MCQ 1 (Lectures 1- 11) test weighting = 20% 
MCQ 2 (Lectures 14- 21) test weighting = 20%     
Short-answer questions about laboratory techniques = 20% 
These are to be submitted the week following each 3-week block

Examination of 90 min MCQ (covering lectures 1-21)  exam weighting  = 40%

·         To introduce students to the major groups of micro-organisms 
·         To give students a basic understanding of how a microbial cell functions  
·         To introduce students to a range of disease causing organisms and how they are transmitted  
·         To make students aware of the importance of micro-organisms for the maintenance of processes that allow life to exist (including our own) 
·         To introduce students to ways in which microbial processes can be managed and manipulated for the benefit of human kind and the environment in general 
·         To introduce students to a range of basic laboratory techniques used when working with microbes

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

·          Appreciate the importance of Microbiology in society 
·          Define the basic processes carried out by a microbial cell 
·         Explain how the information contained in the microbial DNA is translated into proteins 
·         Describe the basic principles of epidemiology and its importance in the spread of plant and human diseases 
·         Distinguish between the importance (and transmission routes) of a variety of disease causing micro-organisms 
·         Be aware of the measures that can be employed to combat infectious diseases 
·         Describe how the metabolism of some micro-organisms can be utilised for the benefit of humans (ranging from antibiotic production, food processing, to alcohol production) 
·         Describe how different micro-organisms grow and cover their energy requirements 
·         Understand the purpose and application of basic microbiology techniques, and analyse and report associated data scientifically