BIOL 111: PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY I
Fall 2011
Updated: November 14, 2011
Course Description and Schedule
Instructor: Dr. Stan Eisen
Office: Assisi Hall (AH) 112
Telephone: 321-3447
e-mail: seisen@cbu.edu
Office Hours: T: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
W: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Th: 9:30 a.m. to 12
noon
F: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Organ systems of plants: http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/biobookplantanat.html
Textbook: Biology with MasteringBiology™ (8th
Edition) (MasteringBiology Series) (Hardcover), by
Neil A. Campbell (Author), Jane B. Reece (Author)
Supplemental text: Howdunit Forensics, by Lyle
(2008), ISBN 978158294743. While this is
not an endorsement of Amazon.com, you can see the details of the book at:
http://www.amazon.com/Howdunit-Forensics-D-P-Lyle/dp/1582974748/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281048148&sr=1-1
Scope
of the Course:
BIOL 111 (Principles of Biology I) is the first half of a comprehensive study of contemporary biology, covering cytology, basic chemistry, chemistry of organic chemistry, cellular transport, enzyme kinetics, energy metabolism, cell division, Mendelian, molecular and population genetics, evolution, systematics, and taxonomy of viruses, monerans, protists, fungi, and plants.
Grading protocol:
Each exam, quiz, and oral presentation will be graded on a 4-point grading scale in which:
A = 4 points, for outstanding work, showing sparks of brilliance;
B = 3 points, for good solid work, but perhaps lacking in critical thinking;
C= 2 points, for an adequate answer, but with major omissions or mistakes in
content or logic;
D = 1 point, for a barely passing answer; and
F = 0 point, in which you completely missed the point, or left the answer
blank.
I will compute a final numerical average, and will award final grades on the basis of the following:
A = 3.5 to 4.0
B = 2.75 to 3.49
C = 2.00 to 2.74
D = 1.00 to 1.99
F < 1.00
Grading will be based on the following:
1. Four exams given during lecture periods. These exams will cover the material from the previous exam. The format will include multiple-choice, short answer, and essay questions. Each exam is comprehensive and will count 1/7 towards your final grade;
2. An oral presentation based on a selected
chapter from Howdunit Forensics or
issue dealing with forensics, followed up with additional independent reading,
which will count 1/7 towards their final grade.
Students will be divided into groups of 2, and each group is responsible
for presenting one of the following topics, for which you should discuss the
topic and then present a landmark case highlighting the concept, (e.g., for
forensic botany, the type of wood found on a ladder next to the home Charles
Lindbergh was the key clue in solving the kidnapping and murder of his
son.):
a. Identifying the body: Sex, age, general health, racial/ethnic details, specific person: Who is the victim?
b. Types of wounds
c. Forensic Botany
d. Forensic Dentistry
e. Serology
f. DNA sequencing
g. Fingerprinting
h. Ballistics
i. Forensic Entomology
j. Profiling of serial killers
Each pair MUST:
1) Make an appointment to meet with me some time in the week prior to their presentation so that we can review the presentation (and PowerPoint file);
2) Prepare review notes of their presentation and send them to me as .doc or .docx files at least 24 hours in advance so that I can forward them to the rest of the students;
3) Prepare 5 multiple-choice questions, with the answers CLEARLY indicated, and send them to me as a .doc or .docx file at least 24 hours in advance so that I can forward them to the rest of the students
4) Give a 15-30 minute presentation on their topic
5) The grading rubric for the presentation, based on a 4-point scale is fairly simple:
|
If you: |
Then you’ll get: |
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Meet with me to discuss your presentation, and it sounds intelligent |
|
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Submit the review notes at least 24 hours in advance |
|
|
