Study Guide

Objective

The student knows the biochemically most important substances, their structures, and properties. They understand the structure of biological macromolecules and their role in cell structure and function. The student will understand the structures of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The student will understand the structure of the genome, the definition of a gene, the principle of gene regulation, and the transfer of information from DNA to protein.

Students will understand that microbes are found almost everywhere. They know the classification of microbes, the characteristics of different microbial groups, and the basic principles of microbial identification. They know the factors that influence microbial growth and how microbes are grown in the laboratory.

The student will be able to work aseptically and understand the main working methods in a biological laboratory. The student can use the basic equipment in the biological laboratory.

The student can communicate fluently and effectively in English in the context of learning and working in his/her professional field and can use English to develop his/her professional skills.

The student will be able to acquire, process, and communicate information from a variety of sources relevant to his/her professional field, both orally and in writing. have a realistic understanding of their language and communication skills and have a positive attitude towards developing them as part of their professional competence.

Content

Structure, characteristics, and function of biomolecules (lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids). Structure and function of genetic material. Regulation of gene expression. Cell cycle, DNA replication, and changes in genetic material. Protein synthesis.

Structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Viruses. Classification of microbes (bacteria, archae, fungi, algae, protozoa, and helminths). Microbial growth, cultivation and staining techniques of microbes, microscopy, mechanisms of microbial pathogenicity, vector-borne infections.

Basic biochemical and microbiological laboratory operations, e.g. aseptic technique, preparation of culture media, sterilization techniques, centrifugation, and handling of small volumes.

The content of the course focuses on the following topics that will enhance your oral and written communication skills in English:
- Key professional interactions: individual and group communication
- Key concepts and terms used in the profession
- Textual conventions and documents used in the profession
- Acquisition, processing, application and communication of information
- Self-assessment of language and communication skills and development of learning strategies

Prerequisites

Fundamentals of Chemistry 1
Fundamentals of Chemistry 2
Orientation to Field and Studies

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

The student:
- can use individual professional concepts correctly
- has achieved the targets for core competence
- acts according to safety instructions

In English communication situations related to their field the students:
- trust their communication skills to manage professional communication events using inquiries and relatively short speech acts
- understand the communication partner enough to be able to act and verbalize in accordance with the task in question
- express their thoughts simply, mainly coherently, and relatively understandably, even if there may be deficiencies in professional terminology and structural inaccuracies, which may interfere with full understanding
- draw up simple, formatted texts independently and

Assessment criteria, good (3)

The student:
- displays an understanding of concepts and professional knowledge in the field
- operates well in typical professional duties and contexts
- acts according to safety instructions

In English communication situations related to their field the students:
- trust their communication skills to manage in the professional context in line with the objectives set for the task
- exchange ideas as equal partners with independent language users
- take the initiative in professional discourse and can, to some degree, take into account participants’ cultural and language backgrounds and the demands of the context
- express themselves promptly in a clear and detailed manner
- use professional terminology to the point
- pronounce English clearly with matching stress and intonation
- produce texts for different purposes, where linguistic inaccuracy does not interfere with understanding

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student:
- can use concepts and knowledge in his/her field systematically
- can assess and use various information sources
- acts independently and responsibly in professional contexts
- acts according to safety instructions

In English communication situations related to their field the students:
- trust their communications skills to allow them to take initiative in communication events following the discourse practice of the field
- interact clearly and fluently as equal partners with a proficient speaker
- take initiative also in demanding professional communications where participants’ cultural and language backgrounds need to be taken into account
- express themselves effectively and accurately
- use professional terminology to the point
- pronounce English clearly, with stress and rhythm matching the total message
- have the ability to produce several genres, which are clear, well structured, and effective