BIOL 2320 – Nutritional Science Assignment Essay

An understanding of the fundamental principles of nutrition can help people make important decisions regarding a healthy diet to keep the body functioning as it should. This course introduces students to the fundamentals of the nutritional sciences, with an emphasis on the biochemistry of human systems. Through discussions, lab work, and other practical assignments, students explore the body’s digestive and metabolic processes, the components of a healthy diet, the role of nutrition in growth and health through the life cycle, and the relationships between nutrition, health, culture, and the environment. Through this course, students gain knowledge needed to apply scientific principles when interpreting nutritional information.

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Instructor/Professor: Dr. Stephanie Fischer Daugherty
Office: BEP 104 Office phone: 903-566-7013
Office Hours: MW 8-9, T Th by appointment (email me!)
Email: [email protected]
Scheduled meeting times: Mondays & Wednesdays 2:40-4:00
Course Description:
This course will introduce non-Biology-major, health professions focused students to the
principles of Microbiology. Pre-requisites: Completion of or concurrent enrollment in
Intro to Chemistry is recommended, but not required.
Course Objectives:
1. Students will learn how genes control protein expression in living cells, and how
information flows from genes to mRNA to proteins.
2. Students will learn how enzymes function in the cell, and how enzymes control
metabolism and other traits in microbes
3. Students will learn the cellular characteristics of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and
will study viral infections, bacterial infections, fungal infections, and parasitic
infections
4. Students will learn how antibiotics work to target specifically prokaryotes, and also
how enzymes in bacteria can confer resistance to antibiotics
5. Students will learn basics of the immune system, including the functions of fever,
antibodies, memory cells, and cytotoxic cells. Students will understand how
vaccines work to immunize individuals, and how herd immunity works to protect an
entire population.
6. Students will develop critical thinking skills, writing skills and discussion skills as they
do group discussions in class, and prepare essay answers using a scaffolded
learning system directed by the professor.
Course Textbook:
Recommended: Microbiology Fundamentals, A Clinical Approach by Marjorie Kelly
Cowan, 2nd edition.
Other editions will also work. Do NOT purchase additional “online learning” packages
from publisher.
There is an eTextbook version available from the publisher, you can try it out here:
http://www.coursesmart.com/IR/4169933/007736984X?__hdv=6.8
It is about $100 for 180 day rental.
Other Resources: online resources and links to research papers will be distributed via
Canvas, Jupiter, or dropbox.
Students are expected to attend all lectures and discussions. Points are awarded for
attendance and participation in mandatory lectures and group discussions.
Points may or may not be awarded for a make up quiz for an unexcused absence at the
professor’s discretion, with consideration that quizzes are open for one week and
therefore illness on the due date is not truly an issue about an absence. Medical
absences or hardship absences extending over more than 2 quizzes (even if not
consecutive) mean no further make ups past the due date will be offered, unless the
problem has been documented through the university Student Accessibility Resources
office. Policy for entire semester is, if student misses an assignment and wants the
opportunity to make it up, student must create a semester planner with all due dates
entered for the semester, and show it to the professor (it may be electronic or on paper).
Once professor verifies planner, assignment will be reopened. This offer is only valid for
one assignment.
If a student misses a class or exam due to a documented emergency, a make up
assignment or exam will be determined by consultation with the professor. A make up
exam, if scheduled, will occur within one week of the student’s return to class. If a
student misses a class or exam without contacting the professor ahead of the start time
of the exam, no make up assignment or exam need be offered.
Examinations & Coursework:
Four exams will be given, focusing on lecture material, each worth 17% of the
final grade
Quizzes will be given online, for a total of 16% of the final grade
Quizzes will be given online over reading assigned from outside sources,
including peer reviewed science articles, comprising 8% of the final grade
Group Discussions and Mandatory Lectures will be done collectively on specified
class days for 8% of the final grade.
If a student misses a class or exam due to a documented emergency, a make up
assignment or exam will be determined by consultation with the professor. It a student
misses a class or exam without contacting the professor, no make up assignment or
exam need be offered.
Rules for exams: exams are given online, but in class (you must attend class to take the
exam), on either a laptop or an ipad tablet. The device on which you take the exam is
the only device that may be in the student’s possession (please put phones or other
devices in your bag). Smartwatches & headphones are not allowed during exams. Hats
and hoods will be removed during exams. If these rules are not followed, student will be
given a zero for the exam.
Canvas, Dropbox, and other online tools:
Digital information exchanges for this course will take place on the university Canvas
system and on additional online tools. The first day of class will introduce you to these
tools and how to access them.
Grading:
Grading will be performed consistent with UT Tyler policy.