Submit 5 multiple-choice questions, WITH ANSWERS INDICATED at least 24 hours in advance |
|
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Show up on your appointed day, awake, lucid & sober |
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Not only do you show up on your appointed day, awake, lucid & sober, your presentation is considered interesting and comprehensible by your peers in the class. |
|
|
TOTAL |
4
points
(i.e., the MAX) |
The logistics of making fair distributions:
|
Topic |
Number of people expressing an interest |
|
1. Identifying the body: Sex, age, general health, racial/ethnic details, specific person: Who is the victim? |
3 |
|
2) Types of wounds |
7 |
|
3) Forensic Botany |
4 |
|
4) Forensic Dentistry |
1 |
|
5) Serology |
8 |
|
6) DNA sequencing |
3 |
|
7) Fingerprinting |
11 |
|
8) Ballistics |
11 |
|
9) Forensic Entomology |
3 |
|
10) Profiling of serial killers |
9 |
|
Schedule of presentations pertaining to forensics |
||
|
Topic |
Date (Mostly Thursdays) |
Presenter(s) |
|
2. Identifying the body: Sex, age, general health, racial/ethnic details, specific person: Who is the victim? |
Thursday, 9/22 |
· Aristorenas, Andrew · Burt, Kiva |
|
11) Types of wounds |
Monday, 10/3 |
· Hefner, Jessica · Suggs, Kyera |
|
12) Forensic Botany |
Thursday, 10/6 |
· Kegler, Olivia · Milnor, Pervis |
|
13) Forensic Dentistry |
Monday, 10/24 |
· Frey, Hunter · Vipparthi, Angelica |
|
14) Serology |
Thursday, 10/27 |
· Phung, Chi · Flechas, Emily |
|
15) DNA sequencing |
Thursday, 11/3 |
· Skelton, Matthew · Tools, Nicholas |
|
16) Fingerprinting |
Thursday, 11/10 |
· Flatten, Danny · Mustapha, Omar |
|
17) Ballistics |
Thursday, 11/17 |
· Teuscher, Brittany |
|
18) Forensic Entomology |
Thursday, 11/28 |
· Flanagan, Daniel · Oxford, Christopher |
|
19) Profiling of serial killers |
Thursday, 12/1 |
· Cao, Vu · Joiner, Shanteria |
3.Approximately eleven quizzes given at the beginning of selected discussion sections, as indicated in the course schedule. These quizzes will cover the previous week’s material, and will collectively count 1/7 towards your final grade;
4. A final exam, given during Final Exam Week, which will count 1/7 towards your final grade.
Attendance:
Attendance will be recorded in both lecture and discussion. Any student who misses more than 8 lectures may be withdrawn from the course or given an 'F". Students must be present for exams. I will return all quizzes and exams EXCEPT the final exam.
Classroom Management Details
I assume that you have the intention of learning something when you attend class. Therefore, I would appreciate it if you would do the following:
- Arrive on time. During quiz and exam dates, I shall close the door to prevent late-comers from disrupting the administration of the quiz/exam;
- Mute or turn off your cell phone prior to the beginning of class. If you don’t, then I reserve the right to answer your phone. (I promise I’ll be civil.);
- Restrict your use of laptop computers to note-taking, or if requested, to access appropriate web sites to acquire information that is directly pertinent to the class. If you’re more interested in using the computer for inappropriate uses, such as instant-messaging your friends on Facebook during class time, then you don’t have to suck up valuable oxygen that the rest of us can use in the classroom.
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Evolution as a unifying theme: BBC – Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, Part 1 BBC – Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, Part 2 BBC – Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, Part 3 BBC – Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, Part 4 BBC – Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, Part 5 BBC
– Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, Part 6 |
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Schedule for Fall 2011 (Subject to change, as needed) |
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Day |
Date |
Topic |
Relevant chapter in textbook |
|
M |
8/22 |
Introduction to course, Prokaryotes,
Eukaryotes, & Viruses Tutorial, at the University of Arizona
|
1, 6. Intro; Cell structure |
|
