BIOL 111: PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY I
Fall 2009
Updated: November 10, 2009
Course Description and Schedule
Instructor: Dr. Stan Eisen
Office: 321-3447; FAX 321-4433
e-mail: seisen@cbu.edu
Textbook: Biology with MasteringBiology™ (8th Edition) (MasteringBiology
Series) (Hardcover), by Neil A. Campbell (Author), Jane B. Reece (Author)
Supplemental text: Carroll, S. (2008).
Into
The Jungle: Great Adventures in the Search for Evolution (Paperback). Pearson, Benjamin Cummings. (I am not endorsing Amazon.com, but here’s
the URL so that you can see the cover: http://www.amazon.com/Into-Jungle-Adventures-Search-Evolution/dp/0321556712/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250197757&sr=8-1
)
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:
Grading will be based on the following:
- 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 1/8 towards your final grade;
- Approximately twelve 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 1/8 towards your final grade;
- An oral presentation based on a selected chapter from Into the Jungle. Students will be divided into groups, and each group is responsible for present a selected chapter from this text, in which you
- Introduce the scientist under discussion;
- Discuss the social milieu of that scientist and the reason that the scientist conducted that research;
- Discuss what that scientist found out or discovered, and the implications of that research.
Each student will also write a 1-paragraph summary of their presentation and will hand out copies of the class at least one day in advance. This oral presentation and matching 1-paragraph summary will count 1/8 towards your final grade;
- A final exam scheduled during final exam week. This exam will count 2/8, or ¼ towards your final grade.
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
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.
Presenter
Schedule:
|
Date |
Chapter |
Presenter(s) |
|
9/10 |
1. Reverend Darwin’s Detour |
Gadson |
|
9/17 |
2. Drawing the Line between Monkeys and Kangaroos |
Brown, Davis, Farrell |
|
9/24 |
3. Life Imitates Life |
Ballard, Stewart |
|
10/1 |
4. Java Man |
Blackstone, McDaniel |
|
10/15 |
5. Where the Dragon Laid Her Eggs |
Browning, Murphy, Norris |
|
10/29 |
6. The Day the Mesozoic Died |
Moore, O'Brien, Smith |
|
11/5 |
7. Miss Latimer’s Extraordinary Fish |
Hopper, Karawadra, Wilson |
|
11/12 |
8. A Sickle-Cell Safari |
Fain, Jackson, Sayani |
|
11/19 |
9. In Cold Blood: The Tale of the Icefish |
Lewis, Nguyen, Vo |
|
Day |
Date |
Topic |
Relevant chapter in textbook |
|
M |
8/24 |
Introduction to course, |
1, 6. Intro; Cell structure |
|
W |
8/26 |
Prokaryote Organization |
2. Chemistry |
|
Th |
8/27 |
Quiz 1; |
|
|
F |
8/28 |
3. Water |
|
|
M |
8/31 |
4. Carbon |
|
|
W |
9/2 |
Information Literacy session, at
the Library, led by Benjamin Head |
5. Macro-molecules |
|
Th |
9/3 |
Quiz 2; Chemistry of Organic
compounds 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 |
|
|
F |
9/4 |
7. Membrane |
|
|
M |
9/7 |
LABOR DAY – NO CLASS |
|
|
W |
9/9 |
8. Metabolism |
|
|
Th |
9/10 |
Quiz 3; |
|
|
F |
9/11 |
Characteristics of
Enzymes |
8, cont’d |
|
M |
9/14 |
Cellular Respiration 1: Glycolysis |
9. Respiration |
|
W |
9/16 |
Cellular Respiration 2: Krebs cycle, electron transport, chemiosmosis |
9, cont’d |
|
Th |
9/17 |
Quiz 4; |
|
|
F |
9/18 |
***EXAM 1*** |
|
|
M |
9/21 |
Photosynthesis – Light phase |
10. Photosynthesis |
|
W |
9/23 |
Photosynthesis – Dark phase |
|
|
Th |
9/24 |
Quiz 5; |
|
|
F |
9/25 |
Chromosomal Structure http://www.johnkyrk.com/chromosomestructure.html
Video clip: |
11. Cell Communication |
|
M |
9/28 |
Cell cycle - Mitosis , or: |
Cell cycle |
|
W |
9/30 |
Cell cycle - Meiosis , or: |
13. Meiosis |
|
Th |
10/1 |
Quiz 6; |
|
|
F |
10/2 |
Mendelian Genetics Laws |
14. Mendel |
|
M |
10/5 |
Mendelian Genetics Laws, cont’d An example of codominance. (?)
“Hairy ears” or ear tufts is a gene on the y-chromosome: A description of sickle cell anemia:
etiology, pathology, treatment |
|
|
W |
10/7 |
DNA structure Molecular Visualizations of DNA
|
15. Chromosomes |
|
Th |
10/8 |
DNA Structure, cont’d |
|
|
F |
10/9 |
DNA replication: Protein Synthesis: Translation
Process |
16. Molecular basis |
|
M |
10/12 |
DNA translation & the genetic code Messenger RNA editing: |
17. Gene to protein |
|
W |
10/14 |
Introns & Exons |
|
|
Th |
10/15 |
Quiz # 7; |
|
|
F |
10/16 |
***EXAM 2*** |
|
|
WEEK OF OCTOBER 19: FALL BREAK!! |
|||
|
M |
10/26 |
Gene regulation: Operon theory: Animation of lac Operon function: The tryptophan Operon: |
18. Gene regulation |
|
W |
10/28 |
19. Viruses |
|
|
Th |
10/29 |
Quiz 8; |
|
|
F |
10/30 |
Biotechnology, and Genetic engineering |
20. Biotechnology |
|
M |
11/2 |
Genomes & Their evolution |
21. Genomes |
|
W |
11/4 |
Genes & Development |
|
|
Th |
11/5 |
Quiz 9; |
|
|
F |
11/6 |
Descent with Modification: Darwinian Evolution |
22. Descent… |
|
M |
11/9 |
Evolution of Populations: Population Genetics |
23. Population genetics |
|
W |
11/11 |
Origin of species |
24. Origin |
|
Th |
11/12 |
Quiz 10; |
|
|
F |
11/13 |
***EXAM 3*** |
|
|
M |
11/16 |
History of life on Earth |
25. History… |
|
W |
11/18 |
Evolution of Primates |
|
|
Th |
11/19 |
Quiz 11; |
|
|
F |
11/20 |
Phylogeny and the Tree of Life |
26. Phylogeny |
|
M |
11/23 |
Archaea |
27. Bacteria… |
|
W |
11/25 |
27, cont’d |
|
|
Th |
11/26 |
Thanksgiving break – No class |
|
|
F |
11/27 |
Thanksgiving break – No class |
|
|
M |
11/30 |
Protists I: Some are animal-like |
28. Protists |
|
W |
12/2 |
Protists II: Some are plant- or fungus-like |
|
|
Th |
12/3 |
Quiz 12 |
|
|
F |
12/4 |
***Exam 4*** |
|
|
M |
12/7 |
How plants colonized land |
29. Plants I |
|
W |
12/9 |
The evolution of seed plants |
30. Plants II |
|
Th |
12/10 |
31. Fungi |
|
|
F |
12/11 |
Course Review |
|
![[]](BIOL111LcDesc_files/image003.jpg)
THE FINAL EXAM WILL BE GIVEN DURING FINAL EXAM WEEK