Percentage of total possible points Letter grade
90-100% A
80-89.4% B
70-79.4% C
60-69.4% D
00-59.4% F
Final grades are rounded up (69.5% is rounded up to a 70%).
Make Ups, Withdrawals & Incompletes
No make-up exams will be given for unexcused absences. If you must be absent for an
exam, please email the professor AHEAD OF TIME. The time-stamp on the email
MUST BE BEFORE THE EXAM BEGINS. If you have a medical emergency, a note
from a doctor is required to schedule a make up exam. Only one make-up exam will be
scheduled; if you miss the make-up, or miss another exam later, no new make-up exam
will be scheduled, unless the problem is documented through the Student Accessibility
Resource office. The make-up exam may be a version of the original exam, or may be
an essay version of the exam, at the professor’s discretion.
Make up material will be provided at the professor’s discretion, dependent upon
attendance in lecture, completed assignments, and the amount of time elapsed since
material was missed. Please email the professor to obtain make up material, after
checking on Canvas and with colleagues to determine what is needed. Please follow
up the email with personal contact if an answer has not been received within 1 week.
It is the student’s responsibility to consult with the professor, Canvas, and
peers/colleagues in a timely manner to obtain missed material. Materials may not be
provided after 3 weeks, or after an exam is given, depending upon whether materials
are pertinent to next exam.
The last day to withdraw from the course and receive a “W” on your transcript is
____________. Please contact the registrar’s office for paperwork to formally withdraw.
An professor’s signature is required. If you fail to get a withdrawal form submitted on
time, you will receive an “F” in the course. You are NOT automatically withdrawn, even
if you stop attending classes. You must file the form.
Expectations
Students are expected to participate in the course, including keeping track of and
completing assignments on time (online quizzes and homeworks included). Students
are expected to attend the “mandatory lectures” in person, unless they have a
documented excuse. Multiple absences for discussions require documentation through
the Student Accessibility Resource office. Students are expected to behave in
accordance with University Policy and with safety regulations dictated by the laboratory
setting. Tobacco and e-cigarettes pose a distraction and potential medical risk to other
students, and will not be used in class or in lab. Students are expected to behave
professionally and not create a disruptive learning environment for fellow students.
Extra Credit
NO, NO, NO, I repeat, NO Extra Credit will be offered at the end of the course.
Extra credit assignments MAY be offered to the entire class as a bonus assignment
during the course, at the professor’s discretion. They will not be offered at the end of
the course to adjust your grade, and they will NOT be offered on an individual basis.
Best Practices and Hints
Read textbook chapters assigned BEFORE due date, and before coming to class.
Familiarize yourself with the terms, pictures, and overall outlines. Even just 20-30
minutes of effort before coming to class will benefit you in terms of what you can
understand and take notes on during lecture.
Print lecture outline slides and bring them to class, or bring them on an electronic device
via dropbox (see “Tech Tools for the Course” addendum). Take notes where you find
the professor has filled in slides, provided explanations, or is giving hints about
important topics. Use keywords, rather than full sentences.
Lecture slides with the professor’s notes will be posted online one week before the
exam. (Enough time to fill in blanks, if you’ve missed something, but not enough time to
rely on them rather than coming to class).
Your professor is a neuroscientist and specifically studied learning and memory. Three
key points to remember:
1. Reading is not enough. PRACTICE TESTING IS CRITICAL. Find a study
group, or use flashcards to self-test. Only then will you know whether you
have true command of the material.
2. Sleep is when memory is consolidated from short term to long term memory.
Study right before sleeping, if possible. For exams, STUDY and then
SLEEP….
3. I am a firm believer in “whole brain” recall, rather than memorization. I will
give cues to multiple brain lobes (pictures, root words, reading material,
memory cues, and reasoning). I want you to be able to reason through a
problem, not memorize an answer. Use group discussion activities as a
guide both in what to study, and how to think about problems.
Other Resources:
I highly recommend two websites: scientificamerican.com and sciencedaily.com , which
are brilliant for keeping up with science happenings on a daily basis.
There are several online microbiology resources that will help you if you need extra
information.
Online Textook of Bacteriology: http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/index.html
Medical Microbiology online: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7627/
Microbiology & Immunology online: http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/book/welcome.htm
Flashcards: for a $19.95 fee, you may view and use flashcards created by other
students. For our textbook, search tags: microbiology, then Black, then MCBC 2010 at
the flashcard exchange website: http://www.flashcardexchange.com/membership
If you have a disability or accommodation, please see the professor during the first
week of class, and follow up with an email, so that we may arrange appropriate
accommodations.