W |
8/24 |
Prokaryote Organization |
2. Chemistry |
|
Th |
8/25 |
Quiz 1; |
|
|
F |
8/26 |
3. Water |
|
|
M |
8/29 |
4. Carbon |
|
|
W |
9/1 |
Biological Macromolecules |
5. Macro-molecules |
|
Th |
9/2 |
Information Literacy session, at the Library, led by Benjamin Head, in the Media Center of the library. |
|
|
F |
9/3 |
7. Membrane |
|
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M |
9/5 |
LABOR DAY – NO CLASS |
|
|
W |
9/7 |
8. Metabolism |
|
|
Th |
9/8 |
Quiz 2: Chemistry |
|
|
F |
9/9 |
Characteristics of Enzymes |
8, cont’d |
|
M |
9/12 |
Cellular Respiration 1: Glycolysis |
9. Respiration |
|
W |
9/14 |
Presentation by Dustin M. James: Forensic Anthropology |
|
|
Th |
9/15 |
Quiz 3: Enzymes Cellular Respiration 2: |
9, cont’d |
|
F |
9/16 |
***EXAM 1*** |
|
|
M |
9/19 |
Photosynthesis – Light phase |
10. Photosynthesis |
|
W |
9/21 |
Photosynthesis – Dark phase |
|
|
Th |
9/22 |
Quiz 4: Cellular respiration Forensics 1: Identifying the body: Sex, age, general health, racial/ethnic details, specific person: Who is the victim? |
|
|
F |
9/23 |
Cell communication |
11. Cell Communication |
|
M |
9/26 |
Chromosomal Structure http://www.johnkyrk.com/chromosomestructure.html
Mitosis animation: Time-lapse photography: Cell cycle - Mitosis , or: |
12. Cell cycle |
|
W |
9/28 |
Cell cycle - Meiosis , or: |
13. Meiosis |
|
Th |
9/29 |
***No class-Rosh Hashanah I*** |
|
|
F |
9/30 |
***No class-Rosh Hashanah II***
|
|
|
M |
10/3 |
Forensics 2: Types of wounds Mendelian Genetics Laws, “Hairy ears” or ear tufts is a gene on the y-chromosome: A description of sickle cell anemia:
etiology, pathology, treatment |
14. Mendel |
|
W |
10/5 |
DNA structure Molecular Visualizations of DNA
|
15. Chromosomes |
|
Th |
10/6 |
Quiz #5: Photosynthesis, Chromosomal structure, Cellular division and Mendelian genetics Forensics 3: Forensic Botany |
|
|
F |
10/7 |
DNA replication: Protein Synthesis: Translation
Process |
16. Molecular basis |
|
M |
10/10 |
DNA translation & the genetic code Messenger RNA editing: |
17. Gene to protein |
|
W |
10/12 |
***EXAM 2*** |
|
|
Th |
10/13 |
***No class-Sukkot I*** |
|
|
F |
10/14 |
***No class-Sukkot II*** |
|
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WEEK OF OCTOBER 18: FALL BREAK!! |
|||
|
M |
10/24 |
Forensics 4: Forensic Dentistry Gene regulation: Operon theory: Animation of lac Operon
function: The tryptophan Operon: |
18. Gene regulation |
|
W |
10/26 |
19. Viruses |
|
|
Th |
10/27 |
Quiz #6: Gene replication, transcription,
translation Forensics 5: Serology |
|
|
F |
10/28 |
Biotechnology, and Genetic engineering |
20. Biotechnology |
|
M |
10/31 |
Genomes & Their evolution |
21. Genomes |
|
W |
11/2 |
Genes & Development |
|
|
Th |
11/3 |
Quiz 7: Regulation of gene expression Forensics 6: DNA sequencing |
|
|
F |
11/4 |
Descent with Modification: Darwinian Evolution |
22. Descent… |
|
M |
11/7 |
Evolution of Populations: Population Genetics Simulation with the peppered moth: |
23. Population genetics |
|
W |
11/9 |
Origin of species |
24. Origin |
|
Th |
11/10 |
Quiz 8: Microevolution and gradualism Forensics 7: Fingerprinting |
|
|
F |
11/11 |
***EXAM 3*** |
|
|
M |
11/14 |
History of life on Earth Coon Creek Science Center: |
25. History… |
|
W |
11/16 |
Evolution of Primates |
|
|
Th |
11/17 |
Quiz 9: Paleontology Forensics 8: Ballistics |
|
|
F |
11/18 |
Phylogeny and the Tree of Life |
26. Phylogeny |
|
M |
11/21 |
Archaea |
27. Bacteria… |
|
W |
11/23 |
27, cont’d |
|
|
Th |
11/24 |
Thanksgiving break – No class |
|
|
F |
11/25 |
Thanksgiving break – No class |
|
|
M |
11/28 |
Forensics 9: Forensic Entomology Protists I: Some are animal-like |
28. Protists |
|
W |
11/30 |
Protists II: Some are plant- or fungus-like |
|
|
Th |
12/1 |
Quiz 10: Introduction to phylogeny, and Archea, Eubacteria and Protists Forensics 10: Profiling of serial killers |
|
|
F |
12/2 |
***Exam 4*** |
|
|
M |
12/5 |
How plants colonized land |
29. Plants I |
|
W |
12/7 |
The evolution of seed plants |
30. Plants II |
|
Th |
12/8 |
Quiz 11: Plants |
|
|
F |
12/9 |
31. Fungi |
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THE FINAL EXAM WILL BE GIVEN DURING FINAL EXAM WEEK