Presented is a card game (loosely based on Canasta) for use in teaching microbial systematics. The cards and rules are described for the game, which is based on the construction of named microorganisms drawn from a collection of cards carrying a range of characteristics. (CS)

Summarizes current information on the structure and function of cilia. Three types of experiments are suggested using paramecium to investigate aspects of ciliate behavior. (Author/DC)

Reported is a technique for chromosome staining that is simple, rapid, inexpensive, and requires little skill for success. (PB)

Describes a self-instructional game which simulates scientific research in bacterial genetics. (CS)

An advance organizer is a set of conceptual statements about the unifying ideas of a topic in terms already familiar to the learner. A study is reported that sought to determine whether two presentations of an advance organizer for a unit on pathogenic bacteria would result in increasing medical students' knowledge and ability to solve problems in…

An instructional approach to pathogenic microbiology appropriate for dental medicine, which was developed by the University of Texas, is described. This approach is perceived by the students as relevant to their needs, and it increases the instructor's awareness to emphasize the oral aspects of the infectious diseases. (Author/MLW)

Suspensions of 20 different cultures were grown on appropriate media, then pipetted into sterile anhydrous silica gel. Silica gel cultures after incubation and refrigerated storage were tested for viability. Results showed little mutation, low replication, low contamination, minimal expenses, and survival up to two years. (CS)

A format for a small-group teaching session is described that could be modified for any subject in a medical curriculum. The technique discussed uses subgroups and a simple recording chart that have been successful in teaching microbiology to medical students. (LBH)

Discusses the history of the use of pesticides and biological control. Introduces the concept of biological control as illustrated in the use of the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis and highlights laboratory demonstrations of Koch's postulates. Includes an exercise that offers the student and teacher several integrated learning…

Presents lab exercises in which students use the microscope to study cells. Describes these activities as allowing students to work independently and become more proficient at microscope use. Students also gain a deeper understanding of the more invisible world of science. (Author/KHR)

Describes circadian timekeeping which matches internal states with environmental changes, and the ultradian clock which coordinates intracellular processes including energy cycles, protein turnover, and cell division. Presents discussions of biological rhythms and its characteristics. (RT)

Described is a laboratory study designed to demonstrate loss of vegetation, alterations in the species composition of a community, and the impoverishment of a community with respect to desirable food plant species when herbivore feeding exceeds the rate of vegetation regrowth. The laboratory uses a classroom aquarium. (CW)

Describes an inexpensive, reproducible alternative assay that requires minimal preparation and equipment for water testing. It provides students with a direct method of detecting potentially biohazardous material in water by observing the reduction in bacterial luminescence. (PR)

Antagonism is the production of substances by microorganisms that inhibit or prevent the growth of other bacteria. This paper demonstrates the antagonistic behavior of gram-positive coccus on the B. subtilis and Enterococcus faecalis gram-positive microorganisms, showing that the process of antagonism is sometimes dependent on the nutritional…

Describes a microbial bioassay, using molds as test organisms, that demonstrates toxicities of environmental pollutants. Includes laboratory methods and applications for the experiment. (MDH)