Lecture Objective Student Learning Goals
3 factors of molecular
interaction
Molecules interact, and their interactions are
governed by their charge,
hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, and 3 dimentional
shape
Information flow Information in a cell is stored in DNA, in units known
as genes. This information is passed to messenger
RNA, and from there it is used to make proteins.
Enzymes Enzymes (and to some degree, ribozymes) do much
of the “work” in the cell, in terms of metabolism,
growth, and reproduction. Which enzymes a cell has
determines its characteristics, as we will see in lab
tests.
Building Blocks of Cells Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, and Nucleic Acids
are the main building blocks of cells, and are built by
linking atoms together into molecules, and molecules
together into macromolecules.
Metabolism Life is dependent upon the ability to store and
harvest energy. Molecules can store energy in high
energy bonds, and then release energy when those
bonds are broken. Specific processes
(photosynthesis, aerobic respiration, anaerobic
respiration, and fermentation) are used by cells to
store and release energy from molecules. One of
the main chemical “batteries” of the cell is the
molecule ATP
Growth & Culture Cells have specific processes to grow and reproduce
themselves. Environmental conditions can affect
enzyme function, which in turn will affect bacterial
growth rates and metabolism.
Cells Humans are eukaryotes, with nuclei and other
membrane bound organelles, a complex genome,
and mitochondria for aerobic respiration. Bacteria
are prokaryotes, with no membrane bound
organelles, no nuclei, a shorter genome, and aerobic
respiration occurs at their outer membrane. Most
bacteria have cell walls composed of peptidoglycan,
and the differences in bacterial cell structure can be
used to classify bacteria in the lab. Differences
between bacteria cells and human cells can be
targeted by antibiotic drugs to selectively inhibit the
growth of bacteria, while leaving the eukaryotic hosts
unharmed (usually).
Antibiotics & Resistance Antibiotics are drugs which are used to selectively
inhibit the growth of bacteria. There are multiple
possible targets and mechanisms of action.
Antibiotic resistance occurs when a bacterial cell is
able to circumvent the activity of antibiotics, either
through an enzyme that stops antibiotic action, or a
mutation that alters the target of an antibiotic.
Resistance can be caused by random mutation or by
selection. Education of patients as to why following
instructions when prescribed antibiotics is critical is
emphasized.
Genetics Review of information flow. Mutations occur as
changes in the sequence of DNA, which thereby
alters sequence of mRNA, which can then alter
protein structure and function. Students are
expected to explain how a single gene mutation
(examples: sickle-cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, etc)
can cause disease. Epigenetics (and effect on
multiple generations) is briefly introduced. p53 and
DNA repair is introduced, along with the ability of
some viruses, such as HPV, to disable p53 and
thereby predispose to dysregulated cell growth and
potentiate cancer development.
Viruses & Antivirals Viruses are introduced as distinct from cells.
Classification according to structure and nucleic acid
is introduced. Stages of viral infection in a cell are
delineated, and special properties of retroviruses
(reverse transcriptase, integrase) are emphasized.
We will discuss the “functional cure” of HIV positive
babies and why it is called a “functional cure” rather
than a cure. The flu virus is emphasized, and the
differences between seasonal flu viruses and the
bird flu virus is explored. The term cytokine storm is
introduced and explained. Timely virus topics are
explored, including CHIKV, Ebola, Dengue, and
West Nile. Antivirals are discussed in terms of their
action and their severe limitations. Comparison is
drawn between antibiotic resistance and selection for
antiviral resistant strains. Laurie Garrett’s talks on
limited usefulness of Tamiflu are utilized in class for
discussion.
Prions Prions are introduced as non-viral, non-cellular,
proteinaceous infectious particles. Mechanism of
prions and their effect on the nervous system is
introduced. Story of how difficult it was to get
medical community to accept completely new
paradigm is discussed. (See additional information in
Germicides and Sterilization)
Fungi and Parasites,
Antifungals and
Antiparasiticals
Opportunistic fungal pathogens are introduced, as
well as secondary infections resulting from antibiotic
use. Parasitical pathogens are introduced. Malaria is
used as example parasite life cycle, with directions to
CDC sites for life cycles of any other parasites of
interest. Antifungal medicines briefly mentioned and
general mechanism of action explained (not in
detail!). Antiparasitical medicines briefly mentioned
and general mechanism of action explained (not in
detail). Emphasis is placed on fungi and parasites
being eukaryotic, so therapeutic index trickier).
Koch’s Postulates Scientific Method is emphasized here with a detailed
explanation of how “cause of disease” is determined
and validated. Aspects of a disease that might make
fulfilling Koch’s Postulates difficult are explored (long
incubation time, difficult to culture pathogen, etc).
