Microbe Mission B/C

[SciBomb97]

What kind of resource are you currently using? I bought Brock's Biology of Microorganisms (13 e/d) and had been studied with it. Is reading college-level microbiology textbook is necessary to win all the way up to the national level (assuming the school proceeds to the national level)?

Can you tell me any online website that you are using to study Microbe Mission?

I bought Burton's Microbiology for the Health Sciences: 9th edition. It is argueably the best most resourceful book I have in my collection (which is quite small, but that's still saying something). I call it my shiny book OF DOOM. Too bad one of my teammates kind of ripped a page a few days ago...
As for online, I found this: http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/, but I rarely use it. The book covers just about everything I need (except for the microbial origin and diseases, although it has quite a few in the back). One of our coaches made us like a combined 300 slide-ish powerpoint for the diseases. I use wikipedia or anything on Google to look up details and occasionally refer to a college level biology textbook for specific information.
I think many science olympians overlook the usefulness of Google. Questions which could be answered easily by a simple Google search are posted all the time. Not saying that yours is, but some others...

[PacificGoldenPlover]

What kind of resource are you currently using? I bought Brock's Biology of Microorganisms (13 e/d) and had been studied with it. Is reading college-level microbiology textbook is necessary to win all the way up to the national level (assuming the school proceeds to the national level)?

Can you tell me any online website that you are using to study Microbe Mission?

Last year, I relied on Brock for almost everything also. After just two months practice, I got a second at our regional competition.
However, in order to medal at nationals, you really need to use more than one resource. Remember, you are going up against the best in the nation, who would probably be using the very best both online and in print.

[illusionofconfusion]

One of our coaches made us like a combined 300 slide-ish powerpoint for the diseases.

Actually, it's 367. Get it straight, dear. Also, the "ish" would go after the 300. It's describing the number, not the slides...

[SciBomb97]

One of our coaches made us like a combined 300 slide-ish powerpoint for the diseases.

Actually, it's 367. Get it straight, dear. Also, the "ish" would go after the 300. It's describing the number, not the slides...

So 367, proving all the more that it should be adequate.
As for the -ish, grammar and pronunciation are the bane of my existence.

[Kevin Cheng]

For the diseases, do we need to know everything about the disease such as symptoms, causes, prevention, etc.

[SciBomb97]

For the diseases, do we need to know everything about the disease such as symptoms, causes, prevention, etc.

I think you should at least know what the causative pathogen is and what types of microbe it is (ex. malaria; Plasmodium spp.; fungal disease).
I've taken a few practice tests that ask a variety of things, like symptoms and causes (or they give the cause and ask you to identify the disease), but usually nothing as specific as that.

Hope that helps.

[sciencegeek999]

I know this is kind of off topic, but does anybody know a website that says which kingdoms are heterotrophs/autotrophs?
This topic was covered on my Invite test, but this is not mentioned at all in the 2012 training handout found on soinc.org.

[SciBomb97]

I know this is kind of off topic, but does anybody know a website that says which kingdoms are heterotrophs/autotrophs?
This topic was covered on my Invite test, but this is not mentioned at all in the 2012 training handout found on soinc.org.

No need for a website.
Animalia: heterotrophs
Plantae: autotrophs
Fungi: heterotrophs (decomposers)
Protista: both (ex. Euglena can both perform photosynthesis and phagocytize small particles)
Eubacteria: both
Archaea: both

[syo_astro]

Was about to say that...SciBomb did you mean protozoan disease for malaria (you said fungal I think). Also, does anyone know what the current system for kingdoms is (I tried looking this up, I can't figure out how they split up protozoans). As for diseases, I'd agree with the bare minimum being knowing the microbial cause/organism that causes it. You may want to know gram-positive vs gram-negative for bacteria, but you may want to know symptoms and causes because a coordinator could ask that (treatment and prevention too, but most involve either being clean or anti[insert microbe] drugs). Thanks to anyone who answers my question.

[illusionofconfusion]

SciBomb did you mean protozoan disease for malaria (you said fungal I think).

Yes, he meant protozoal. If he didn't, SHAME ON YOU, SciBomb!!

Also, does anyone know what the current system for kingdoms is (I tried looking this up, I can't figure out how they split up protozoans).

I'm fairly certain that it's Bacteria, Archaea, Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, and Protista. Protozoa go under Protista along with algae and moulds.