DIVERSITY, ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF MICROORGANISMS

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: MICROBIO 303 or graduate/professional standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Natural Science & Wellness Breadth - Biological Science Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Define the foundational principles of phylogenetics. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Compare the major phyla within bacteria, archaea and eukaryotic microbes. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Recognize general properties of viruses and the issues with their phylogenetic classification. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Define ecology, its domains and distinguish it from other closely related fields. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Develop a deeper understanding of methods available to characterize microbial communities. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Explain Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection and the four postulates of natural selection. Audience: Undergraduate 7. Describe the concept of adaptation and how over the history of science this concept has changed. Audience: Undergraduate 8. Identify the major events in the history of microbial life. Audience: Undergraduate 9. Develop an evolutionary understanding of the 3 domains of life. Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Define the foundational principles of phylogenetics. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Compare the major phyla within bacteria, archaea and eukaryotic microbes. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Recognize general properties of viruses and the issues with their phylogenetic classification. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Define ecology, its domains and distinguish it from other closely related fields. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Develop a deeper understanding of methods available to characterize microbial communities. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Explain Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection and the four postulates of natural selection. Audience: Undergraduate 7. Describe the concept of adaptation and how over the history of science this concept has changed. Audience: Undergraduate 8. Identify the major events in the history of microbial life. Audience: Undergraduate 9. Develop an evolutionary understanding of the 3 domains of life. Audience: Undergraduate