Microbe Mission B/C

[sciencegirl23]

Our regionals didn't offer Microbes, so can any of you guys please tell me what kind of stuff showed up on your regionals tests?

[The Eviscerator]

My regionals had some pretty crazy things like specific genuses of bacteria used in food production and biogeochemical cycles. And the diseases on the test weren't part of the official list, but, luckily, I knew them all.

[dvd]

Just to clarify, fungi do have cell walls, right?

[FullMetalMaple]

Just to clarify, fungi do have cell walls, right?

Yes! They're made of chitin.

[Skink]

And the diseases on the test weren't part of the official list, but, luckily, I knew them all.

People, if this happens, arbitrate. I especially hate seeing "C division only" material on division B tests, which I've already seen in this event.

...unless you're positive you know them all, like in this case. I guess it works in your favor then. But it's still a good idea to call out bad supervisors, regardless.

[Thatrandomeguy]

I HAVE A QUESTION

This is my first year, so I haven't studied for a knowledge event before.

I've studied everything on my list (scroll up to see it) in just 2 days! Now I have not gone over them enough times to know it without a second thought, all I've done is print off a ton of information and read through them once.

So, my question: Is it memorizing the information what eats up your time when you study for knowledge events? or should I be spending several days just collecting information?

[Skink]

This is a "new" event, so we don't have the best idea what you will be tested on yet at your particular regional (seems to me like there's been a lot of varying in how these tests have looked). You should definitely know the Training Handout (save for gram staining and bacterial shapes) like the back of your hand. That's memorization. Then check to see if you learned anything by drawing a chart comparing and contrasting the five main groups of microbes. If you can make a comprehensive study tool without reference, then you're off to a good start. That's the point when you start, say, researching symptoms of diseases and drilling the couple microscope equations. Or researching whatever else you feel you may be tested on. Master the basics and then see what extras you can learn. This goes for several events, not just this one.

I second the dude who said you should study growth curves. The difference between knowing a thing or two about exponential growth etc. and not could determine if you medal or not. Don't risk it.

[Thatrandomeguy]

Ok, thats how I was going to approach my studies. Starting off with what's in the training guide, then going through all the extras.

The Microbial Growth Curve is pretty basic stuff when It comes to biology:

Lag Phase: Bacteria become adjusted to the environment they have been introduced to.
Expontential Growth: The conditions are right for reproduction (plenty of resourses ((food)), right climate, and undisturbed area), thus the're numbers increase rapidly.
Stationary Phase: The reproduction and death rate is balanced at this point. Bacteria are still reproducing, although lack of resources and bi-products of they're waste cause the death rate to increase.
Death Phase: The resources have become scarse, and waste has become toxic, the bacteria are dying.

For calculating growth:

Simply multiply the current poulation as the previous population. If any spikes in growth occur, asume these will happen regurlarly.


Like I said, simple stuff.


I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION:


Do you think fungi will be in the test?

[The Eviscerator]

Do you think fungi will be in the test?

Yeah, definitely.
Unless for some reason your test writer has a ridiculous grudge against a certain fungi.

[FullMetalMaple]

Do you think fungi will be in the test?

Yep! They're among the microbes you need to know. Also, it's helpful to know for the disease part of the event that a disease with "mycosis" in it is usually, if not always, a fungal disease. Blastomycosis and zygomycosis are examples.