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate. We will do everything we can to enhance your learning experience.

SHARING OF KNOWLEDGE AND ACADEMIC HONESTY

Students are strongly encouraged to share intellectual views and discuss freely the principles and applications of the course materials.  However, graded papers are to be executed independently.  This course operates under the UA code of academic integrity, as summarized online See: http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/codeofacademicintegrity

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR:

Cell phones and pagers must be turn off and put away during lecture. No texting during class.  The Arizona Board of RegentsÕ Student Code of Conduct, ABOR Policy 5-308, prohibits threats of physical harm to any member of the University community, including to oneÕs self.  See: http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/studentcodeofconduct .

CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENTS RECORDS:

http://www.registrar.arizona.edu/ferpa/default.htm

SUBJECT TO CHANGE STATEMENT:  Information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence policy, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor. We will try to cover as much fungal biology as possible but may identify interesting topics, not available prior to the semester that we want to explore.