Undergraduate - UnitBMS2052 - Microbes in health and disease

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational Unit	School of Biomedical Sciences
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Mr Mohamed Mohideen & Dr Priscilla Johanesen

Synopsis

The following aspects of the interactions of microbes with their hosts will be presented in lectures, tutorials, discussion groups and videos: The history of infectious diseases, medically important viruses and bacteria, pathogenic mechanisms in infectious diseases, immunity to infection, and their regulation, control of infection by vaccines and drugs, and emerging diseases.

Outcomes

The aim of this unit is to introduce students to microorganisms, their importance in the environment, their importance in human health and disease, and the methods used to study them in the laboratory and in their human hosts.

On successful completion of this unit, students will have gained an understanding of:

the history of infectious disease identification and research;
basic mechanisms of immunity to infection;
the immune response to infection;
the development and use of vaccines;
host and pathogen factors and how they affect the outcome of infection;
mechanisms of pathogenesis; emerging diseases;
the spread and control of infection; antimicrobial agents; and
a detailed knowledge of selected infectious diseases.

On successful completion of this unit, students will have skills in:

use of basic microbiological equipment such as the microscope etc.;
use of microscopic staining and visualisation techniques;
culture and identification of common species of medically important bacteria;
preparation and submission of laboratory reports; and
use of computer networks to access information.

Assessment

Written theory examination (50%)
Practical examination (25%)
Laboratory reports and quizzes (20%)
Laboratory practical skills (5%)

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Priscilla Johanesen

Workload requirements

3 lectures and one 3-hour laboratory class or tutorial/discussion session per week.

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Biomedical science

Prerequisites

BMS1062

Co-requisites

Must be enrolled in one of the following:
+ Bachelor of Biomedical Science (including double degree programs)
+ Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Scholar Program)
+ Bachelor of Biomedical Science Advanced with Honours

Prohibitions

MIC2022