Story of HIV and of Helicobacter Pylori are discussed
to emphasize points. This lecture is carried over into
a lab activity where students are given
epidemiological information and must hypothesize
causative pathogen and describe scientific method to
test using Koch’s postulates.
Epidemiology & Disease Epidemiology and the process of human disease are
discussed. Types of epidemiological studies and
how to interpret data are given in an exercise.
Portals of entry, incubation times, prevalence vs.
incidence graphs and morbidity and mortality data
are introduced. Propagation of disease is discussed,
and how disease spread is controlled, with example
of SARS outbreak.
Immune System The immune system is introduced, beginning with
first line defenses. Second line defenses are
introduced and the process of eliciting a fever
response are learned as though studens must
explain them to a patient. Emphasis is placed on
fever being beneficial up to 104 degrees, and why.
Inflammation is introduced, but detailed mechanism
not explored. 3rd line of defense (adaptive immune
response) is introduced, from antigen presentation to
humoral and cytotoxic response. Effects of
suppressor T cells and memory cells discussed.
Vaccines What vaccines are and how they work is explored to
the point where students can explain this to patients.
Examples of first developed vaccine by naturally
attenuated virus (smallpox) given, to development of
artificially attenuated virus (polio), to genetically
engineered acellular vaccines. Herd immunity
introduced. Problems with whooping cough vaccine
are expolored to the point of students being able to
explain why reduced protection with modern TDaP to
patients. Discussion ends with evidence why autism
is not caused by vaccines.
At this point the class
switches from concept
based format to specific
disease format
Systemic Diseases of:
Immune System Autoimmune disease and immune deficiency are
differentiated, with students expected to be able to
explain the difference. Examples of each are given,
along with causative pathogens.
Skin & Wounds Diseases classically associated with the skin are
introduced briefly, along with causative pathogens
and etiology. Included: scalded skin syndrome,
MRSA, Rubella, Measles, etc. Gangrenous wounds,
burn infection, and pseudomonas infection are also
introduced.
Nervous System Diseases classically associated with the nervous
system are introduced briefly, along with causative
pathogens and etiology. The blood brain barrier is
emphasized as primary protective boundary, and
also mentioned as problematic in aiding drug
delivery to CNS. Included: meningitis (bacterial and
viral), encephalitis, polio, leprosy, fungal infections.
Cardio & Body Diseases classically associated with the cardiac
system are introduced briefly, along with causative
pathogens and etiology. Particular attention is paid
to strep infection leading to rheumatic fever, and
leads to a discussion of rapid antibiotic treatment of
suspected strep throat. Other diseases focused on
include septicemia, puerperal fever, neonatal
meningitis & Group B strep, Systemic infections
mentioned in this lecture include anthrax, yersenia
pestis plague, lyme disease, ebola, CHIKV, EpsteinBarr virus, and toxoplasmosis.
Respiratory Diseases classically associated with the respiratory
system are presented here, with differentiation
between upper respiratory tract infections and lower
respiratory tract infections. Strep throat, sinusitis,
bronchitis, diphtheria, and the common cold are
mentioned, as well as pneumonia, tuberculosis,
whooping cough, RSV, Flu, SARS, and fungal
respiratory diseases. Students learn about tests for
strep and do an example “clinical practice” in lab.
Gastrointestinal Diseases classically associated with GI tract are
presented, and ear infections are included here as
usually introduced via the Eustachian tube, although
by bacteria associated with respiratory infections.
Mouth and dental caries are introduced, as well as
mumps, food poisoning bacterial pathogens,
norovirus, and GI parasites. Pinworms are
discussed as most common parasitical infection in
US seen in general practice. Clostridium difficile is
introduced with discussion of antibiotic treatment as
a predisposing factor, with expectation that students
will be able to explain this as if to a patient.
Urogential Tract Diseases classically associated with urinary tract are
presented, including pathogens usually associated
with UTI (and students learn about tests for these
and do an example “clinical practice” in lab).
Pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis are also
introduced briefly. Leptospirosis is introduced as a
timely and local concern. Diseases classically
associated with the gential tract are presented,
including pathogens that cause pelvic inflammatory
disease. Normal flora of urogenital system is
discussed and its protective effect via competition.
Gardnerella as a trigger pathogen for bacterial
vaginitis is introduced. Parasitical and fungal
pathogens are also introduced. STDs are introduced
and distinction drawn between bacterial STDs
treatable by antibiotics (albeit concerns over
increasing resistance) vs. viral STDs. Herpesvirus
1&2 are introduced, as is HPV

BIOL 2320 – Nutritional Science Assignment Essay