This is a course about animal and plant function - about "how organisms work". It is a physiology course taught from a womewhat ecological and evolutionary perspective. The course will address physiological topics from the following perspectives: comparative, ecological, environmental, evolutionary, integrative, and organismal. It will to some extent address molecular and cellular mechanisms, but at the same time it will emphasize the organismal, ecological, and evolutionary significance of physiological function. The course will take a holistic view of physiological mechanisms and emphasize organismal interactions with the environment (ecology) and their evoluntionary significance. This course will combine information from physiology with that of physical and chemical processes with structure in order to understand how animals evolved their functional characteristics and how they stay alive in the face of constantly changing internal and external environments.
Prerequisite(s): BIO 1400 Introduction to Biological Inquiry, BIO 2200 Genetics and Cell Biology and BIO 2300 Ecology and Evolution.
BIO 1400 Introduction to Biological Inquiry (4 hours)
.Students will be introduced to biology by actively engaging in research on a variety of biological topics. This inquiry-based and student-centered approach will expose to students to the methods of scientific inquiry and asociated content in an engaging and meaningful way. Specific topics will vary across years and among offered sections but can include such diverse areas as: antipredator behavior, plant viral gene expression, belly button biology, and bacteriophage genomics. Using the research topic as a guide, students will also explore traditional introductory biology content areas.
(Normally offered each semester.)
BIO 2200 Genetics and Cell Biology (4 hours)
This course emphasizes molecular mechanisms associated with intracellular structures, metabolism, genetic information transfer, heredity, and evolution in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.
Three lectures per week with one three-hour lab per week.
Prerequisite(s): BIO 1400 Introduction to Biological Inquiry, CHEM 1110 Chemical Principles I , CHEM 2100 Organic Chemistry I .
(Normally offered each semester.)
BIO 2300 Ecology and Evolution (4 hours)
An introduction to the interaction of life with the environment at the molecular, organismal through ecosystem levels, hightlighting the major factors influencing evolutionary change. Topics include genetic and phenotypic variation, natural selection, adaptation, speciation, symbosis and populations dynamics especially in light of human interference, and ecosystem structure and function. Where possible, principles of evolution and ecology will be integrated.
Three lectures per week.
One 3-hour lab per week, including field, laboratory and greenhouse work.
Prerequisite(s): BIO 1400 Introduction to Biological Inquiry, CHEM 1110 Chemical Principles I and CHEM 2100 Organic Chemistry I .
(Normally offered each semester.)
