Syllabus

Biology of Microfungi (Bot. 358)

Fall 2006

 

Instructor: Terry W. Henkel, Ph.D.

Office: Science Building B 123

Telephone: 826-4841

Email: twh5@humboldt.edu

Office Hours: 2-3 pm Tues; 9-11 am Wed; or by appointment

 

Meeting Times:        Lecture: Mon/Wed 12-12:50 pm, Science B 128

                                    Lab: Mon/Wed 2-4:50 pm, Science B 128

 

Required Text: Introductory Mycology, 4^th Edition, Alexopolous, Mims, and Blackwell                   

Required Lab Equipment: Fine forceps, 2 needle probes, notebook for drawing (unlined), drawing pencils; 10X hand lens (note: slides, coverslips, razorblades, reagents, and culturing equipment will be provided)

 

Course Format: The course will consist of two lectures and two labs per week. This 2-unit course ends mid-semester (Oct. 15). Lectures will cover life histories, systematics, ecology, genetics, and practical applications of two major phyla of True Fungi, the Chytridiomycota and Zygomycota, the form-class Deuteromycetes, as well as protistan fungi, including slime molds (Myxomycota and Dictyosteliomycota) and water molds (Oomycota). Laboratories will focus on anatomy, morphology, and taxonomy of these organisms, and will include class projects. Cultures of Myxomycota, Dictyosteliomycota, and Oomycota obtained from nature will be examined over the duration of the course.

 

Field Trips: Brief field trips will be scheduled to the Arcata Community Forest or other sites to facilitate lab projects. Times to be announced.

 

Blackboard: Regular use of Blackboard is REQUIRED of all students in BOT. 358. Lecture outlines, powerpoint presentations, lab manuals, handouts, announcements, and other items will be available (often exclusively) through Blackboard.

 

Examinations: There will be two lecture examinations, two lab quizzes, and one lab practical. The content of exams will cover the preceding series of lectures as well as relevant chapters from the textbook, and assigned readings outside of the textbook. The content of the lab quizzes and practical will be based on materials observed in the preceding labs, and aspects of projects.

 

Readings: Periodically, readings from the primary mycological literature will be assigned and questions regarding this material will appear on the lecture exams.

 

Grades: A student’s grade will consist of exams, practicals, and quizzes:

 

Lecture exam #1		100
Lecture exam #2		100
Lab practical		100
Lab quizzes (2)		50
	Total points =		350

 

 

Grading Scale:

% total points	Grade	% total points	Grade
100-93	A	77.9-73	C
92.9-90	A-	72.9-70	C-
89.9-88	B+	69.9-68	D+
87.9-83	B	67.9-60	D
82.9-80	B-	≤ 59.9	F
79.9-78	C+

Curve: Grades will be scaled at the end of the semester based on the highest score achieved in the class (i.e. the highest score will form the 100% mark).

 

Lecture Schedule:

M	21	Aug	Introduction; “Fungi” vs. “fungi”
W	23	Aug	Myxomycota I
M	28	Aug	Myxomycota II
W	30	Aug	Dictyosteliomycota
M	4	Sept	no class - holiday
W	6	Sept	Oomycota I
M	11	Sept	Oomycota II
W	13	Sept	Chytridiomycota I
M	18	Sept	Chytridiomycota II
W	20	Sept	Lecture Examination
M	25	Sept	Zygomycota I.
W	27	Sept	Zygomycota II
M	2	Oct	Deuteromycetes I
W	4	Oct	Deuteromycetes II
M	9	Oct	TBA
W	11	Oct	Lecture Examination

Laboratory Schedule:

M	21	Aug	Organization
W	23	Aug	Myxomycota: life history of Physarum polycephalum; ordinal taxonomy
M	28	Aug	Myxomycota & Oomycota: field collection, Arcata Community Forest
W	30	Aug	Myxomycota & Oomycota: isolation from nature
M	4	Sept	no lab - holiday
W	6	Sept	Dictyosteliomycota: isolation from nature
M	11	Sept	Oomycota: life history of Saprolegnia; plant parasitic Peronosporales
W	13	Sept	Quiz; Oomycota (cont.)
M	18	Sept	Chytridiomycota: life history of Allomyces; plant parasitic forms
W	20	Sept	Chytridiomycota (cont.)
M	25	Sept	Zygomycota: ordinal, family and generic taxonomy
W	27	Sept	Zygomycota: ordinal, family and generic taxonomy
M	2	Oct	Quiz; deuteromycete taxonomy
W	4	Oct	deuteromycete taxonomy
M	9	Oct	TBA
W	11	Oct	Lab practical